Vol. 40, No. 4 Published monthly by the Oklahoma Historical Society, serving since 1893 April 2009

Rock and Roll exhibit opens May 1 atthe History Center

Wanda Jackson. Leon Russell.The Flaming Lips. Cain’s Ballroom.Zoo Amphitheatre.KOMA. KMOD.These people, places, and radio stations

just barely skim the surface of the visitor’sexperience in Another Hot Oklahoma Night:A Rock and Roll Exhibit.

Another Hot Oklahoma Night will openFriday, May 1, 2009, to the membership ofthe Oklahoma Historical Society with a re-ception at 7 p.m. The gala will include thelaunching of a special Rock and Roll issueof Oklahoma Today magazine.

On Saturday, May 2, 2009, the exhibitwill open to the public. That opening willinclude a full day of shows by Oklahomabands and family fun at the History Center.

The exhibit will explore the artists, radiostations, personalities, venues, and fans inOklahoma during Rock and Roll’s half-cen-tury of existence. Beyond the facts of eachstory, the exhibit will show how growing upin Oklahoma influenced the artists andtheir music. These stories will be displayedin an innovative style to encourage visitorparticipation and to ensure that the viewerwill take away a new perspective on thehistory of Rock and Roll in Oklahoma.

The E. K. and Thelma Gaylord SpecialExhibit Gallery will be home to the “Artists”portion of the exhibit. It will feature arti-facts from all eras of Oklahoma Rock andRoll. From the early influences of BobWills’s Western swing, Charlie Christian’slead guitar, Woody Guthrie’s social protestmusic, and Wanda Jackson’s rockabilly tothe current sounds of bands such as theAll-American Rejects, Hanson, and theFlaming Lips, the artists who call Oklahomahome have been diverse and accomplished.

Across the state, musical styles asdifferent as grunge and funk have madetheir mark on the Oklahoma and national

music scene. Tulsa rivalsother international cities ashome to some of the most ac-complished Rock and Roll andPop music artists in the world.Tulsa musicians were in seri-ous demand during the 1960sand 1970s. The multitalentedLeon Russell, drummer JimKeltner, bassist Carl Radle,and guitarist J. J. Cale collab-orated with artists such asJohn Lennon, George Harri-son, Ringo Starr, the RollingStones, Eric Clapton, and BobDylan. These musicians headed a groupthat became known as the “Tulsa Sound”and will be featured, with many more, inthe “Artists” section of Another Hot Okla-homa Night.

Another area of the exhibit will focus on“Recording Studios, Record Stores, and

Radio Stations.” Local record stores suchas Rainbow Records and Sound Ware-house provided albums to music loverswho would become members of great localbands. At night during the 1950s and1960s KOMA in Oklahoma City broad-casted Rock and Roll music that could beheard throughout much of the westernUnited States. These stories and more willbe found in the Inasmuch Foundation Gal-lery on the first floor of the History Center.

There’s more to see on the third floor inthe Samuel Roberts Noble Gallery. The ex-hibits there will feature “Rockabilly Cul-ture,” “Rock and Roll Fashion and Hair,”and “Oklahoma Rock Venues.” Music andmusicians have affected the way peopledress, dance, and interact with each other.The “Rockabilly” area illustrates how thepopular music and culture of the 1950s ismaking a resurgence today. The fashionexhibit takes the visitor on a nostalgic jour-ney through the trends of the fifties to to-day. Explore the Civic Center Music Hall,the Zoo Amphitheatre, Diversafest, Cain’sBallroom, and many other events, venues,and festivals in the “Oklahoma Rock Ven-ues” section.

Above: Leon Russell in concert.Top, right: Mayor Mick Cornett andWayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips at thestreet-naming ceremony in OKC(Courtesy photos).

Annual Meeting will feature outstanding speakersTen program sessions will be held on

Thursday morning, April 23, and Fridaymorning, April 24, during the AnnualMembership Meeting in Bartlesville. A de-tailed program appears on pages 4 and 5 inthis issue of Mistletoe Leaves.

The theme for the program sessions willbe “Oklahoma’s Energy Frontiers: OneHundred Fifty Years of Petroleum and Nat-ural Resource Development.” In 1859Lewis Ross, who was the brother of Chero-kee Chief John Ross, accidentally drilled

the first oil well in Indian Territory. Ironi-cally, he was seeking salt water for his saltworks.

Among the speakers will be academicand unaffiliated historians as well as indi-viduals who have made history. Presenterswill include Frank McPherson, C. J. Silas,J. Ford Brett, Dr. Brian Frehner, Dr.Duane King, Douglas Cummings, MelvinMoran, Dr. Glen D. Roberson, Dr. Guy W.Logsdon, Dr Robert L. Wyatt, WalterEskridge, Whit Edwards, Dr. Alvin Turner,

Professor Kirk Rodden, Jim Goss, DavidKeathley, Stephen Greetham, Dr. DonaldGreen, Julie Daniels, Dr. Bobby Weaver,Dr. Paul F. Lambert, and Emily Droege.

See you inBartlesville on

April 22, 23, 24!

Oklahoma Historical SocietyMembership Office: Alma Moore

405/522-5242<ohsmembers@okhistory.org>

Mistletoe Leaves (USPS 018–315) is published monthly by the OklahomaHistorical Society, 2401 N. Laird Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73105–7914.Periodicals postage paid at Oklahoma City, OK. (ISSN 1932-0108)

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Mistletoe Leaves, 2401 N. Laird Ave-nue, Oklahoma City, OK 73105–7914.

By authorization of the Oklahoma Historical Society’s Board of Directors,5,100 copies are prepared at a cost of $1,025.00 each month. The publicationis financed in part with federal funds from the National Park Service, UnitedStates Department of the Interior.

Contents and opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of theOklahoma Historical Society or the United States Department of the Interior.Mention of trade names does not constitute endorsement or recommendationby either organization.

Mistletoe Leaves is published for the members and friends of the Okla-homa Historical Society in partial fulfillment of the Society’s purpose to“preserve and perpetuate the history of Oklahoma and its people, to stimulatepopular interest in historical study and research, and to promote anddisseminate historical knowledge.”

