Voices of Oklahoma

The sports network ESPN owes its existence to Tulsa's own George Conner. After graduating from the University of Tulsa with a marketing degree in 1964, George went to work for Skelly Oil in downtown Tulsa.When Getty Oil gained control of Skelly in 1974, George became a finance manager and was asked to study a proposed Connecticut-based Cable Television network committed to all-day, every-day sports programming. George approved the project and Getty Oil made an initial investment of $10 million which grew to $160 Million. ESPN went live on September 7, 1979. Co-founder Bill Rasmussen stated: “I still firmly believe that, without Conner as the bridge to Getty money, there would have been no ESPN.”Listen to George talk about the beginning of this new concept of a 24-hour sports network and his role in establishing ESPN on the podcast and oral history website VoicesOfOklahoma.

Born at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Eddy Gibbs was raised in Checotah by his mother. Only 10 when his father passed away, Gibbs felt a strong need to provide for the family.  After graduation from high school, he began installing fences in Tulsa, followed by apprenticeships in Kansas City, Missouri and Bakersfield, California to perfect the trade. He returned home to start his own company and, eight years later, began manufacturing fence products.  Ameristar became the largest ornamental fence manufacturer in the world. Upon sale of the company, with terms that the company remain in Oklahoma, Gibbs distributed a portion of the proceeds from the sale to employees as a token of appreciation.Close to his Owasso home, Gibbs' weekend retreat is northeast Oklahoma's Shangri-La Resort. After it fell into disrepair, he purchased the property and restored the resort's reputation, dramatically increasing tourism to the area and employment opportunities for local residents.          Listen to Eddy talk about his inventions, how 9/11 affected his business, and his huge donation to Rejoice school on the podcast and oral history website VoicesOfOklahoma.com.

Richard “Dick” Willhour graduated from Will Rogers High School and enrolled in the University of Tulsa. When World War II began, he joined the Army and was attached to the 100th Infantry division as a machine gunner.Upon his return from military service, Dick's father told him to write about the experience, and so, at 99 years old, that script was helpful in telling his story. The chaos of the battlefield, the loss of comrades, and being wounded in service to his country, are all told in a humble way.  And even in his 99th year, Dick was of service to his church, handing out snack packs to those in need.He owned Pennant Petroleum Company which was a DX Sunoco jobber.Dick was 99 when he died November 1st, 2024, but you can hear his voice as he talks about the Oklahoma land run, his preparation for war, and the loss of four company commanders on the battlefield on the podcast and oral history website VoicesOfOklahoma.com.

Born in a half-dugout, in what was Fonda, Oklahoma, Roger Hardesty went on to become a real estate developer and builder, making his mark on Tulsa in 1959.During his late teens he began his building career by learning on the job, starting with concrete finishing, then single-family followed by multi-family housing units, industrial buildings, commercial retail centers, office buildings and hotels.He owned Mid-Continent Concrete and founded and operated over 25 different business ventures including Alliance Transportation, the Quarry Landfill, and Bizjet International.Roger was sixteen when he obtained his pilot license, which led to founding the United States Aviation, the country's premier independent Fixed Based operator facility, worldwide aircraft character services, and Black Hawk helicopter air crane business.Roger and his wife, Donna, established The Hardesty Family Foundation with a focus on Tulsa nonprofits.Listen to Roger talk about how he learned to build houses while hanging sheetrock, his love for flying, and his desire to give back to Tulsa on the podcast and oral history website VoicesOfOklahoma.com.

The John T. Nickel story is that of a work ethic which led to success far beyond anything he could have ever imagined. While in his early twenties, along with a friend, he traveled to California for an adventure. He returned to Oklahoma with an idea that set him on a path beyond his wildest dream. As a result, he developed Greenleaf Nursery in Cherokee County, Oklahoma (on Lake Tenkiller), into a multi-state business. Then, at his brother Gil's including Far Niente, in Napa Valley.As a young lad he enjoyed hiking, fishing, and nature along the Illinois River and dreamed of owning that land one day. Eventually this passion led him to the ownership of the Caney Creek Ranch, the J-5 Ranch, and the donation of 14,000 acres to the Nature Conservancy for a wildlife and nature preserve. To complete the dream, he reintroduced elk to the John T. Nickel Family Nature and Wildlife Preserve.He was recognized with a Wildlife Stewardship Award by NatureWorks in 2004 and was a recipient of The Nature Conservancy's first Oak Leaf Award in 2006.This story actually begins in a small mom-and-pop nursery business in Muskogee, Oklahoma, where John T. Nickel was born.

Born in the Bronx, New York, Judge Claire Eagan graduated from Trinity Washington University in 1972 and later from Fordham University School of Law.She began her legal career working as a law clerk to Judge Allen Barrow of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, and went into private practice at the Hall Estill Law Firm in Tulsa, Oklahoma from 1978 to 1998.Claire served as a U.S. Magistrate Judge from 1998 to 2001 and was then nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma. She served as Chief Judge of the court from 2005 to 2012.U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts appointed Judge Eagan as the chair of the Executive Committee of the Judicial Conference in 2020. She assumed senior status in 2022.Listen to Claire tell her story, how she knew she wanted to be a lawyer as a young girl, the important mentor in her life, and the decisions she made as a judge on the podcast and website VoicesOfOklahoma.com.

