Joe Louis Shoulders, Jr.

Joe Louis Shoulders Jr. was born Feb 21, 1926 to Joe Sr. and Ellen (Draper) Shoulders in Tulsa, OK. He was the second of 4 sons born to this union. Marvin, Joe, Jim and Bob all grew up in the east side of Tulsa and all 4 boys were super athletes.

Joe played in the 1942 state basketball tournament and was the salutatorian of his 1943 East Central High School class. After graduation he traveled to Vernon, CA to work for Douglas Aircraft the summer before he went to Oklahoma A&M (OSU). He played basketball for the legendary Henry Iba and Coach Iba called him “the tallest 5’8” player he ever had.

Joe joined the Naval Air Corps in 1944 and played basketball on the Maryville MO. Navy team, too. He was discharged in 1946 and returned to Oklahoma A&M and graduated in 1948 with degrees in Math and Health/PhysEd. In the fall of 1948 he started teaching math and coaching in Topeka, KS and held that job 3 years. He moved to Plainville, KS in 1951 and met the love of his life, Delma McConchie. They wed in 1953. He continued coaching, teaching, rodeoing and helping his in-laws farm and ranch.

He returned to Tulsa in 1958 and taught at Monroe while they were building McLain High school. He stared at McLain in 1959 and continued till 1972. He earned his Master’s in Mathematics and coached every sport with the exception of swimming and wrestling at McLain. He wound up being head basketball coach, athletic director and Math department chair in his tenure at McLain. He was All State coach in 1968.

Joe moved the family to Collinsville in the fall of 1972 to accept the basketball coaching job. Joe lead the Cards to the state finals in 1976. He retired from coaching in 1981. He had a coaching record of over 400 wins in 2 states and averaged over 18 wins per season.

Joe was inducted into the Oklahoma Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Oklahoma Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995.

Joe had a long love of youth and sports programs. It is not possible to count the number of lives he touched with teaching, coaching, bus driving and ag programs.

He was active in raising livestock and was engaged even to his death with his cattle.

Service to be held Saturday April 12 at 10:00 at Meadowcreek United Methodist Church 14205 E. 146 ^th St N. Collinsville, OK

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. John Foundation 1923 S. Utica Tulsa, OK 74104

In the note field please put: Joe Shoulders HF Clinic.

Services are under the direction of Collinsville Dolton Funeral Home