The public and OHS members are encouraged to submit heritage-relateditems for publication. Students and teachers are invited to share studies andprograms and to duplicate contents as desired. Editors are welcome to reprintmaterials with credit.

All Oklahoma Historical Society facilities are for the education and enjoy-ment of all. State and federal regulations prohibit unlawful discrimination instate and federally assisted programs on the basis of race, color, nationalorigin, and/or handicap.

Anyone denied benefits should contact the Executive Director of the Okla-homa Historical Society, 2401 N. Laird Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73105–7914, telephone 405/521-2491, and/or the Director, Office of Equal Oppor-tunity, United States Department of the Interior, Washington, DC 20240.

When people come to the Oklahoma HistoryCenter, they oftentimes want to know how itcame to be.

I have an entire speech on that subject, fromplanning and politics to design and funding,but usually, the short version of my response isthat it was a miracle that was meant to be—theresult of a big dream, great leadership, and a bitof luck.

Beyond that history, I have thought morelately about the underlying reasons we were ina position to make the dream a reality. In previ-ous columns, I mentioned the changes in gov-ernance starting in 1981, the emergence of aprofessional staff, and the generosity of morethan 4,000 foundations, companies, and fami-lies who shared resources and encouragement.

One sector of our community, however,played a singular role in making the HistoryCenter a reality—the oil and gas industry ofOklahoma.

First was the foundation that oil and gas laidfor economic development. It is no accident thatOklahoma has two cities larger than any onecity in either Arkansas or Kansas. It is the im-pact of oil and gas wealth flowing throughOklahoma City and Tulsa from 1898 to thepresent day.

It is no accident that our second tier of citieshave images that are intertwined with oil and

gas, including Ardmore, Elk City, Ponca City,Woodward, Enid, Bartlesville, Seminole, andAda.

When you look at jobs created, companiesfounded, taxes paid, and economic activitystimulated, it is safe to say that Oklahoma’seconomic history floats on a sea of oil and gas.It was that economic health that made even thedream of a new History Center possible.

In 1998, when the planning effort for the His-tory Center began, the oil and gas communitywas just beginning another chapter of explosivegrowth. Not only did this give government lead-ers the confidence to fund big dreams, it alsoopened the doors to the private funding neces-sary to reach the goal of Smithsonian quality.

The challenge of raising $9 million had tostart with a handful of large donations. In ourcase, we set the bar for leadership grants at$500,000. Those who stepped up to the chal-lenge were Chesapeake Energy, Devon Energy,Kerr-McGee, ONEOK, the Noble Foundation,and the Inasmuch Foundation. All but the lastwere built with fruits of the oil and gas industry.

This month, the Oklahoma Historical SocietyAnnual Meeting is being held in Bartlesville,one of our oil and gas cities. The theme is “En-ergy in Oklahoma” with many sessions aboutoil and gas.

We are planning a new exhibit in the HistoryCenter to draw attention to the oil and gas in-dustry since 1937. In the process, we are build-ing collections about exploration, production,distribution, and technology. All of this will helpus understand the significance of oil and gas inour history.

Yes, the Oklahoma History Center was theresult of a big dream, great leadership, and a bitof luck. It also was the result of the oil and gasindustry that drives our economy and improvesour quality of life.

By Bob L. BlackburnExecutive Director

Director’sColumn

Development NewsBy Paul F. Lambert

Welcome to the more than 1,000 new mem-bers who have joined the Oklahoma HistoricalSociety in recent months! This response to ourmembership development efforts is most en-couraging to the staff, directors, and volunteers.

It is inspiring to see this level of support during a time of economic uncertainty. I want to assure allof our valued members that we are most grateful for their generosity. We will do our best to merityour continued support in the years to come.

We are continuing our Annual Giving Campaign, which raises fund to be used exclusively to planand execute new exhibits, to maintain existing exhibits, and to plan and conduct educational pro-grams. Among our educational efforts is our historical reenactor program. Our Living Historypresentations involve a staff member “dressing and talking like a historical character telling the storyof his or her experiences.” Reenactors present programs on the following subjects: Oil-field Rough-neck, The Cattle Drive, Civil War, 14 Flags Over Oklahoma, Fur Trade, American Indians, One-roomSchool House, Oklahoma Statehood, Pioneer Tools, Wiley Post, Depression Era, Land Run, PrintingPress, Spanish-American War, State Constitutional Convention Delegate, and other topics or pro-grams on request.

These presentations are done at the Oklahoma History Center and in schools and other venuesstatewide. We also send education trunks statewide. They contain three-dimensional items that stu-dents can handle as well as lesson plans for teaching the related subject. Membership and AnnualFund donations are vitally important to our efforts to keep museum exhibits exciting and Smithso-nian quality and continuing to enhance education programs. Thanks for your support!

New Members, February

*Indicates renewed membership at a higher level

BenefactorChesapeake Energy Corporation, Oklahoma City

Fellow*Rick and Elizabeth Webb, Edmond

AssociateRichard and Norma Small, TulsaWavel and Laura Wells, Lawton*Zelma Winn, Edmond

FriendLona A. Barrick, Ada*Lynda E. Brown-Drabek, Oklahoma CityJimmy and Rita Buford, ShawneeHershel and Sudie Cain, Oklahoma CityJim and Molly Crawley, NormanMs. Donna Henry, TulsaCarol Koss, Oklahoma CityWilliam M. Majors, Oklahoma CityBill McVey, Chickasha*Gary Nichols, ChecotahRobert L. Scott, Oklahoma CityLeonard and Marilyn Sullivan, Oklahoma CityRosalind Triplett, Edmond