Drew Edmondson is the son of former U.S. Congressman Ed Edmondson and June Edmondson. He is also a nephew of former Governor J. Howard Edmondson. His brother, James Edmondson, is a justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court.Drew was the Oklahoma Attorney General from 1995 to 2011. His 58 opinions defending the Open Meeting and Open Records Acts strengthened citizen access to government. He sued the tobacco industry, winning a national settlement resulting in more than a billion dollars invested in Oklahoma's healthcare and Drew successfully filed suit against a dozen poultry companies for polluting the Illinois River.His prior public service included the U.S. Navy, State Representative, and District Attorney. He has received many honors including induction to the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.In his oral history interview, Drew talks about his political family, people he prosecuted in Muskogee as District Attorney, and several campaigns for office on the podcast and website VoicesOfOklahoma.com.

A graduate of the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy (now the University of Missouri–Rolla), Keith Bailey's initial degree was in mechanical engineering. His academic record was augmented several years later with a professional degree in mechanical engineering from UMR and the completion of studies at the Harvard University Program for Management Development. In 1973 Keith became an assistant to the V.P. of Operations at Williams Pipeline Company. In the succeeding years, he assumed growing responsibilities with various units of the company until he was named President in 1992. In 1994 he was named CEO and Chairman of the Board.As a dedicated supporter of the United Way, Keith has served as a Campaign Chair as well as Board Chair. His United Way involvement extended to the national level. His commitment to education resulted in his service to the University of Tulsa with two terms as Board President.Listen to Keith talk about the difficulties in getting his first job, his admiration for John Williams, and 9/11 on the podcast and website VoicesOfOklahoma.com.

Jimmy Houston is known for hosting his own television show, Jimmy Houston Outdoors, which is watched by 2 million people around the world.He was born on July 27th, 1944, was raised in Oklahoma City, and attended high school in Moore.Jimmy moved with his family to Cookson, Oklahoma, near Lake Tenkiller, during his senior year of high school. His parents bought a resort there, where he became obsessed with fishing. Lake Tenkiller was the inspiration which made Jimmy the professional angler he is today.Since winning The Oklahoma State Championship as a college senior in 1966, Jimmy Houston went on to win over a million dollars in bass tournaments. He has fished 15 Bassmaster Classics and won the B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year title. Jimmy has received honors from multiple organizations including induction into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame.The writer of many faith-based books, he has been on national television for over 46 years. The Jimmy Houston Outdoors show was ranked the #1 outdoors show on ESPN for 20 years.

John D. Groendyke is Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Groendyke Transport, Inc., the fifth-largest motor carrier of bulk commodities serving the continental United States, Canada, and Mexico.It all began on July 12, 1932, when John's father, Harold Groendyke, transported his first load of kerosene from Borger, Texas, to Beaver, Oklahoma. He drove a two-axle Ford truck equipped with a 3,000-gallon tank mounted on a homemade chassis.  That was the start of the tank truck industry and Groendyke Transport Company.John received his Bachelor of Science in Business from Oklahoma State University and his law degree from the University of Oklahoma. He served as a Captain in the U.S. Army, and after a two-year tour of duty, he returned to Enid, Oklahoma, to join the family trucking operation.In 2024 John received a Lifetime Achievement Award from National Tank Truck Carriers.In his oral history interview, John talks about his father building a truck, the effect of technology on the trucking industry, and his extensive car collection on the podcast and oral history website VoicesOfOklahoma.com.

Adopted as an infant in Norway and brought home to Tulsa, Jon Stuart was educated in Tulsa, and at the Culver Military Academy, the University of Oklahoma, and the University of Tulsa.As chairman of the board and chief executive officer of First Stuart Corporation, Jon is continuing in the family business. He also is the managing partner of Jon R. Stuart Interests, L.L.C., with the primary focus on energy, and is a trustee for the Stuart Family Foundation.Appointed by His Royal Highness King Harald VI of Norway, Stuart serves as the Royal Norwegian Consul for Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas. He served on the City of Tulsa-Rogers County Port Authority Board for more than 25 years, including five years as chairman.The Port of Catoosa's Maritime Park is named for him. He has served on the Gilcrease Museum National Advisory Board and Philbrook Museum of Art and served two terms on the University of Oklahoma's Board of Regents.Jon is a fourth-generation inductee into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, following his great-grandfather Charles B. Stuart, inducted in 1933, his grandfather W. G. Skelly, inducted in 1939, and his father, Harold C. Stuart, inducted in 1983.Listen to Jon talk about his friendship with the King of Norway, meeting J. Paul Getty, and Jon's famous heritage on the podcast and oral history website VoicesOfOklahoma.com.

Danna Sue Walker wrote the “People and Places” column six days a week in The Tulsa World for at least 24 years. Her column kept readers informed about the fundraisers and events for many of the city's nonprofit organizations, and the column is one of the reasons Tulsa is known as a caring and philanthropic city.A native of Tulsa, Danna Sue graduated from the University of Tulsa. She joined The World in 1962 as society editor and left to raise her daughters before returning in 1981 to write the column.She was inducted into the University of Tulsa Communications Hall of Fame in 2005 and received the Bill Crawford Memorial Award for commitment to the arts.  In her oral history interview, Danna Sue talks about living at the Tulsa Country Club, her lifelong friend, and of course, “People and Places” on the podcast and website of VoicesOfOklahoma.com.

