Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA) is the leading politically conservative think tank in Oklahoma.
Contents |
[edit] Founding mission and leadership
Founded in 1993 by Dr. David Brown, also chairman of the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., OCPA strives to bring groundbreaking research to the state. Brown recognized a need for political change in his home state and began fundraising to form a small think tank developed around the same model as Heritage.
Ten years later, OCPA launched a capital campaign which resulted in a newly renovated building. OCPA's staff of seven now occupies the headquarters just blocks from the Oklahoma State Capitol in the heart of Oklahoma City. The facilities are frequently used as a meeting point by local legislators, authors, experts and statewide elected officials.
Hopper Smith is the OCPA president. He has a B.S. in Geology from Oklahoma State University, and an M.S. in Strategic Intelligence from the National Defense Intelligence College. He is a former state legislator who served from 1996 to 2003, resigned his seat and deployed to Afghanistan with the 45th Infantry Brigade in 2003-2004. He currently holds the rank of Colonel in the National Guard.
[edit] Annual Citizenship Award
OCPA's annual Citizenship Award has proven to be the council's biggest event, most recently honoring retired astronaut Gen. Thomas Stafford. Former recipients include U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Newt Gingrich, Gen. Tommy Franks, conservative commentator, author, and columnist William F. Buckley, Jr., Associate U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and the late U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Jeane Kirkpatrick.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
 |
This Oklahoma-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