FamilyLyeal and Jean Amos, BethanyFred and Inez Bailey, AntlersKarl and Jimmie Bergey, NormanPunk and Pat Bonner, Oklahoma CityLequetta Bowman, Oklahoma CityGerald and Penny Brickman, PoteauEarl and Joanne Buckmaster, Oklahoma City*Doris Bunch, Oklahoma CityDr. Dale Cabbiness, EdmondDon and Patricia Cougler, TulsaEdith S. Davis, Oklahoma CityJoe and Pat Davis, Oklahoma CityMary Lou Davis, Oklahoma CitySteve and Rachel Davis, DurantDebra DuFour, JenksJames Duncan, Oklahoma CityBrian and Trudy Evans, CushingEugene and Patricia Fabry, CooksonHoward and Peggy Ferrell, TulsaDaniel Fields, Oklahoma CityJames and Linda Fields, NormanDan Foliart, La Crescent, CAMelvin Fullbright and Linda Utley, Sand SpringsPaul and Carolyn Glad, Norman*Jim Griffith, StillwaterDonna Hallman, MooreRichard and Jan Hill, Oklahoma CityRobert and Pat Hurst, Oklahoma CityJoe and Naomi Jones, CrescentJuanda L. Jones, Oklahoma CityDr. and Mrs. Dan F. Keller, Nichols HillsMarnie Kennedy, Oklahoma CityMichael and Cheryl Lawson, ShawneeKathleen Maker, Oklahoma City

Cont’d. on p. 7

2

MeetingsThe Oklahoma Genealogical Societywill hold its regular monthly meeting at 6p.m. on Monday, April 6, 2009, in theChesapeake Event Center at theOklahoma History Center, 2401 NorthLaird Ave., in Oklahoma City. JohnPhillips, professor and head of docu-ments at Oklahoma State University’sEdmon Low Library, will discuss theavailability of early maps relating toOklahoma. Between 1803 and 1925 morethan a thousand maps of the Oklahomaregion were produced and included in theAmerican State Papers. The complete col-lection can be viewed and some can bedownloaded. The meeting is open to thepublic; it is free for OGS members and asuggested $3 donation is asked from non-members. The OHS Research Center willbe staffed and remain open until 7:45p.m. that evening. (Special to ML)

ExhibitsThe Oklahoma City Museum of Art, lo-cated at 415 Couch Dr., Oklahoma City,is hosting an exhibit entitled JuliusShulman: Oklahoma Modernism Redis-covered beginning April 30 and runningthrough June 7. Legendary architecturalphotographer Shulman is best known forhis iconic images of Los Angeles and PalmSprings. However, from his Californiabase, he explored the modernism move-ment in other regions, including the stateof Oklahoma. This exhibit, in collabora-tion with the Los Angeles Getty ResearchInstitute, will feature photographs repre-senting twenty-one Oklahoma architec-tural projects and will include homes,banks, churches, museums, and hospi-tals designed by architects Bruce Goff,Herb Greene, William Caudill, TruettCoston, Robert Roloff, and Paul Harris. Anumber of events are planned for theopening, including a book signing by98-year-old Shulman. For more info call405/236-3100. (Special to ML)

EventsThe Cherokee Heritage Center, locatedthree miles south of Tahlequah, is host-ing the 38th annual Trail of Tears ArtShow and Sale from April 25 through May17. The show is well established as avenue to showcase art by Native Ameri-can artists. This year’s participants mustbe a citizen of a federally recognized In-dian tribe. The event’s categories include

basketry, pottery, painting, graphics,sculpture, miniatures, and the annual“Trail of Tears” theme. The show is madepossible in part through grants from theBank of Oklahoma, Thalden-Boyd Group,and the Cherokee Nation. For more infovisit the web site <Cherokeeheritage.org>or call 918/456-6007 or telephone tollfree at 888/999-6007. (Special to ML)

The Lincoln County Historical SocietyMuseum of Pioneer History in Chandler,located at 717 Manvel St., is hosting sev-eral events in April. A Bennie Kent FilmFestival will take place on Saturday, April4, from 2 to 10 p.m. The event will feature“Hometown Heroes” with a new locallyproduced film about U.S. Marshal BillTilghman as well as the film entitled “YouKnow My Name.” For more on the film fes-tival go to <http://joannmcmillan.tri-pod.com/bennykentfilmfestival>. Also, atthe Chandler museum on April 17, at 7p.m., Karen Neurohr, project director atthe Oklahoma State University EdmonLow Library, will present a program thatpays tribute to former local poet WilmaElizabeth McDaniel (1918–2007). TheRed Dirt Rangers will perform that eve-ning. Contact Neurohr at 405/744-2376or by e-mail at <lib-pub@okstate.edu>.Both programs are free and open to thepublic. (Special to ML)

“Remembering Oklahoma Poet WilmaElizabeth McDaniel” will not only be pre-sented in Chandler as mentioned above,but also in Stillwater at the Edmon LowLibrary in the Peggy V. Helmerich Brows-ing Room on April 14, at 7 p.m. The FirstChristian Church Fellowship Hall, lo-cated at 323 West Fourth St., Stroud, willbe the venue for the same program onThursday, April 16, at 7 p.m. OSU’s Ka-ren Neurohr is in charge of the events,which are partially funded by theOklahoma Humanities Council and theWe the People initiative of the NationalEndowment for the Humanities. Free andopen to the public. (Special to ML)

HappeningsThe Plains Indians and Pioneers Mu-seum, in Woodward, is the venue for theOklahoma Northwest Summer Institute,scheduled for July 6–9, 2009. The course,which covers the history of northwesternOklahoma, is available to teachers, stu-dents, and the public. A tuition fee of$100 includes notebook materials. Formore information phone NorthwesternOklahoma State University, Woodward,at 580/256-0049 or 580/254-2501. Also,the Plains Indian and Pioneer Museumcan be contacted at 580/256-6136.(Special to ML)

The Cimarron Heritage Center, located at1300 North Cimarron (U.S. Highway 287North), Boise City, announces that theywill be closed on Saturdays, except by ap-pointment, until further notice. The mu-seum, which features windmill andbarbed wire exhibits, the Cox House de-signed by well-known architect BruceGoff, and antique vehicles and farm ma-chinery, is open Monday through Friday,from 10 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 4 p.m.Please call 580/544-3479 for more info.Also, the museum is asking for volun-teers to help with the Wildflower Work-shop to be held June 5 and 6. (CimarronCounty Historical Society Foundation &the Cimarron Heritage Center MuseumNewsletter, Spring 2009)