Clarke's Good Clothes, founded in 1929 in Tulsa by Harry Clarke Sr., developed into a clothing store for men, women and children. From its downtown location, the store expanded to Utica Square Shopping Center in 1962 and then to the 50,000 square-foot store in Southland Shopping Center at 41st and Yale. In 1976 the expansion continued to Tulsa's Woodland Hills Mall at 71st and Memorial, and then on to Joplin, Missouri and Oklahoma City.Harry Clarke Sr. was very well-known in the Tulsa community, and following in his father's footsteps, Harry Clarke Jr. also participated in local business and civic organizations. Further, his sister, Madge (Clarke) Wright, who served as vice president of advertising and public relations for the clothing store, became active in Tulsa, coordinating Miss Oklahoma's wardrobe to teaching watercolor painting at the Philbrook Museum of Art. Clarke's Good Clothes was known for special promotions such as Straw Hat Days and Coffee Call. Harry Clarke Jr. is the storyteller of this Oklahoma retail success. Listen to his account on the Oklahoma oral history website, VoicesofOklahoma.com.

Joe Harwood had a head start on becoming an owner of yacht clubs and marinas on Grand Lake. Joe was introduced to lake life because his father loved lakes and boating. It was during a summer break from college that Joe's first job was at Bomar's Marina on Grand Lake.After graduating he went to work full-time at the marina where he sold, repaired boats, and pumped gas. As a child, Joe dreamed about owning a marina. The dream came true when he purchased Arrowhead Yacht Club in 1982.He also developed Bomar's Marina into Arrowhead South Marina and, in 2007, he became the owner of Cherokee Yacht Club all in Duck Creek. His ownership has expanded to other marinas including Beaver Lake, Arkansas.Listen to Joe's oral history interview as he talks about Grand Lake in the 50s, his purchase of two yacht clubs, the fireworks show, and the GRDA on the podcast and website VoicesOfOklahoma.com.

Ross Swimmer's Native American heritage and work in real estate law intersected when he performed pro bono work for the Cherokee Nation Housing Authority, and he later became in-house counsel for the Cherokee Nation. Ross began working for the Nation in an official capacity in 1972 and became Principal Chief in 1975.He remained Principal Chief until 1983, when he left at the request of President Ronald Reagan to serve as Assistant Secretary of the Interior-Indian Affairs. Swimmer was instrumental in helping western tribes secure water rights and providing funds for projects that allowed tribes to use that water for agricultural and business projects on reservations.Swimmer served as president of Cherokee Nation Industries, Inc. before being asked by President George W. Bush and Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton to return to Washington as the director of Indian Trust Transition at the Department of the Interior. In 2003 President Bush nominated Swimmer to become the Special Trustee for American Indians, an appointment requiring senate approval.Now you can hear Ross tell his interesting story on the podcast and website VoicesOfOklahoma.com.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Junior League of Tulsa conducted oral history interviews with pioneer Tulsans on medicine, lifestyles, architecture, government, business, education, journalism, and many other subjects regarding the early history of Tulsa. The collection rests with the Tulsa City-County Library.One of the interviews featured Lewis Meyer. For sixty years, Meyer was a Tulsa institution as an author, bookstore owner, and book reviewer. Lewis Meyer was an attorney who found practicing law dreadfully boring, so he opened a bookstore in 1955 next door to the Brook Theater, now the location of The Brook restaurant at 34th Street and Peoria Avenue. He started writing book reviews for local newspapers in the 1930s, then began discussing books on local radio stations and even made public appearances to give speeches about books.By the early 1940s, Meyer had his own daily radio program, “The Values We Live By,” and was speaking to crowds twice a week at downtown Tulsa's popular Brown-Dunkin department store. His Sunday morning TV show, “The Lewis Meyer Bookshelf,” began airing on KOTV in 1953, and continued for 42 years.By visiting the Tulsa City-County Library website and the digital collection, you can hear the entire oral history project. The library has granted permission for us to share this Lewis Meyer interview conducted March 26, 1980, by Danna Sue Walker who was the People and Places columnist with Tulsa World. Listen to Lewis Meyer talk about early Tulsa radio, hypocrites, and alcoholism on the podcast and website of VoicesOfOklahoma.com.

William Ray Nash was the founder of United Bank in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which he sold in 1984. The bank became known as the Bank of America. His first experience in the banking business came in 1966 when he worked for the Bank of Oklahoma in charge of advertising, public relations, and marketing. He graduated from the Oklahoma Intermediate School of Banking at OSU and the School of Bank Public Relations and Marketing at Northwest University in Chicago.  Bill became head of the Real Estate Loan Department to head the Correspondent Department at the Bank of Oklahoma.Bill and his wife Edna came to Tulsa in 1956 to work for Oral Roberts in the Radio and TV department. In his public service, he served as the chairman of the Tulsa County Election Board later serving on the Oklahoma Transportation Commission rising to the position of chairman.  In addition to his professional career, Bill talks about the plane crash which took the lives of his brother Marshall and sister-in-law Rebecca — the daughter of Oral Roberts — on the oral history podcast and website VoicesOfOklahoma.com.

