James Joseph Truscott

2019 Distinguished Alumni

B.S. Hotel and Restaurant Administration '62

Jim Truscott was born and raised in Shawnee, Oklahoma. After graduating from Shawnee High School, Truscott enrolled in OSU, where his parents had graduated. He studied hotel and hospitality management and joined the Kappa Sigma Fraternity.

 

Upon receiving his degree, Truscott was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army and became an Army Medevac pilot. He served two tours in Vietnam, evacuating countless wounded soldiers and earning the Silver Star, five Distinguished Flying Crosses and two Bronze Stars. Truscott continued his service in the Army, rising through the ranks and finally retiring as a Colonel after 30 years, many of which were in Germany and Saudi Arabia.

 

During his time on active duty, Truscott also attained an MBA from the University of Kansas in Lawrence and instructed part-time for the University of Maryland University College in Largo. Truscott continued to support the Department of Defense efforts after retirement as a contractor in the United Arab Emirates and the Philippines as well as a Department of the Army civilian in Texas and Virginia.

 

Now fully retired, he divides his time between his condo in San Antonio, Texas, and spends time with Rebecca and her dog, Skipper, in Burke, Virginia. Truscott has six children and eight grandchildren.