October 1, 2026
NASHVILLE (BP) – Bob Agee, who served as president of Oklahoma Baptist University for 16 years and later as president emeritus, died on Sept. 26, the university announced in a statement.
Agee, who would have turned 88 on Sept. 30, was OBU’s 13th president. He served from 1982 to 1998, a time during which the university experienced increased national recognition and significant growth.
Three major capital campaigns during Agee’s tenure fueled new construction, facility renovations, and endowment growth toward scholarships and academic positions, pushing OBU to record enrollment numbers.
“Dr. Bob Agee’s legacy is woven deeply into the story of Oklahoma Baptist University,” said OBU President Heath A. Thomas in a news release. “He loved OBU, he loved students, and above all, he loved Christ and devoted his life to serving Him. His leadership strengthened this University in ways we continue to experience today.”
Among the facilities completed or dedicated during the Agee years were the W.P. Wood Science Building, Sarkeys Telecommunication Building, Jent Alumni Center, Williamson Nursing Education Center, Bailey Business Center, and Doris and Jim Taylor Residence Center.
OBU also developed international programs in China, Russia and Brazil and added missions and international studies opportunities for students. In 1985, the university established a sustained inclusion on the U.S. News & World Report list of top-ranked liberal arts colleges in the western region.
A West Tennessee native, Agee graduated from Union University in Jackson, Tenn. Before his time at OBU, Agee served at Union as vice president for religious affairs and special assistant to the president for institutional planning.
He remained close to the Union community throughout his life. David Dockery, current president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and president of Union from 1995-2014, said even more than a decade after Agee had left Union, his impact was still felt both on and off the campus.
“During the 1970s, for large segments of the institution’s constituency, Agee became the face of Union University, an institution that he dearly and deeply loved until the day that he died,” Dockery wrote in a remembrance of his friend. “His influence on students on the Union campus was legendary, especially on young preachers like Steve Gaines and young biblical scholars like George Guthrie, along with many others, who sensed a call to vocational ministry.”
After leaving OBU, Agee went on to serve nine years as executive director for the Association of Southern Baptist Colleges and Schools, later the International Association of Baptist Colleges and Universities. He also took that role for the Consortium of Global Education.
His wife, Nelle, was an assistant professor of education at OBU. She passed away in 2020. They are honored through the Bob R. and Nelle H. Agee Residence Center and two scholarships in their name for international study/missions and leadership.
“He understood that academic excellence and faithful Christian discipleship belong together, and he helped OBU live out that conviction with clarity and purpose,” Thomas said. “His vision for excellence at OBU is a legacy we proudly carry. We are profoundly grateful for his life, his leadership, and his faithful service. He and his incredible bride, Nelle, were mentors to Jill and me, a treasure we will carry forever. We grieve with the Agee family, even as we give thanks for the hope we share in Christ.”
Dockery said Agee “was always a preacher and churchman at heart.”
“He loved to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” Dockery said. “He had a remarkable ability to relate constructively and with integrity to both conservatives and moderates across Baptist life.”
Memorial service information is not available at this time. Gifts can be received through the Dr. Bob Agee Memorial Fund.
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This article appeared in Baptist Press.
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