jc/3-25-10

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: OU Public Affairs, (405) 325-1701

 NORMAN, OKLA. – Joseph Harroz, Jr., who was the longest-serving general counsel in the history of the University of Oklahoma, has been named dean of the OU College of Law. Before becoming president of a publicly traded, Oklahoma-based company in 2008, he served as OU’s general counsel for 12 years.  He has also served as a volunteer adjunct faculty member at the OU law school for more than a decade.

Harroz is known as an outstanding teacher, attorney and businessman. He will assume his new duties on July 1, when current dean, Andy Coats, leaves the deanship to return to teaching full time. Coats will continue to serve as dean emeritus of the college.       

“Joe Harroz possesses both a keen intellect and great administrative skill,” said OU President David L. Boren.  “He has a deep commitment to academic excellence, and I’m confident that he will strongly support the scholarly role of the law school. He is the ideal person to build upon the solid progress made at the law school under the leadership of Dean Andy Coats.”

“It is truly an honor to be asked to serve as the dean of the OU College of Law,” said Harroz. “While it is difficult leaving Graymark at a point where the company is gaining serious momentum by becoming the second largest sleep care provider in the country, the opportunity to work with such exceptional students, faculty and staff, at our state’s finest law school, fulfills a lifelong dream.”

Harroz received his undergraduate degree in economics with distinction from OU, graduating Phi Beta Kappa.  He earned his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., where he was an associate editor of the Journal of Law and Policy in International Business.

He began his legal career in Washington, D.C., as legislative director and legal counsel to then Sen. David L. Boren.  While in Washington, Harroz worked on campaign finance reform, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the Supreme Court nomination process, and a myriad of other legislative and political issues. 

After leaving Washington, Harroz returned to Oklahoma to practice law as a commercial litigator with the law firm of Crow and Dunlevy, and in 1994, when David Boren assumed the OU presidency, Harroz returned to the university to serve as vice president for Executive Affairs and associate legal counsel, where his primary role was assisting in the development and execution of the university’s strategic plan. 

 After two years, he was appointed to be general counsel to the Board of Regents and vice president of the university – a position he held until August 2008.  During his 12 years as general counsel, he oversaw the expansion of a full-service legal office and was instrumental in the creation and development of the Office of Compliance, university-wide collections office, open records office, Threat Assessment Review Committee (to maintain campus safety), export controls office and an independent Office of Athletics Compliance.

In his role as vice president of the university, he was directly involved in strategic planning, including such initiatives as the establishment of the University Research Campus, acquisition and expansion of the OU-Tulsa Schusterman campus, sale of the University Hospital, development of the processes for university legislative priorities, and over $1.5 billion in new construction across OU’s three campuses.

In August 2008, Harroz left the university to serve as president of Graymark Healthcare, an Oklahoma-based health care company with principle business segments in sleep medicine and mid-market pharmacies. Since his involvement, the company has achieved a NASDAQ listing, has completed a series of complex mergers and acquisitions, and has grown organically to become the second-largest sleep diagnostic and therapy company in the United States with over 500 employees and operations in 11 states.  The company has gained significant momentum and has an aggressive growth strategy to move it forward. 

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