A visit to the Overstreet-Kerr HistoricalFarm will be delightful as well as educa-tional. Enjoy the fragrant smells of theherb gardens and the orchard featuringheirloom varieties of peach, plum, andapple trees. The farm is located ten milessouth of Sallisaw on U.S. Highway 59,then turn right on Overstreet-Kerr Rd.Visitors may tour the 106-year-old, ele-gant, two-story home, with its antiquefurniture, original woodwork, and fourhand-carved fireplaces. The large, whitebarn stands behind the house and con-tinues to be used to house draft animalsand livestock. The farm participates in anationwide effort to preserve rare live-stock breeds. Pineywood cattle, Choctawponies, Spanish goats, and Brown Leg-horn and Dominique chickens have ahome at the site. In addition to the barnother outbuildings include a smoke-house, a potato house, and a chickenhouse. Contact Jim Combs, farm man-ager, at 918/966-3396 or e-mail him at<okhfarm@crosstel.net> for reservations.(Special to ML)

The Easter Bunny is coming to your town!Numerous Oklahoma communities willbe hosting Easter egg hunts in April. FossState Park is hosting an event on Satur-day, April 4, beginning at 1 p.m. TheEaster Bunny will be available for photo-graphs, and admission is free. For moreinfo telephone 580/726-5656. SayreCity Park will also be a venue for one onSaturday, April 11. For more info call580/928-3386. (Special to ML)

Downtown Blackwell is hosting its an-nual festival that will feature tulip gardendisplays, entertainment, crafts, and aquilt show as well as food and game ven-dors. Admission is free to the event to beheld on Saturday, April 4, from 9 a.m. to4 p.m. For info call 580/363-4195.(Special to ML)

3

General InformationThe OHS 2009 Annual Meeting will be held onApril 22, 23, and 24 in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, atthe Bartlesville Community Center, 300 South-east Adams Blvd.

Arrangements have been made by the OHS An-nual Meeting Planning Committee: Board Mem-bers Guy W. Logsdon (chair), Denzil Garrison,Mary Brett, and Leonard Logan, and OHS staffand volunteers Barbara Garrison, Paul Lambert,Geneva Little, Brittany Molloy, Alma Moore, BillSiemens, Tim Zwink, and Bob L. Blackburn.

LodgingThe conference hotels for the Annual Meeting areHotel Phillips, 821 Johnstone; The Hampton Inn,130 Southeast Washington Blvd.; and The Inn atPrice Tower, 510 Dewey Ave., Bartlesville.

Rooms at the Hotel Phillips are $80 plus tax, andreservations are made by calling 800/331-0706.Rooms at The Hampton Inn are $89 plus tax, andreservations are made by calling 918/333-4051.Rooms at The Inn at Price Tower are $129 plustax, and reservations are made by calling918/336-1000.

Individuals attending the Annual Meeting are re-sponsible for making their own hotel reserva-tions. Tell the desk clerk you are with theOklahoma Historical Society to receive the specialrate.

RegistrationA registration form has been mailed separately toall members of the Society. Please fill it out andreturn it with your registration payment as soonas possible. Registration packets with ticketsand name tags will be available at the OHS regis-tration table on Wednesday, April 22, in theLobby of the Hotel Phillips, beginning at 1 p.m.On Thursday, April 23, and Friday, April 24, reg-istration will take place at the BartlesvilleCommunity Center beginning at 8 a.m.

Members are encouraged to register early for themeeting. There are a limited number of tickets foradmission to special events and meals. The pre-registration deadline is April 15, 2009. A regis-tration fee of $15 for OHS members and $20 fornon-members is required for those attending anyof the presentation sessions. No refunds will bemade after April 15, 2009.

ReceptionOn Wednesday evening, April 22, at 7 p.m. OHSwill host a special reception in the Terrace Roomof the Phillips Tower. During the reception, theOHS will honor Denzil Garrison for his more thanthree decades of service to OHS. Refreshmentswill be served. There is no cost to attend the re-ception.

Paper SessionsConcurrent paper sessions, each with two tothree presenters and one moderator, on a widevariety of historical topics will be held on Thurs-day, April 23, and Friday, April 24, at theBartlesville Community Center.

Exhibit AreaOn Thursday and Friday an Exhibitors’ Area willbe located in the Community Room of theBartlesville Community Center.

Coffee Breaks

On Thursday and Friday mornings a break areawith complimentary beverages will be located inthe Lobby and Community Room of theBartlesville Community Center.

Annual Membership LuncheonAt 12:15 p.m. on Thursday, April 23, membersand guests will gather in the Community Roomat the Bartlesville Community Center for a lun-cheon of chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoesand gravy, green beans, garden salad and dress-ing, a dinner roll, and for dessert, fruit salad. Thecost of the meal is $16. Ticket holders will selecttheir seats on a first-come, first-served basis.The luncheon speaker is Michael Wallis.

Annual Membership MeetingAfter the luncheon, at approximately 2:15 p.m.in the Community Room, members will attendthe OHS Annual Meeting of the Membership.OHS president James Waldo will describe theState of the Society; following will be the an-nouncement and swearing-in of new Board mem-bers.

Optional ActivitiesOn Thursday afternoon, April 23, participantswill have free time to explore attractions inBartlesville and the surrounding area.

An Evening at WoolarocOn Thursday evening members will enjoy an eve-ning of food, fun, fellowship, education, and en-tertainment at Woolaroc Lodge. During theevening guests will have time to explore the lodgeand the Woolaroc Museum. The meal will consistof three BBQ meats with sauce, choice of two veg-etables (baked beans, potato salad, cole slaw, orbrown beans), pickle spear, dinner roll and but-ter, and for dessert, assorted cobblers. The costof the evening, including the meal, is $25.

Awards LuncheonThe Annual Awards Luncheon on Friday, April24, will begin at 12:15 p.m. in the CommunityRoom of the Bartlesville Community Center. Themeal will consist of chicken Kiev, baked potato,vegetable medley, garden salad and dressing,dinner roll and butter, and for dessert, red velvetcake. Cost of the meal is $18. Ticket holders willselect seats on a first-come, first-served basis,with some tables reserved for honorees and pro-gram participants.

Following the meal, presentations will includethe Muriel H. Wright Award, Joseph B. ThoburnAward, William D. Pennington Memorial Award,and awards for the Best Book on Oklahoma His-tory, Outstanding Thesis on Oklahoma History,Outstanding Local Historical Society/Museum,Outstanding OHS Support Group, and theOklahoma Historians Hall of Fame.

