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Cawley Initiated into OU Chapter of The Order of the Coif

ARDMORE, Okla. — Michael A. Cawley, president and chief executive officer of the Noble Foundation, was recently initiated into the University of Oklahoma College of Law's chapter of The Order of the Coif as its Honorary Member for 2003.

The Order of the Coif is a national honorary scholastic society, one of the purposes of which is to encourage excellence in legal education by honoring those who as lawyers attained high distinction for their professional accomplishments. The Oklahoma Chapter was organized at OU in 1925.

"The Oklahoma Chapter of The Order of the Coif can initiate one honorary member per year," said Alma N. Singleton, associate professor of law and director of the Law Library at OU who serves as secretary-treasurer of the Oklahoma Chapter. "Mike Cawley is the twenty-third honorary member initiated into the Oklahoma Chapter since 1952. Although only one honorary member may be elected per year, it is not mandatory that we do so and, in fact, there have been years we have not done so."

"Honorary members are chosen through a process of faculty recommendation. Faculty members submit names of qualified people, and a vote is taken," Singleton said. "The vote for Mike Cawley was unanimous."

Other honorary members of the Oklahoma Chapter include U.S. District Court Judges Thomas R. Brett and Ralph G. Thompson.

Cawley received his BA in economics in 1969 from the University of Oklahoma and received his law degree from there in 1972. He was admitted to the Oklahoma Bar that same year and practiced law in Ardmore for 19 years. In 1992, he was appointed president and CEO of the Noble Foundation.

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Photo Cutline: Michael A. Cawley

The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, headquartered in Ardmore, Okla., is a non-profit organization conducting agricultural, forage biotechnological, and plant biology research; providing grants to numerous non-profit charitable, educational and health organizations; and assisting farmers and ranchers through educational and consultative agricultural programs.

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