Thorp ’96 to Receive 2026 Alumni Achievement Award

Jackson "Jack" Thorp '96 of Broken Arrow, Okla., is the recipient of the 2026 Alumni Achievement Award for outstanding achievements in his chosen professional field.

Thorp will be honored during the Alumni Awards Ceremony, scheduled for Friday, Oct. 16, in the Rogers Conference Center as part of the University's 2026 Homecoming ceremonies.

Thorp has served as the district attorney for Oklahoma's 27th Judicial District since 2017.

Following honorable service with the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Doyle (FFG-39) during Operations Just Cause, Desert Shield, and Desert Storm, Thorp enrolled at University of the Ozarks. He distinguished himself as both a scholar and campus leader, earning the Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. Award four times, the Bush Family and Jack Stephens scholarships, recognition in Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges, induction into Alpha Chi, and runner-up honors for the Hurie Award, the University's highest student recognition.

Thorp graduated with magna cum laude honors in 1996 and credits Ozarks with instilling the values of integrity, service, and leadership that have guided his life and career.

After earning his juris doctor from the University of Arkansas School of Law, Thorp began his prosecutorial career in Arkansas before returning to Oklahoma in 2005. He became a four-time 'Top Gun' prosecutor in Tulsa County, later served as first assistant district attorney for Oklahoma's 27th Judicial District, and was appointed district attorney by Governor Mary Fallin in 2017.

Over nearly three decades of public service, Thorp has earned a reputation as a principled prosecutor, respected leader, and dedicated mentor. He has tried 102 felony jury trials, including 45 first-degree murder cases, has twice been named Oklahoma District Attorney of the Year, received the Oklahoma Bar Association's Prosecutor of the Year Award, and served as president of the Oklahoma District Attorneys Council.

Beyond the courtroom, he has dedicated much of his career to teaching and mentoring future public servants as an adjunct professor and lecturer at universities, national conferences, and prosecutor training programs.

"University of the Ozarks did more than prepare me for a profession-it inspired a life of purpose," Thorp said. "Receiving the Alumni Achievement Award is especially meaningful because it comes from the institution that first believed in my potential."

Thorp and his wife, Joy, live in Broken Arrow.

For more information about Homecoming Weekend 2026, please visit https://ozarks.edu/alumni/homecoming/

Topics: Alumni