James R. Bellatti

Class of
1989
James R. Bellatti

James R. Bellatti

“You just can’t do what I have done unless you have a group of great people working with you.”
James Bellatti, 1989

Biography

Oklahoma native James R. Bellatti moved with his family to Stillwater in 1941, graduated from high school in 1945, and then attended the College of Business Administration at Oklahoma State University. He became general manager of KSPI and KSPI-FM in Stillwater in 1951, was named president of the local YMCA in 1958 and became editor of the Stillwater News Press, a company originally founded by his father, in 1968. Bellatti was the president of the Oklahoma Broadcasters Association and the Oklahoma Press Association and was chairman of Oklahoma’s Emergency Broadcast System. He was president of the United States YMCA organization before becoming vice-president (1981-1985) and ultimately president of the World Alliance of YMCAs in 1985.

Fun fact

James Bellatti served as president of the World Alliance of YMCAs (1985-1987), the first Oklahoman and only the third American to serve in that position.

Oklahoma connections

Bellatti was born in Blackwell, Oklahoma.

Hometown

Stillwater

Profession

Publisher

Presenter

Born

1927

Died

2016
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