“Oklahoma’s EnergyFrontiers:

One Hundred FiftyYears of Petroleum

andNatural Resource

Development”

RegistrationLobby, Hotel Phillips1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

ReceptionTerrace Room, Phillips Tower

7 p.m. - 9 p.m.Honoring Denzil Garrison

RegistrationBartlesville Community Center

8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Session I: Study (Basement)Plenary Session

Voices of Experience: Personal Stories ofPetroleum Industry Leaders

8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Moderator: James R. Waldo, OklahomaCity, President, Oklahoma HistoricalSociety

“Out of Sight of Land: Pioneering in theGulf of Mexico,” Frank McPherson,Oklahoma City, retired CEO of Kerr-McGeeCorporation

“Phillips Petroleum Company (1917–2002):Early North Sea Development,” C. J. Silas,Bartlesville, retired CEO of Phillips Petro-leum Company

“What History Tells Us About the Future ofthe Oil and Gas Business,” J. Ford Brett,Tulsa, President of Oil and Gas Consul-tants International (OGCI ) and managingdirector of PetroSkills

BreakLobby and Community Room,Bartlesville Community Center

10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

OKLAHOMA HISTORICAL SOCIETY

2009 ANNUAL MEETING

Bartlesville, Oklahoma

4

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22

THURSDAY, APRIL 23

Credit Card RegistrationTo register by credit card (MasterCard orVISA), please call 800/750-4090 (8 a.m. to 5p.m. CST). Members in the Oklahoma Cityarea may call 522-5242.

Session II: Community Room(First Floor)

American Indians and Petroleum

10:30 a.m. - 12 Noon

Moderator: Jack D. Baker, Oklahoma City,Board of Directors, Oklahoma HistoricalSociety

“Oil, Indians, and Angie Debo: Representa-tions of Energy Development on TribalLands,” Dr. Brian Frehner, Stillwater,Associate Professor of History, OklahomaState University

“Thomas Gilcrease: His Vision andLegacy,” Dr. Duane King, Tulsa, ExecutiveDirector, Gilcrease Museum

Session III: Study (Basement)Independent Voices: Experiences of Two

Independent Oil and Gas Producers

10:30 a.m. - 12 Noon

Moderator: Dr. Timothy A. Zwink, DeputyDirector, Oklahoma Historical Society

“Born in the Oil Patch,” DouglasCummings, Oklahoma City, Owner andFounder, Cummings Oil Company

“The Story of an Oklahoma IndependentOil Producer,” Melvin Moran, Seminole,Owner and Founder, Moran-K Oil andMoran Oil Enterprises

Session IV: Gallery (Second Floor)Building Cities and Universities

10:30 a.m. - 12 Noon

Moderator: Sharon Terry, Tulsa, ExecutiveDirector, Tulsa Historical Society

“Creating a City: Oil and the Rise ofTulsa,” Dr. Glen D. Roberson, Coordinatorof the Certified Local Governments Pro-gram, Oklahoma Historical Society

“Tulsa University: The Institution thatPetroleum Built,” Dr. Guy W. Logsdon,Tulsa, Board of Directors, OklahomaHistorical Society

Annual Membership LuncheonCommunity Room,

Bartlesville Community Center

12:15 p.m.

James R. Waldo, President, OHS Board ofDirectors, Presiding

Address by Michael Wallis, historian andauthor

Annual Meeting of the MembershipCommunity Room,

Bartlesville Community Center2:15 p.m.

Re-Organizational Board Meeting,OHS Board of Directors

Community Room,Bartlesville community Center

2:45 p.m.

"An Evening at Woolaroc"Tour of Lodge and BBQ Dinner

Woolaroc Lodge,6 p.m.

RegistrationBartlesville Community Center

8:00 a.m. - 12 Noon

Session V: Study (Basement)Oil Boom Towns and Workers

8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Moderator: Dr. William Corbett,Tahlequah, Professor of History, North-eastern State University

“The Big Pasture Booms with Oil Prom-ises,” Dr. Robert L. Wyatt, III, Ada, Profes-sor Emeritus, East Central University

“From a Farmhand to a Roughneck,”Walter Eskridge, Curator of Education,Oklahoma Museum of History, OklahomaHistorical Society

“You Don’t See Any Old Shooters,” WhitEdwards, Director of Special Projects,Oklahoma Historical Society

Session VI: Community Room(First Floor)

Oil and Politics: Regulation of theOklahoma Petroleum Industry

8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Moderator: Dr. Roger Bromert,Weatherford, Professor of History, South-western State University

“Regulation of Oklahoma’s PetroleumIndustry,” Dr. Alvin O. Turner, Norman,Dean Emeritus, School of Humanities andSocial Sciences, East Central University,Ada

“William H. Murray and Oil ProductionControls,” Professor Kirk Rodden, Durant,Associate Professor of Political Science,Murray State College, Tishomingo

Session VII: Gallery (Second Floor)Oklahoma Oil Barons: Frank Phillips

and E. W. Marland

8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Moderator: Dr. Marvin E. Kroeker, Ada,Board of Directors, Oklahoma HistoricalSociety

“Frank Phillips: Man of Adventure,” JimGoss, Bartlesville, Director, Frank PhillipsHome

“E. W. Marland and His Fabulous Home,”David Keathley, Ponca City, Director andCurator, Marland Mansion and Estate

BreakLobby and Community Room,Bartlesville Community Center

10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Session VIII: Study (Basement)The Vital Resource: Water in Oklahoma

10:30 a.m. - 12 Noon

Moderator: Dr. Deena Fisher, Woodward,Dean, Woodward Campus, NorthwesternOklahoma State University

“The Arbuckle-Simpson Aquifer,” StephenGreetham, Ada, Special Counsel on Waterand Natural Resources, Division of Com-merce, Chickasaw Nation

“Water on the Brain: The Ogallala Aquiferand Me Over the Last Forty Years,” Dr.Donald Green, Tishomingo, ProfessorEmeritus of History, University of CentralOklahoma

Session IX: Community Room(First Floor)

Cable Tool Drilling Rigs:Yesterday and Today

10:30 a.m. – 12 Noon

Moderator: Jim Goss, Bartlesville, Director,Frank Phillips Home

“The Story of the Nellie Johnstone No. 1,”Julie Daniels, Bartlesville, CityCouncilperson and former Mayor ofBartlesville

“Working in the Oil Patch: Cable Tool Drill-ing from the Past,” Dr. Bobby Weaver,Edmond, author, petroleum industryhistorian, and museum consultant

Session X: Gallery (Second Floor)Whizzing All Day and Banging All Night:

Oklahoma’s Oil Boom Towns

10:30 a.m. – 12 Noon

Moderator: Dr. Daniel W. Lawrence, Nor-man, Board of Directors, Oklahoma His-torical Society

“Life in Oklahoma’s Oil Boom Towns,” Dr.Paul F. Lambert, Oklahoma City, Member-ship and Development Director, OklahomaHistorical Society

“Bartlesville: Oklahoma’s First Oil BoomTown,” Emily Droege, Bartlesville, Curator,Bartlesville Area History Museum

Annual Awards LuncheonCommunity Room,

Bartlesville Community Center

12:15 p.m.