In 1948, at the age of 21, Gene Stipe was elected to the Oklahoma State House of Representatives representing Pittsburgh County, making him the youngest person elected to the state legislature. Stipe won a senate seat in 1956 and served for forty-eight years, making him the longest-serving Oklahoma State Senator.   Gene had a reputation as an excellent trial lawyer and took the lead in some important Oklahoma court cases.On January 1st, 2000, Gene published the book A Gathering of Heroes, featuring stories of many Oklahomans. Some of the heroes he talked about included former U.S. Senator Robert Kerr, Judge Luther Bohanon, and Lloyd Rader.The book is still available on Amazon.  Gene Stipe was 85 when he died on July 21st, 2012.When John Erling was with KRMG radio, he interviewed Gene about the book in 2000, and you can hear the interview now on the podcast and oral history website VoicesOfOklahoma.com.

In the summer of 1939 there was a little girl living in Lodz, Poland who was looking forward to the first grade. It was while on the family summer vacation that Eva Unterman heard her family members quietly talking about Germany and war. They cut short their vacation and went home to Lodz and soon little Eva was looking at black, shiny boots. The German invasion of Poland was underway. Eva's family was forced into the Lodz Ghetto. After four years in the ghetto they were deported to Auschwitz, Stutthof and a labor camp in Dresden and then marched to Theresienstadt. This march is referred to as the Death March. It was May 1945 when Eva and her parents were liberated.The German Third Reich took the lives of three million Polish Jews in World War II. Only a small number survived or managed to escape. And today, survivor Eva Unterman, now an Oklahoman, tells her story to honor the millions of children whose lives were cut short by the Nazis, and to be sure the Holocaust shall never happen again!Eva's granddaughter Phoebe has written a children's book Through Eva's Eyes about her grandmother's early life in Poland.

Equipped with a degree from The University of Tulsa and the experience of working with his father, Dan P. Holmes, in his insurance business, Holmes and Chester Cadieux co-founded QuikTrip Corporation in 1958. QuikTrip has grown to one of the country's most successful convenience store networks.Later, he established Burt B. Holmes and Associates, the predecessor of The Holmes Organisation Inc., which he sold in 1998, but remains as a consultant.In 2010, The University of Tulsa's Collins College of Business named Holmes the Outstanding Entrepreneur for his dedication to life-long learning, entrepreneurship, and support for the arts, education, and community.He is president and director of Leaders Life Insurance Company, the American Institute of Medical Technology and National Occupational Health Services.Previously Holmes served as founder, owner or director of: Hurricane Trading Company, Gas Energy Development Co., Day Schools Inc., Healthfood Associates/Akin's, Utica National Bank, and National Bank of Commerce. He promoted Tulsa's first high-rise suburban office building, the Southland Financial Center.Holmes is past chairman and director emeritus of The University of Tulsa's board of trustees, past chairman and director of the Gilcrease Museum Association, The University of Tulsa Alumni Association and Family and Children's Services, former director of the Tulsa Philharmonic, Palmer Drug Abuse Program, Thornton Family YMCA, Greenwood Cultural Center, and Phillips Theological Seminary.Currently, he serves as a director of the Tulsa Botanic Garden and First Oklahoma Bank.

Neal McCaleb is a member of the Chickasaw Nation and a former George W. Bush administration official. Before his involvement in politics, McCaleb was a civil engineer and businessman. He served on the Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commission from 1967 until 1972 when President Nixon appointed him to the National Council on Indian Opportunities. He was also a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1974 to 1982, and later was a presidential appointee on Ronald Reagan's Commission on Indian Reservation Economics in the 1980s. McCaleb ran for Governor of Oklahoma in 1982 but lost the Republican primary. He was appointed Oklahoma's first Secretary of Transportation by 1987, and from 1995 to 2001 he was the Director of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and Director of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority. In 2001, George Bush appointed McCaleb to be the Assistant Secretary of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs. After serving in the Bush administration, McNeal served as Ambassador at Large for the Chickasaw Nation.

Marcia Mitchell is the founder of The Little Light House, a faith-based mission to assist children with a wide range of developmental disabilities including autism, Down syndrome, and cerebral palsy.The program is not only a facility for students, but also serves as a training ground for professionals and volunteers throughout the United States and other countries who are learning to reach out to special needs children in their communities.Marcia and her husband, Phil, gave birth to their daughter, Missy, who was born with a rare condition leaving her legally blind. With no facilities in Tulsa to help Missy, Marcia and her friend Sheryl Pool opened Little Light House in a small building, eventually expanding to a 22,000-square-foot facility.In 2013, the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits named Little Light House Oklahoma's top nonprofit organization.In her oral history, Marcia talks about the many unusual circumstances, which Marcia calls miracles, that led to The Little Light House serving thousands of special needs children. Here's the story now, on the podcast and website VoicesOfOklahoma.com.

