Frederick Robert "Bob" Cornell

Frederick Robert “Bob” Cornell was born to Frederick Billman and Margaret Jane Cornell in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on April 24, 1939, and died December 12, 2020, at Mercy Hospital in Oklahoma City. He is survived by his loving wife of 59 years Donna Kaye (Kirby) Cornell, his daughter Kimberly Kaye Schmidt and husband Lt. Col. (retired) Mark Schmidt of Denver, Colorado, his son, Blair Cornell and wife Buffy Cornell of Arlington, Texas and four grandchildren, Ford of Park City, Utah, Walker of Denver, Colorado, Channy and Coco Cornell of Arlington, Texas. He is also survived by his brother-in-law Guy R Kirby and his wife Connie of Beltsville, Maryland, along with cousins and their spouses.

Bob grew up in Oklahoma City and attended Lincoln Grade School until the fourth grade. In 1949 he moved to Ada, Oklahoma, and attended Hayes Grade School and Ada Junior High. In 1954 Bob moved back to Oklahoma City and attended Northwest Classen High School. Bob attended the University of Oklahoma on a football scholarship where he played Quarterback for the Sooners from 1957 to 1961 and was the winning quarterback in the 1959 Orange Bowl against Syracuse. Bob graduated with a degree in Architecture in 1963. Bob was told by Eddie Crowder, who signed him to a football scholarship, that there was no way he could play football while majoring in architecture. Bob said, “Yes I can and I will do it”. He was the first Sooner Football player who graduated with a degree in Architecture and was awarded the Alpha Rho Chi by the College of Architecture for the most promising student in the field of architecture. He was most proud of this award as he always said, “you have to work hard and never ever give up”.

In High School Bob played in the 1957 All State Game and then the 1957 Oil Bowl which Oklahoma won its first game against Texas. After graduating, he finished the advanced ROTC (Army) flight training and received his pilot’s license. In 1963, Bud Wilkinson hired Bob as an assistant coach for the Sooners and he continued his coaching until 1965. In 1966 he joined the Architecture Firm of Turnball and Mills. From 1967-1969, Bob worked for Benham Blair & Affiliates. In 1970 he was awarded his Architecture License and joined three engineers to form RGDC, Inc. The firm designed the Oklahoma Tax and Education Buildings, The Davidson Court Building at the State Capital. He also designed the Water Treatment Facilities at Lake Hefner and won a National Award for the Myriad Gardens in Downtown OKC. Other designs included Westmore High School, The University of Oklahoma Baseball and Softball Complexes, Mike Monroney FAA Center at Will Rogers Airport, and many more. Bob was a former member of the Oklahoma Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB).

At the University of Oklahoma he was on the Board of Visitors for the Architecture School for six years. He served as Vice President of The Oklahoma Memorial Union Board of Trustees in 1993. He also served as Chairman of the Cleveland County Election Board from 1975-1979. Bob was a member of the “O” Club and served as Purple Legionnaire for the Nu Omega Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta from 1985 to 1995. During his tenure, he received the Durrance Award for the most outstanding Chapter Advisor in the Nation.

After a stroke in 2000, Bob began painting with his left hand and has over 200 works of art. One of his prouder accomplishments is his portrait of Prentice Gautt, the first African American OU football player and his close friend & teammate. It now hangs in the Prentice Gautt Academic Center on the OU Campus. He also wrote two books about stroke survivors and a fictional novel about the Oklahoma County Jail, which his firm designed.

They say that heroes rarely look the part, but Bob was a Hero to his family, his grandchildren, the little league he coached, his Phi Gamma Delta brothers, and the OU football teams he played with and coached. Bob was a generous, fun, loving, and proud patriot who adored his family and his God.

The family wished to express their gratitude to the many friends, doctors, and nurses who supported him through his life. Especially, The Friendship Class which he helped form at McFarlin United Methodist Church. We honor you and your love for Bob in our hearts everyday.

Services will be private at Rose Hill Cemetery in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. A celebration of Bobs life will be held at a later date. Donations may be made to The School of Architecture, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73019.