Meal and Presentation of Awards,James R. Waldo, President, OHS Board of

Directors, Presiding

FRIDAY, APRIL 24

Hidden Collections . . .Rock and Roll Oral History

By Larry O’DellPlanning for an exhibit on Oklahoma’s

Rock and Roll history has provided the op-portunity to capture a period in time inOklahoma’s musical landscape. The Re-search Division initiated a Rock and Rolloral history program, with rockabilly greatand 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in-ductee Wanda Jackson the first interview.All subsequent interviews have beenrecorded in high definition, allowing futureresearchers the best quality available. Wemay also use the footage in a projected doc-umentary. We have interviewed more thanone hundred artists, venue owners, pro-moters, agents, and radio personalities. Weproject that we will talk to more than onehundred fifty before the project concludes.

The breadth of interviews is interesting,ranging from B. J. Thomas to a 1970spunk band called Debris, to an early 1950sRockabilly act called the Collins Kids, totwenty-first-century metal stars Hinder.Others have included the All-American Re-

jects, Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips,Hanson, Tommy Allsup, Chuck Blackwell(drummer for Taj Mahal), David Teagarden(drummer for Bob Seger), Jimmy LaFave,Red Dirt Rangers, Steve Ripley (of the Trac-tors and guitarist for Bob Dylan’s Shot ofLove album and tour), Starlight Mints, By-ron Berline, Mason Williams, Uptown Syn-dicate, Graham Colton, Moon Martin, JohnHumphrey (drummer for the Nixons andSeether), and many more. In March we in-terviewed Elvin Bishop, Leon Russell,Nokie Edwards (of the Ventures), membersof the Five Americans, David Dickey (ofAmerica), and Jamie Oldaker. We have alsocanvassed Oklahoma’s radio, includingRonnie Kaye, Don Wallace, and GregZoobeck. Tulsa’s DiversaFest, which show-cases and holds classes for Oklahoma andother bands, allowed the Historical Societyto have an interview room. There, we talkedto nearly twenty bands, allowing us to get asense of the current music scene.

The collection will allow future research-ers to see a snapshot of the state’s rockmusic scene dating to the innovatorsthrough the 1970s when Leon Russell

briefly made Tulsa the center of music, totoday. It may take four to six months beforethe collection is processed. and then it maybe viewed in the John and Eleanor Kirk-patrick Research Center at the OklahomaHistory Center.

6

Make a new Easter hat!The Pioneer Woman Museum will be

hosting a Victorian Easter Hat Class onSaturday, April 11, from 10 a.m. to noon.There is a $15 fee, and preregistration is re-quired. Call 580/765-6108 to enroll beforethe class fills up.

The museum will also host an Easter egghunt on the lawn that same Saturday,April 11, at 2 p.m. Refreshments will beavailable in the education room.

David Fitzgerald’s photographic collec-tion, Cherokee Nation: A Portrait of a Peo-ple, is on display now and will be availablefor viewing Tuesday through Saturdayfrom 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and on Sundayfrom 1 to 5 p.m.

The Pioneer Woman Museum is locatedat 701 Monument Road in Ponca City. Call580/765-6108 for information.

Heritage Days at Fort Gibson Historic Site on April 17 and 18Visitors to this free event will see several new presentations as well as many old favorites.

There will be mounted reenactors, such as 1840s U.S. Dragoons, as well as Native Ameri-can and African American portrayals. Visitors on Education Day, April 17, will see a con-centration of living history demonstrations presented especially for area school children.

Saturday will feature a “Day in the Life” presentation in the log fort. An 1830s garrisonwill carry on the daily routine of the frontier fort in its heyday.

Also planned for this year’s event are demonstrations of blacksmithing. Historic weaponswill be demonstrated, and bands will play military music on Saturday afternoon. Returningto the event will be various civilian reenactors, and there will be a bread-baking demonstra-tion at the post bake oven.

The event extends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both Friday and Saturday. Fort Gibson HistoricSite, operated by the OHS, is located on State Highway 80 in Fort Gibson, Oklahoma. Formore information call 918/478-4088.

the back of the photograph.The judges panel will pick a First Prize

winner for each of the eight categories andone Grand Prize overall winner. Further-more, winning photographs may be pub-lished in local newspapers and may be ex-hibited in the museum gallery, so they willnot be returned.

The photography special exhibition (inNovember 2009) is an organized effort bythe Oklahoma Route 66 Association, theOklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton,

and Blunck’s Studios. The display will beavailable for viewing in the museum’sWow! Room, which is free to the public.Fall hours of operation are Mondaythrough Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. andSunday 1 to 5 p.m. Gallery admission is $3for adults, $2.50 for seniors and groups of10 or more, and $1 for students 6 to 18;children under 5 are free.

For additional information contact PatSmith at 580/ 323-7866 or through e-mailat <rt66mus@okhistory.org>.

Route 66 Museum hosts 2009photography contest

If an ordinary picture is worth a thou-sand words, then Route 66 photographsare priceless. Beginning February 1 untilOctober 20, 2009, the Oklahoma Route 66Museum at Clinton and the OklahomaRoute 66 Association are sponsoring aphotography contest. To honor the photog-raphers, the images will be displayed in theWow! Room during the 2009 Festival ofLights parade in November.

