West Plains councilman, preservationist Crockett Oaks III receives honorary doctorate

West Plains resident Crockett W. Oaks III was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters
from Lincoln University during the university’s spring commencement ceremony May 9 in
Jefferson City.
The prestigious degree, which is among the highest recognitions bestowed by the university,
honors Oaks’ lifetime of achievement in public service, military leadership, law enforcement,
higher education administration and community engagement. It specifically lauds his
extraordinary work alongside his wife, Tonya Oaks, through the Lincoln School Project.
Lincoln University President John Moseley noted that Lincoln “presents honorary degrees to
highly accomplished citizens of the nation and world.” Oaks, who serves as executive director
and founder of the Lincoln School Project in West Plains, Missouri, fills the bill, Moseley noted. "I
have enjoyed learning about the Lincoln School Project in West Plains and have no doubt that
its tremendous impact will continue to serve the community well.”
Oaks recently stepped down from his post as associate vice chancellor of business support
services at Missouri State University-West Plains to focus entirely on the restoration of Lincoln
School.

Founded in 2023, the Lincoln School Project has transformed a historic, one-room, segregation-
era Black schoolhouse in West Plains into a center for education, history, culture and community

dialogue. Built in 1926 for Black children, the school closed in 1954 following the U.S. Supreme
Court's landmark ruling declaring segregation unconstitutional.
The preservation effort holds deep personal and historical significance for Oaks. His father was
one of the last students to attend Lincoln School, and several of the educators who taught at the
schoolhouse over the years were themselves graduates of Lincoln University.
After closing as a school, the building served as a community meeting place, a Veterans of

Foreign Wars post and a 4-H center before the Oaks family purchased it in 2023. Now listed on
the National Register of Historic Places, the schoolhouse project is expanding its programming
as it prepares to commemorate its centennial anniversary later this year.
A native of West Plains, Oaks recently won election to the West Plains City Council. His
multifaceted career includes retiring as a colonel from the U.S. Army Reserve in 2022 after 34
years of service. He has also served as an Oklahoma City police officer, a special agent with the
Federal Bureau of Investigation, regional security manager for Shell Oil Co. and chief of
investigations for the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office.
During the commencement visit, Crockett and Tonya Oaks presented Moseley and university
representative Tina Shannon with a Lincoln School Centennial Collector’s Piece created by
renowned artist Charly Palmer. The limited-edition artwork, numbered 66 of 100, was specifically
chosen to honor the 1866 founding of Lincoln University.
"This honor is deeply meaningful because it recognizes the importance of preserving history,
elevating untold stories and ensuring that future generations understand both the struggles and
triumphs that shaped communities like ours," Oaks said. "Tonya and I remain committed to
ensuring that Lincoln School continues to educate, inspire and unite people for generations to
come.”
The presentation came during a landmark year for Lincoln University, which is celebrating the
160th anniversary of its founding by Black Civil War veterans. U.S. Rep. Alma Adams of North
Carolina was also awarded an honorary doctorate during the ceremony and delivered the
keynote commencement address.