Dr. George Hamley Odell was a renowned professor of anthropology and an internationally acclaimed researcher in archaeology, who served with distinction in The University of Tulsa Department of Anthropology (now the Department of Anthropology and Sociology) from 1984 until 2011. A colleague described Odell as innovative, hardworking, and cheerful, with a deep sense of morality. The 2011-12 academic year was to be Professor Odell’s last year at TU before he retired, but he passed away on October 14, 2011, at the age of 69, leaving a remarkable legacy of research, academic excellence, and student success.
Dr. Odell was a popular and inspiring professor who encouraged his students to become critical thinkers, and he touched the lives of countless students during his 27 years of service at TU, assisting them in attaining their educational and professional goals. Students recall him as a thought-provoking professor with a clever sense of humor, who was challenging, engaging, and always happy to help.
Dr. Odell was well-respected as an archaeologist, receiving numerous awards for his research and published works, including the prestigious Fryxell Award for Interdisciplinary Research from the Society for American Archaeology for his research in lithic technology, and most recently, the inaugural Henry Kendall College of Arts and Sciences Research Award in 2010 for advancing the field of archaeology and bringing recognition to The University of Tulsa.
On a dig in nearby Jenks, Oklahoma, Dr. Odell and his team discovered that the location had been the scene of one of the first encounters between eastern Plains Indians and Europeans 300 years earlier. The site had also been a substantial prehistoric American Indian village, according to other evidence found. Odell was a veteran of field research projects all over the world, including the Netherlands, South Africa, Yugoslavia, Romania, and several other nations.
Dr. Odell’s former students, colleagues, family, and friends wished to memorialize him after he passed away, prompting his wife, Frieda Odell, to encourage memorial gifts to The University of Tulsa. In 2014, these gifts created The George H. Odell Memorial Scholarship in Anthropology Endowment Fund. Through this important scholarship program, Dr. Odell’s legacy continues to provide important opportunities for those hoping to follow in his footsteps in his field of expertise.
The TU community is deeply grateful to the caring donors who wished to honor the life and legacy of Professor George H. Odell by fostering opportunity in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at The University of Tulsa.