Photographic entries may be of anyRoute 66–themed item—a roadside sceneor even an old parked vehicle, or anythingthat defines a person’s idea of Route 66.The forms can be downloaded from theOklahoma Route 66 Association website ore-mailed to you by the museum. Entriescan be submitted to the museum by mail orhand delivery, but each entry must haveproper identification information placed on

Sod House Museum plans basket-weaving workshop for April 18Edana Caldwell of Woodward will be at the Sod House Museum on April 18 to present a

workshop on constructing a double-wall basket.Edana is an award-winning weaver. She has taught classes in the market basket, egg

basket, twill bean pot, and field companion basket along with others, and she studied un-der the renowned weaver Mavis Doering. Double-wall baskets are truly fun to weave be-cause the shape of the basket develops according to the pressure applied. Each has its ownunique look. Caldwell will also explain the different types of adornments that can be usedwhen weaving a basket, and she will offer a variety to select while you complete yours.

Registration is limited because of space. The fee is $35 per person. Participants are askedto bring something to share for lunch. The event begins at 9:30 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m.,and registration is required.

The Sod House Museum, operated by the OHS, is located south of Aline on Highway 8.The facility is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

New Members, cont’d.*Donald & Shirley Marquardt, EnidMichael and Margaret Martz, BlanchardLarry and Dolores McClure, EnidJan McDonald, ArdmoreAl McLaughlin and Joan Gilmore,

Oklahoma CitySteven and Lisa Myers, Oklahoma CityDan Neighbors, OwassoRonald and Sharron Oelke, NormanMarvin and Sandra Peyton, Oklahoma City*Hazel Prim, Oklahoma CitySteve and Lynda Ramsey, YukonBarry and Sandra Reddick, Oklahoma CityGordon and Penni Shelton, TulsaJames and Amy Sirmans, Oklahoma CityKathy Appel Smith, MooreThomas and Joyce Stewart, Oklahoma City*Bob and Velta Mae Stringer, PerryThelma Travis, EnidSusie Walters, Del CityBill and Carolyn Wright, McAlester

IndividualCorrine J. Allen, Van Buren, ARCharles L. Austin, NormanJudy Baggett, TulsaSherlene Baker, Rowley, MABetty L. Baldwin, BethanyJean S. Balyeat-Harris, MulberryGail J. Barbre, TulsaLucille Boutte, LawtonGene Brintnall, EnidSteve Brown, ChickashaSamuel H. Childers, Jr., Dallas, TXRoylin J. Cole, Oklahoma CityDolores Crist, GuthrieDr. Jo Anne Davis, EdmondDebbie Dehn, WeatherfordEleanor E. Edmondson, ChickashaMax W. Eversole, MuskogeeJames T. Fallon, Spring, TXDick Flick, EnidJimmy L. Garner, DurantMarie E. Havens, Oklahoma CityBarbara A. Haver, EuchaTeresa Howard, Oklahoma CityMary Johnson, ChickashaMaxine Johnson, NormanKathryn Kildoo, Oklahoma CityDr. Juanita Krittenbrink, El RenoRobert Lambert, Oklahoma CityConrad Littlejohn, YukonRon Loewen, Knoxville, TNRenee Mixon, NormanJim Nelson, Liberal, KSGary Quinnett, Oklahoma CityDavid Rains, Houston, TXMrs. D. A. Replocle, Nichols HillsMarjorie Roane, NormanSandra Schubert, AlvaCarol S. Soule, Nichols HillsStanley Upchurch, NormanGail Wettstein, Oklahoma CityMickey D. Wilson, TulsaEvan O. Zorn, Bartlesville

InstitutionalBreak O’day Farm/Metcalfe Museum,

DurhamThe American Indian Exposition of

Oklahoma, AnadarkoOsage County Interlocal Cooperative,

HominyChickasaw Press, Ada

OKLAHOMA HISTORY CENTER

Annual Giving Campaign

Donor Levels & Benefits**Donors may choose to decline benefits,thereby preserving the full deductibility

of their donations.

All donors above $99 will receive anOklahoma History Center DVD and

Recognition in an annual publicationhonoring donors

($50,000 and Above)5 Room Rental Waivers6 VIP Reusable Passes

50 One-time PassesCollectible Oklahoma History Center Coin

(99.9% silver)Recognition on History Center Donor Board

($5,895 benefit value)

($30,000 to $49,999)3 Room Rental Waivers4 VIP Reusable Passes40 One-time Passes

Collectible Oklahoma History Center Coin(gold plated)

Recognition on History Center Donor Board($3,565 benefit value)

($20,000 to $29,999)2 Room Rental Waivers2 VIP Reusable Passes20 One-time Passes

Collectible Oklahoma History Center Coin(bronze)

Recognition on History Center Donor Board($2,333 benefit value)

($10,000 to $19,999)1 Room Rental Waiver1 VIP Reusable Pass10 One-time Passes

Recognition on History Center Donor Board($1,160 benefit value)

($5,000 to $9,999)1 Room Rental Discount (25%)

1 VIP Reusable Pass5 One-time Passes

Recognition on History Center Donor Board($585 benefit value)

($1,000 to $4,999)1 Room Rental Discount (25%)

5 One-time PassesRecognition on History Center Donor Board

($300 benefit Value)

Make checks payable to theOklahoma Historical Society

For more information call Paul Lambert at405/522-5217

or e-mail <plambert@okhistory.org>

7

Twenty-year members renew in February

Listed below with the date on which theyjoined the OHS, are people and organizationswho had been members for twenty years whenthey renewed in December. Their long-termloyalty is most sincerely appreciated!

