LTC (Ret) Jack C. Shilling
LTC Jack C. Shilling was born December 3rd, 1936 in Lubbock, TX. He took advantage of a football scholarship to play for the Oklahoma Sooners and was a contributing members to the success of the program during his four years on the team: two national championships, four conference championships, three orange bowl victories, and a 47-game winning streak. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in Business Management and was recognized as a Distinguished Military Graduate from OU Army ROTC. He was commissioned as a Regular Army 2nd Lieutenant in the infantry.
Prior to his retirement, LTC Shilling spent over 20 years in a variety of staff and command assignments. After serving as a platoon leader with the 24th Infantry Division in Augsburg, Germany, he was selected to be a head football coach and player in the U.S. Army Europe Football Conference. His team won the European Conference Championship in 1961 and 1962. His next assignment was with the 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, NC, where he also served as head football coach in the East Coast Inter-Service Conference and won the Conference Championships and Airborne Bowl game in 1964. His career record as head coach was 48-6. In 1965, he deployed to the Dominican Republic to intervene in the fighting between Dominican government forces and rebel troops and in 1968 he deployed to Vietnam, serving with the 101st Airborne Division.
His awards and decorations include: the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.
After retirement in 1980, LTC Shilling worked as a personnel and administrative officer for Security National Bank and Trust in Norman, OK, and he later took a position as Vice President and human resources manager for Frontier Federal Savings and Loan Association in Ponca City, OK. He served as a member of the Kiwanis and Lions Club and was honored twice with the Melvin Jones Fellow Award, the highest individual award for dedicated humanitarian services. He currently volunteers extensively with the Norman Chamber of Commerce, as a Cleveland County Election Official, with the Norman Regional Hospital Auxilliary, with the Oklahoma Kit Car Club, and with the OU Army ROTC Alumni Club.