PAUL BOHANNON

PRESIDENT OF TRUSTEES, DEMOLAY FOUNDATION

Paul Bohannon was initiated into Del City Chapter of Oklahoma in 1965. His family is DeMolay, as his father, Marvin, was initiated into Shawnee, Oklahoma Chapter in 1931 and his brother, a nuclear physicist, was also initiated into Del City Chapter. Paul’s son Weston (a nuke man in the Navy) became a member of Reagan Chapter, Spring, Texas.  Paul earned his PMC-MSA, then served as District and State Master Councilor of Oklahoma.  The International Supreme Council selected Paul as the International DeMolay of Year in 1969.  Paul is a member of Roswell 18 Lodge of New Mexico, and the Rio Hondo Commandery.  He also served on Chapter advisory councils in New Mexico and Texas, and as a Roswell 18 Heritage Foundation Trustee.

Paul achieved his B.A. political science from Oklahoma State University in 1972, and his law degree from Southern Methodist University, Order of the Coif, in 1975.  His practice emphasis was jury litigation involving river and harbor restorations and oil, gas and pipeline releases.

As a strong supporter of youth education, Paul endowed the International DeMolay of the Year/DSA program, the Sen. Pete Domenici Scholarship for Environmental Excellence at the University of New Mexico School of Law, and the Bohannon Scholarship for Excellence in Political Science at Oklahoma State University.

In the latter part of his law career, he served in Mongolia as volunteer legal counsel to non-governmental organizations and the Nation of Mongolia regarding “ninja mining” issues with China. He also served pro bono in the Union of Myanmar for NGOs and the Union of Myanmar regarding Chinese mega-dam construction-related human rights issues. In 2018, the Oklahoma State University College of Arts & Sciences honored Paul as a Distinguished Alumni from the political science department.

Paul has served the DeMolay Foundation since 2015.