James and Betty Kemm, Tulsa, February 1, 1963Jerry Anduss, Piedmont, February 17, 1970Melvin Fiegel, Oklahoma City, October 1, 1970Barbara Kinzer, Jenks, January 1, 1971Bill Settle, Muskogee, February 1, 1973Von Russell Creel, Midwest City, September 1, 1973Jere W. Roberson, Edmond, January 2, 1974Kenny and Diane Brown, Edmond, May 1, 1976Phil and Gayle Roberts, Edmond, February 1, 1977Harvey D. Yost, II, Stillwater, February 1, 1977Broken Bow Public Library, Broken Bow, March 1, 1978Stigler Public Library, Stigler, June 1, 1979Laura Evalyn Stevens, Woodward, January 2, 1980George C. Pendleton, Jr., Dallas, TX, January 2, 1981Floyd Stephens, Jr., Bixby, January 2, 1981Lynda Brown-Drabek, Oklahoma City, February 1, 1981Buckley Public Library, Poteau, April 1, 1981Peggy Talley, Poteau, May 1, 1981Betty King, Byron, February 1, 1983Blaine Shaffer, Omaha, NE, February 1, 1983Rolland Haun, Saint Louis, MO, January 1, 1984M. David Stevens, Noble, January 2, 1984Robert and Mary Brown, Burneyville, February 1, 1984University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, March 1, 1984Marie Wren, Fillmore, CA, March 1, 1984Alma Benedict, Edmond, February 1, 1985Nell Welden, Cordell, February 1, 1985Peter Rollins, Cleveland, November 1, 1985Idabel Public Libraries, Idabel, December 1, 1985Museum of the Red River, Idabel, February 6, 1986James Groves, Harrah, April 7, 1986Tonkawa Public Library, Tonkawa, July 10, 1987Dan and Betty Hobbs, Norman, April 13, 1988Greg Olds, Austin, TX, January 5, 1989George Stewart, Ponca City, January 30, 1989John Heisch, Oklahoma City, January 31, 1989Jean Berry, Dallas, TX, February 6, 1989

The Annual Giving ProgramThe 2008–09 Annual Giving Campaign of

the Oklahoma Historical Society is well underway. All of the Annual Giving Funds raised willbe used to plan and execute new museum ex-hibits and to conduct educational programsand special events. Those who contribute$1,000 or more will be listed on our AnnualDonor Board in the Oklahoma History Center.The current donor board will be changedshortly after July 1, 2009, to list the donorsfrom July 1, 2008, through June 30, 2009. Allnew and renewing memberships at $1,000 orhigher also will be considered Annual FundDonors and will be listed on the donor board.Annual Campaign donors who are not mem-bers of the OHS will receive Honorary Direc-tor’s Circle or Honorary Benefactor Memberstatus. Multiple donations during the periodwill be summed, and the donor will be listed onthe donor board at the level that reflects thetotal.

Membership contributions and Annual Giv-ing donations each carry their own benefits.Membership benefits begin at $35 while An-nual Giving benefits start at $1,000.

Anyone with questions regarding the An-nual Giving Campaign or Membership in theOHS is encouraged to contact Paul Lambert at405/522-5217 or at OHS Development, 2401North Laird Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73105.

PERIODICALS

Oklahoma Historical Society2401 N. Laird AvenueOklahoma City, OK 73105-7914

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Vol. 40, No. 4 April 2009

Hands-on History Day is April 18Bring your family to the Oklahoma History Center on Saturday, April 18, 2009, and

explore the Native American art exhibit Unconquered: Allan Houser and the Legacy ofOne Apache Family. On this special Saturday, kids will enjoy participating in ourhands-on activities. The event begins at 1 p.m. and continues until 3 p.m.

Come and learn how to work with clay, water colors, and other media. Children willbe able to create their very own model magic masterpiece.

While at the History Center,adults should take advantageof the new digital audio tour,which offers a point-to-pointnarrative of the exhibit. Visi-tors will explore a large collec-tion of Houser and Haozousart, artifacts, and interpretivepanels.

The art of Allan Houser(1914–94), a native Oklaho-man, and his sons Phillip andBob Haozous reflect the his-tory of their people, the FortSill Apache Tribe. Don’t missyour chance see Unconqueredbefore this special exhibitends on July 31, 2009. It features more than 80 pieces of sculpture, art, and artifactslocated in three main galleries as well as nine monumental sculptures outdoors alongthe Red River Journey. In addition to the art work, a thirty-minute high-definition filmdocumenting the Houser/Haozous family runs continuously for viewing inside the In-asmuch Gallery and also may be obtained at the Oklahoma History Center Gift Shop.(Above: Watercolor, Untitled, by Allan Houser, ca. 1950s. Image courtesy Allan Houser Foundation.)

On Saturday, April 25, the OklahomaHistory Center will offer a Dutch OvenCooking Class from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Thishands-on, active-participation class is de-signed to introduce children and adults toDutch oven cooking. Learn a variety of rec-ipes as you prepare a dish and discoverhow you can use a Dutch oven in yourback yard.

Cost for the class is $10 and includes allof the necessary materials. For more infocall Jason Harris at 405/522-0725 ore-mail <jharris@okhistory.org>. The His-tory Center is located at 2401 North LairdAve., just northeast of the OklahomaCapitol Building.

Experience rural life at Perry on April 25

The Cherokee Strip Museumannual Rural Heritage Festivalis scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3p.m. on Saturday, April 25,2009, on the grounds of themuseum in Perry, Oklahoma.

The event is part of Perry’sSpringFest, which includes acar show, a quilt and hand-work show, a health fair, andmany other activities aroundthe town of Perry.

“The festival is designed forfamilies and people of all ages,”said Kaye Bond, facility man-ager. “We welcome everyone for a day of relaxation and friendship.” The Rural HeritageFestival provides an educational and fun experience for visitors. Conducted through-out the day will be living history interpretations and various demonstrations to helppeople understand traditional skills and lifestyles associated with agriculture and ru-ral communities.

Rose Hill School will be in session, and the public is encouraged to participate. Stu-dents from Morrison will wrap the May Pole under the direction of their teachers. TheSaltfork Blacksmiths will demonstrate some of the many blacksmithing skills neededin rural communities. Settlers’ camps, rope-making demonstrations, square dancing,a cowboy camp, a tipi, basket weaving, and soap making are among the many activi-ties visitors may enjoy. Members of the Lace Guild of Oklahoma will be located insidethe museum. In addition to showing examples of lace items, the guild will providehands-on demonstrations of lace-making techniques.

Admission to the event is free, but monetary donations the day of the Rural HeritageFestival will help fund the activities and ensure that the event can continue.

The Rural Heritage Festival will be sponsored by the Oklahoma Historical Society,which operates the museum at 2617 West Fir in Perry, and by the Cherokee Strip His-torical Society. For information contact the museum at 580/336-2405 or via e-mail at<csmuseum@okhistory.org>.