Rick Brinkley was the minister of the Collinsville Community Church, an Emmy-nominated television producer in Oklahoma, Baltimore, and New York City, and President/CEO of Eastern Oklahoma's Better Business Bureau and then its Chief Operating Officer from 1999 to 2015.He became a State Senator in 2010, serving as the Chair of Pensions, Vice-Chair of the Finance Committee, and a member of the Appropriations, Energy, Health and Human Services, and Business and Commerce Committees.In August 2015, Brinkley resigned his seat as he was being investigated on accusations of embezzlement from his employer. The embezzlement was related to his gambling addiction. He was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison.As a noted public speaker, Rick travels the country telling the story of his gambling addiction, what it did to his life, and what others can do to regain control of theirs. If you or someone you know has a gambling addiction, call The National Problem Gambling helpline: 1-800-GAMBLER.Listen to Rick talk about how his addiction brought him comfort, the day he learned he was under investigation, and his days in prison on the Podcast and website of VoicesOfOklahoma.com.

Fred Harris grew up in the small town of Walters, Oklahoma, where he was born in a two-room house. He was first elected to the Oklahoma State Senate where he was one of its youngest members. He made an unsuccessful race for governor of Oklahoma in 1962. In 1964, he entered the race to serve out the unexpired term of U.S. Senator Robert S. Kerr who had died while in office. He was 33 years old when he successfully defeated former Governor J. Howard Edmonson, who had been appointed to succeed Kerr, in the Democratic primary, and narrowly upset Republican nominee and legendary Oklahoma football coach Bud Wilkinson. While in Washington, D.C. he encountered such giants as Lyndon B. Johnson, Hubert H. Humphrey and Robert Kennedy. In this interview, Fred talks about the personalities of these figures–including the tension between Johnson and Kennedy. Harris accomplished much during his distinguished career, championing human rights at home and around the world. Twice elected to the U.S. Senate from Oklahoma, Fred Harris became Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. He is the author of numerous works of fiction and nonfiction.

Roy Bliss grew up in Worland, Wyoming where his father was in the Culligan Soft Water business. A neighbor, Tom Mitchell, read about cable television in a magazine. Roy's father owned an airplane and Tom asked if Roy's father would “fly around to see if they could find a TV signal, line-of-sight”, which they found coming from Billings, Montana. And that was the beginning of the cable TV business for the Bliss family.Roy was very young when he helped his father bring cable to Worland. In time, Wayne Swearingen, an oilman who saw the potential for cable television, asked Roy to join him in Tulsa. Wayne was part owner of Tulsa Cable, which bought a microwave company, United Video. Becoming president of United Video, Roy distributed Chicago's WGN TV via satellite nationwide. Roy was with United Video for 26 years before retiring from the cable business.Listen to Roy's oral history as he describes how his father captured a TV signal from a Billings, Montana station, and how the cable business became Roy's profession on the podcast and website of VoicesOfOklahoma.com.

Oklahoma native John A. Brock was raised in Oklahoma City and graduated from Classen High School in 1948. In 1953 he graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a B.S. in Geological Engineering. He served in the U.S. Army Artillery in Korea from 1953 to 1955 when he began his career in the oil business with Shell Oil Company.John returned to Oklahoma in 1968 to become executive vice president and general manager of LVO Corporation in Tulsa, followed by president of Southport Exploration, chairman of Medallion Petroleum, Inc., and chairman of Brighton Energy, LLC.John endowed the Brock Chair of Energy Economics and Policy and the John A. Brock Endowed Chair in Engineering Leadership at the University of Oklahoma. He also established the Brock Chair for Education Leadership and the Brock Chair for Education Innovation at Oklahoma State University.Listen to John talk about the ups and downs of the Oil industry and the investments he made in our state on the podcast and the oral history website, VoicesOfOklahoma.com.

Three days after Pat Woodrum's graduation from OU, she began working at the Tulsa City-County Library system as a branch librarian. Woodrum served in nearly every position until she became the executive director of the Tulsa City-County Library System in 1976, where she served for 32 years.Pat helped establish Tulsa's Day Center for the Homeless as an alternative to the usage of public libraries for shelter. Woodrum was appointed to the first board of the University Center of Tulsa, and was on the site selection committee and buildings committee for what is now the OSU-Tulsa campus.After retiring from the library system, Woodrum went through the OSU Master Gardener Program and helped create the Centennial Botanical Garden in Tulsa, serving as executive director for many years. In her oral history, Pat talks about digitizing the library system, book banning, and the botanical garden on the podcast and website VoicesOfOklahoma.com.

Warren Gene Morris was a World War II veteran working up the ranks becoming Captain in the Army Air Force flying B-29s. By the age of 21 had flown thirty-four combat missions in the South Pacific. Often, he would fly for 15 hours or more — seven or eight hours to the target and then back to the base.He contracted polio while on duty, crippling him for several years. But through physical therapy he was able to walk without braces.After World War II, Warren entered the real estate profession developing 13 subdivisions and constructing 1,900 homes. Building a successful law practice, he also became a Master Appraiser, Real Estate Broker, and a Tulsa County Excise and Equalization Board Member. Listen to Warren talk about his combat missions, including the day the bomb bay doors accidentally opened, losing an engine in flight, and his struggle with polio on the Voices of Oklahoma podcast and website, VoicesOfOklahoma.com.

