Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame’s 55th Anniversary celebration to honor 20 journalists

The Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame will celebrate its 55th anniversary by honoring 20 distinguished journalists, including Dean Blevins, Oscar Pea, and the late Bill Teegins, at an induction ceremony on May 9 at the University of Central Oklahoma

Monday, February 10th 2025, 12:59 pm

By: News 9

The Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame will celebrate its 55th anniversary by honoring 20 distinguished journalists.

This year’s honorees are Griffin Media's own, Dean Blevins, Oscar Pea, and the late Bill Teegins, the sports director for News on 6 and News 9 before he died in the 2001 OSU plane crash.

Dean Blevins has been a staple in Oklahoma sports media for over 40 years. A former University of Oklahoma quarterback, Blevins played on the Sooners’ 1974 and 1975 national championship teams before transitioning into journalism. He has been the sports director at News 9 since 2001. He is a two-time Emmy Award winner and has been named Oklahoma Sportscaster of the Year eight times.

Oscar Pea has spent nearly four decades covering Oklahoma’s biggest news events as a photojournalist. He joined News on 6 in Tulsa in 1988. He has documented major national and international stories, including the Oklahoma City bombing, the Moore tornadoes, and the trial of Timothy McVeigh. Pea has also covered military deployments overseas and crime across Green Country. He has served as Chief Photojournalist and Director of Operations at News On 6 for many years.

Bill Teegins began his career in Amarillo, Texas, covering both news and sports. He returned to his hometown of Tulsa in 1981 as sports director at KOTV. In 1987, he moved to Oklahoma City as sports director at News 9, where the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters named him Sports Director of the Year for seven years. From 1990 to 2001, Teegins was the radio play-by-play voice for Oklahoma State football and basketball. His career was cut short when he died in the 2001 OSU basketball team plane crash.

The 2025 induction class and a special posthumous class celebrating the Hall of Fame’s 55th anniversary will be recognized at the event.

The induction ceremony is set for 6 p.m. on May 9 in the grand ballroom of UCO’s Nigh University Center. A reception will precede the event at 5 p.m. in the University Center’s Heritage Room. A museum dedication is scheduled for 4 p.m. in UCO’s Liberal Arts building.