Longtime Tulsan Susan Billingslea was one of four siblings raised in Tulsa in a family with deep roots in the city. Her parents were active in business and civic activities, with her father described as an Oklahoma oil pioneer and her mother as a founding member of Tulsa’s Southern Hills Country Club. Susan attended Holland Hall School in Tulsa where she was pictured in the 1957 yearbook as a member of one of the two permanent women’s intramural athletics teams, part of the friendly rivalry and diverse curriculum of the school.

In her late thirties, Susan’s interest in literature led her to The University of Tulsa to begin her studies toward a graduate degree in English. At TU, she made an impact on the intellectual life of the university, contributing to the James Joyce Quarterly, the premier journal of record founded at TU in 1963 covering the life and writings of James Joyce.

Sadly, Susan passed away before completing her degree, but her legacy continued through the Susan Billingslea Scholarship for English, which was established in her honor in 1983. Many an aspiring English major benefited from this tribute to Susan, a book-loving scholar, daughter, sister, and friend.