Culture & the Family

Fears Fellows already making an impact

October 15, 2020

Rick Farmer, Ph.D.

When OCPA envisioned the J. Rufus Fears Fellowship, our aim was to prepare young leaders for Oklahoma’s future. As it turns out, that future is now. Already, Fears Fellows are doing great things.

This year, Fears Fellows are running for office, managing campaigns for major candidates, and working for elected officials. Other Fellows are finding success in the business world—running their own companies or working in corporate management. Because the Fears Fellowship includes 18- to 35-year-olds, some Fellows are serving in student leadership positions on Oklahoma’s college campuses.

Fears Fellows are making a much-needed difference in Oklahoma, and they are making that difference today.

Since its inception, a total of 71 young conservatives have participated in the program. The first group assembled at OCPA headquarters last winter. A second cohort gathered in Ardmore over the summer. Currently, a group is meeting in Tulsa.

The program attracts young adults from various educational backgrounds. We have attorneys, MBAs, Ph.D.s, and college freshmen in the program. One thing they all have in common is that their universities failed them when it comes to teaching the history and principles of freedom. As one Fellow said, “I have a political science master’s degree and no one ever told me these things.”

The Fears Fellowship seeks to identify, inspire, and equip young conservative leaders for Oklahoma’s future. While exploring the ideals of free enterprise, limited government, personal responsibility, and individual initiative, we perpetuate the memory of Oklahoma’s greatest scholar, the late Dr. J. Rufus Fears.

Fellows watch lectures from Dr. Fears. They read original works from the ancient Greeks to the Federalist Papers. They study economics and leadership. Each meeting includes a discussion of the lecture and reading, a group activity, and lunch with a successful business, civic, or political leader. In recommending the fellowship to his friends, one recent fellow said, “I have been a part of several leadership trainings. This is the best one I have found.”

OCPA is planning four Fears Fellowship cohorts in 2021. The next one forms in Oklahoma City on January 30, 2021. The application deadline is December 4, 2020. Other groups will form in Tulsa in the fall, outside the metros (possibly Enid) this summer, and at Oklahoma Christian University during the fall semester.

Please encourage young conservatives to visit FearsFellowship.com and request an application.