Francis W. “Steve” Stephenson was the founder of Steve's Sundry Books and Magazines in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which he opened in November of 1947 at 12th and Harvard. Steve shared part of a building with Ernest Moody of Moody's Jewelry. He met his wife Hazel while earning a marketing degree from Oklahoma A&M now known as Oklahoma State University. After graduation he went to work for a variety store known as S.H. Cress. After serving in the Navy as a recruiter during WWII, he returned to Tulsa and eventually opened Steve's Sundry, which was a complete drug store without the pharmacy. In the early days of the store, Steve sold boat motors, lawn mowers, fishing tackle, and became the first dealer in Oklahoma to sell Zebco reels. It was in 1958 that Steve moved the store to its present location at 26th and Harvard. Steve became known for promoting local authors hosting around 100 book signings a year, often for first-time authors. While big chain bookstores have come and gone, this small, independent bookstore remains open largely due to the personal attention given by Steve and now his daughter-in-law Joanie Stephenson. Steve was an avid tennis player, winning the over 70 and over 80 tennis championships in the National Senior Olympics. This interview was conducted in 2009 when Steve was 91. He had a tennis match scheduled for that afternoon. He was 93 when he died on Tuesday, November 22, 2011.

The Bumgarner family has deep roots in Tulsa that began in 1903 when John's grandfather, A.A.Bumgarner, came to Tulsa and established a grocery store at 15 East 2nd Street.A.A. was successful in business and established a family tradition of community service through his work as a board member for Tulsa Public Schools. The cornerstone of the old Central High School building at 6th & Cincinnati bears his name as chairman of the building committee.In 1987, John Bumgarner was a senior executive with the Williams Companies when he successfully acquired the 320 South Boston and Kennedy buildings thus joining his grandfather in connecting the Bumgarner name to historically significant properties of Tulsa's oil boom era.His ownership of 320 and Kennedy opened an unexpected opportunity in 2011 when John and Chris submitted a winning bid for ownership of the Mid-Continent Tower in a competitive, court-administered auction with several bidders.John talks about his family history, his days with the Getty and Skelly oil companies, the Williams Companies, and how his career led to the ownership of iconic downtown Tulsa properties on the Voices of Oklahoma podcast and website VoicesOfOklahoma.com.

Jeanne Eason Phillips was born August 26, 1924, in Etna, Oklahoma, but spent her early childhood years in Slick, Oklahoma, growing up with her seven brothers.While Jeanne was still quite young, her parents moved the family near Sapulpa where they enjoyed the conveniences of electricity and modern plumbing. Eventually they settled in a segregated Tulsa where Jeanne attended Carver Elementary and graduated from Booker T. Washington High School.She recalls her family shopping in downtown Tulsa where they could buy clothes, but were unable to try on garments before the purchase. Black people were not allowed to dine at lunch counters nor could they have ice cream at soda fountains.Jeanne went on to attend Langston University where she met and married Garland Eason. The couple supported their four young children and still managed to get their college degrees. Their daughter, Judy Eason McIntyre, served ten years in Oklahoma's legislature.Even though they endured the pain of racism, Jeanne and Judy tell a very upbeat story of making Oklahoma a better place to live.

Jim Stovall is an American writer best known for his bestselling novel The Ultimate Gift. The book was made into the movie The Ultimate Gift, distributed by 20th Century Fox.Stovall is blind and is an advocate for people with blindness. He works to make television and movies accessible to the blind as President of the Narrative Television Network, an organization that has received various award recognitions, including an Emmy award, a Media Access Award, and an International Film and Video Award.Jim was chosen as the International Humanitarian of the Year, joining Jimmy Carter, Nancy Reagan, and Mother Teresa as recipients of this honor. He has also received an Honorary Doctor of Law from ORU for his work with disabled people.In the book Forbes Great Success Stories: Twelve Tales of Victory Wrested from Defeat by Alan Farnham, Malcolm Stevenson "Steve" Forbes Jr., president and CEO of Forbes magazine, said, "Jim Stovall is one of the most extraordinary men of our era."As you listen to Jim's oral history, you will hear him talk about his blindness which began when he was 17, his walk to the mailbox, and the idea for the Narrative Television Network. Listen to this fascinating story on the podcast and website of Voices of Oklahoma.

Charles Francis Colcord was a notable figure of the Old West—a cattle rancher, U.S. Marshal, chief of police, businessman, and pioneer. The community of Colcord, Oklahoma, bears his name.He was also the grandfather of Tulsa philanthropist Walt Helmrich.During the Oklahoma boom of the 1890s, Colcord served as Oklahoma City's first sheriff and as Chief of Police for two years. Later, he spent five years as a deputy U.S. Marshal, striving to bring order to a lawless region. Colcord played a key role in apprehending notorious outlaws like Bill “Tulsa Jack” Blake, the Dalton Gang, and Richard “Little Dick” West, even overseeing the hanging of five Dalton Gang members.This special series revives the historic book Oklahoma Leaders: Biographical Sketches of the Foremost Living Men of Oklahoma, sharing the stories of these influential figures. Narrated, transcribed, and freely available on our website and podcast platforms, the wisdom and legacies of these transformative leaders will continue to educate and inspire future generations.

