Clifton Taulbert, CEO & Entrepreneur, Announced as 2018 Commencement Speaker

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Stephanie Hill, Director of University Relations & Communications
Office: 918.495.7337, Mobile: 918.720.5548
sthill@oru.edu

Tulsa, OK – Oral Roberts University today announced author, entrepreneur, and President & CEO of The Freemount Corporation, Clifton Taulbert, will deliver the commencement address on May 5, 2018. Taulbert is a 1971 graduate of ORU and serves on its Board of Reference.

“Clifton Taulbert has a remarkable life story about the transforming power of God that was lived out for him by his family in the Mississippi Delta,” said ORU President, Dr. William M. Wilson. “His life lessons inspire people and specifically our students to use their God-given talents to expand their horizons to the uttermost bounds of the earth.”

“During my time at ORU, I grew in my spiritual journey, immersed myself in becoming a successful businessman, and quietly honed my writing skills,” said Taulbert. “I am grateful for what ORU poured into me and now am indeed privileged to give back. I’m highly honored to be invited as this year’s commencement speaker.”

Taulbert came from humble beginnings, growing up among the cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta. Despite traveling over one hundred miles round trip to high school, he graduated as the valedictorian of his class, crediting his Great Uncle Cleve for instilling in him an entrepreneurial spirit. He then moved to St. Louis, Missouri to work for Jefferson Bank and Trust, a focus of Civil Rights marches and demonstrations at the time. His hiring became the catalyst for ending the Civil Rights demonstrations in St. Louis in 1964.

Taulbert served for four years in the United States Air Force, spending his last two years in a classified position in the prestigious 89th Presidential Wing. After he was honorably discharged, Taulbert moved to Tulsa to attend ORU. He later worked as Administrator at the University Village Retirement Center and as an Oklahoma banker while graduating from the Southwest Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University.

Taulbert always knew he wanted to write and eventually published his first book, Once Upon a Time When We Were Colored, which was made into a critically acclaimed major motion picture starring Phylicia Rashad. The book would change the trajectory of his professional life. He’s now written fourteen books, among them The Last Train North, a Pulitzer nominee, and Eight Habits of the Heart, a national best-seller.

Embedded in his books are principles that many around the world would call the timeless and universal ideas to build and sustain community. Taulbert would eventually form his own company, The Freemount Corporation, which has grown into an international human capital consulting firm. It focuses on three general areas: Leadership, Engagement, and Entrepreneurial Thinking. Taulbert is also President and CEO of Roots Java Coffee, the nation’s first nationally certified African-American-owned national coffee supply company.

Taulbert is a highly sought-after lecturer and workshop facilitator. He continues to hold the attention of his audiences as he shares his journey from the fields of the Delta to podiums around the world, including Fortune 500 Companies, the U.S. Supreme Court, the Assembly Hall of the United Nations and numerous colleges and universities.

ORU’s commencement celebration begins at 1pm at the Mabee Center with more than 700 students receiving their diplomas. For those unable to attend, the ceremony will be broadcast LIVE on GEB, ORU’s national television on DirecTV 363 or in Tulsa on KGEB TV-53/Cox HD. Family and friends can also view it via GEB’s channels on the Amazon Fire, ROKU, and Apple TV platforms, streamed at GEB.TV, or by downloading the GEB app.