Jim Tygart was a World War II veteran who drove a jeep during the D-Day invasion and other campaigns before being wounded in the Battle of the Bulge.The D-Day invasion launched on June 6, 1944. On the next day, Tygart went ashore at Omaha Beach, Normandy. It was in Belgium, after the start of the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944, that he was wounded.  The explosion, which destroyed his jeep, knocked him to the ground and left him with a serious leg wound. Tygart was awarded the Purple Heart and went on to a career as an aircraft instrument mechanic with Douglas Aircraft and later American Airlines. He was presented the French Legion of Merit medal by the French Consulate.Jim was 102 when he died May 24, 2022.As you listen to Jim tell his story you will feel close to the battlefields he experienced, heard on the podcast and oral history website VoicesOfOklahoma.com.

As an industrious young man, Joe McGraw worked at Kewanee Oil Company during the day and attended the TU College of Law at night to earn his degree. He added duties as the TU Law librarian after his night classes for his last two years of law school, demonstrating the determination and strong work ethic that would lead to his tremendous career achievements in Tulsa's real estate sector.McGraw graduated from law school and went to work for a bank briefly before entering the real estate business, where he discovered his true calling. He founded McGraw Breckenridge Company Realtors in 1965, which merged with another company in 1986 to create McGraw Davisson Stewart before establishing McGraw Realtors and McGraw Commercial Properties.In addition to his real estate enterprises, Joe McGraw worked for his fellow Oklahomans by serving in the Oklahoma House of Representatives (1964-66) and the Oklahoma State Senate (1966-1972). His sense of civic duty also led to his service as a Director of RELO, The International Relocation Network, based in Chicago, Illinois, and on the TU College of Law Advisory Board.

Bart Conner is the most accomplished male gymnast America has ever produced. He is the only American gymnast to win gold medals at every level of national and international competition.Bart was a member of the gold medal-winning men's gymnastics team at the 1984 Summer Olympic Games and won an individual gold on the parallel bars. He was also part of the 1976 and 1980 USA Olympic gymnastics teams.Conner is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma and owns and operates the Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy in Norman, Oklahoma along with his wife, Romanian gold medalist Nadia Comaneci.Bart and Nadia are longtime supporters of the Muscular Dystrophy Association and Special Olympics.

U.S. Representative and Senator from Oklahoma from 1987, James Mountain Inhofe was born in Des Moines, Iowa, on November 17, 1934. He grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he attended public schools and received a bachelor's degree from the University of Tulsa. He served in the U.S. Army and worked in aviation, real estate, and insurance for three decades. He was president of Quaker Life Insurance Company before entering politics.As a Republican he was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 1966 and became a state senator in 1968. He ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1974 and for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1976. He was a three-term mayor of Tulsa from 1978 to 1984.In 1986 he ran again for the U.S. House from the First District and was elected. He has sense won reelection three more times.In 1994, when Sen. David Boren resigned to become president of the University of Oklahoma, Inhofe won Boren's U.S. Senate seat in a special election. Two years later, in 1996, he was reelected for his first full term. November 16, 2014 he won election to his fourth term ending January 3, 2021.His committee assignments have included Armed Services, Indian Affair, and Environment and Public Works.

It was at the Oklahoma Military Academy in Claremore that Alex Adwan got his start in journalism. He was the editor of OMA's Guidon newspaper and the Vedette yearbook in the mid-40s.Alex attended both high school and junior college at OMA. He graduated from junior college in 1948 and continued his journalism studies at the University of Oklahoma.After graduating from OU in 1950, he served as a tank platoon leader in the U.S. Army, 45th Division in Korea. He was awarded the Bronze Star with “V.”After his military service, Alex returned home to work at small daily newspapers—the Seminole Producer, Wewoka Times, and Pauls Valley Daily Democrat. He became co-publisher and managing editor of the Seminole Producer.From 1960 to 1967, Alex was with United Press International, serving as a bureau manager in Tulsa, Houston, and Oklahoma City. He covered Houston's new space center in the early 1960s, reporting on the last of the one-man orbital space missions and the beginnings of Project Apollo, the program to send astronauts to the moon.He joined the Tulsa World as Washington correspondent in 1967, became associate editor in 1972, and editor of editorial pages in 1981.On his retirement as editorial page editor in 1994, Alex was named senior editor.Among many distinguished honors, Alex was named to the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame in 1991.

Born near Chelsea, Oklahoma, Gerome Riley attended a rural all-black school through the Eighth grade. And because of segregation he had to choose between going to Claremore, Nowata, or Vinita for high school. He selected Claremore Lincoln and became a member of Claremore's only boys' basketball state championship team in 1952.Gerome was a member of the Claremore Clowns, a local baseball team of all-Black players who played teams in Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, and Kansas. The Clowns were considered a semi-pro team. The end of school segregation in the early 1960s meant the end of the Claremore Clowns.Riley worked 37 years for Phillips Oil Company. He started out as a porter at the Will Rogers Turnpike station at the Claremore gate and became the station's final manager. He retired in 1995.Gerome became a student of Black history, and as a living part of that history, he contributed his knowledge to the Claremore Museum of History.

Growing up in an artistic household, Patrick S. Gordon took his first painting lessons from his mother, Janelle Gordon, a locally recognized still life painter. He began his formal studies under the tutelage of the widely regarded watercolorist Glenn Godsey, at the University of Tulsa.Patrick received his BFA from the University of Tulsa in 1974, where he also completed extensive graduate work in watercolor.Born in 1953 in Claremore, Oklahoma, Patrick gained national attention with a series of solo exhibitions, beginning in 1982, at the Fischbach Gallery in New York City and Joseph Gierek Fine Art in his then-adopted hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Since then, he has continually exhibited at numerous, prominent galleries around the country, been featured in notable museum shows and competitions, and his works can be found in important private, corporate, and museum collections throughout the United States. Print editions of Patrick's work are widely popular with collectors throughout the world.

Growing up in an artistic household, Patrick S. Gordon took his first painting lessons from his mother, Janelle Gordon, a locally recognized still-life painter. He began his formal studies under the tutelage of the widely regarded watercolorist, Glenn Godsey, at the University of Tulsa. Patrick received his BFA from the University of Tulsa in 1974, where he also completed extensive graduate work in watercolor.Born in 1953 in Claremore, Oklahoma, Patrick gained national attention with a series of solo exhibitions beginning in 1982 at the Fischbach Gallery in New York City and Joseph Gierek Fine Art in his then-adopted hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Since then, he has continually exhibited at numerous prominent galleries around the country, been featured in notable museum shows and competitions, and his works can be found in important private, corporate, and museum collections throughout the United States. Print editions of Patrick's work are widely popular with collectors throughout the world.Listen to Pat talk about his early fascination with flowers, what it was that changed his life, and Mrs. Lennox on the oral history website and podcast VoicesOfOklahloma.com.

Dr. Don G. Nelson specialized in Internal Medicine and pulmonology for 60 years. He graduated from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in 1965. Don became affiliated in Oklahoma with multiple hospitals including Hillcrest Hospital South, St. Francis Hospital, and the Veteran Affairs Hospital in Muskogee.He was born in Moline, Illinois, where he graduated Moline High School and then the University of Illinois. In 1973 he moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and was first associated with Springer Clinic.In addition to his medical career, Dr. Nelson became a triathlete and participated in three hundred Triathlons. His first triathlon was the first Hillcrest Ultimate Challenge. He was one of the pioneers of the sport in the Tulsa area and traveled to many countries while competing in World Championship events.Listen to Dr. Don Nelson talk about his love for the medical profession, his triathlon experience, and his advice for everyone, regardless of their age, to exercise for good health on the oral history website and podcast VoicesOfOklahoma.com.

In celebration of Voices of Oklahoma's 15th anniversary, founder John Erling shares this oral history example: a recording of his father, John Arnt Frette telling the story about how his father emigrated from Norway and built (and re-built) their family home.Though John Erling regrets not recording his mother's voice, it's thanks to this recording that he remembers his father's voice and this brief story of his family's history.

James Gray East grew up in Muskogee, Oklahoma and, while attending Oklahoma State University started, an underground newspaper which led to employment with the Daily Oklahoman.Realizing he was interested in crime reporting, he moved to Binghamton, New York to report on the Mafia for a Gannett-owned newspaper.  Moving back to Oklahoma, Jim worked for his hometown newspaper, The Muskogee Phoenix, and then was hired by the Tulsa Tribune where he became an editorial writer. When the Tribune closed in 1992, Jim became Chief of Staff for ten years for Tulsa Mayor Susan Savage. Then he began a career in the car rental business with Vanguard Car Rental company, later moving on to the Hertz Car rental company, becoming VP of Government Relations.Jim was deeply involved in the Tulsa community serving on many boards including the Metropolitan Tulsa Transit Authority and CAP-Community Action Project of Tulsa County. Jim was 69 when he died in Japan on April 16th, 2024.His oral history interview was recorded on February 6th, 2024.

Richard Chapman was the head track coach and history teacher at the year-old Memorial High School in 1963.In 1965, “Coach.” as he became known, was hired as head football coach at Edison High School, where, in his second season, he led his team to win the District Championship title. Coach was named Tulsa Tribune Coach of the Year in 1966. He coached and taught at Edison for seven years before returning to Memorial High School as head tennis coach.He retired for a year in 1986, before being hired to coordinate the in-house program at Nathan Hale High School, a position he held for several years before retiring completely.In 1988, he was inducted into the Oklahoma Coaches Hall of Fame and also was inducted into both the Edison High School and Memorial High School Coaches Halls of Fame, as well as the Oklahoma Track Coaches Hall of Fame.Richard Chapman was 91 when he died May 21, 2020.

The tenth of fifteen children, Leona Mitchell began her musical journey by singing in her father's church choir. She received a scholarship from Oklahoma City University in 1971, earning a bachelor's degree in music.Leona debuted with the San Francisco Spring Opera Theater in 1972, and on December 15th, 1975, she made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Micaela in Bizet's Carmen, the same role she had sung at her San Francisco debut. This marked the beginning of her many performances in opera houses all over the world, including Geneva, Paris, Madrid, and Sydney.Mitchell performed for eighteen consecutive seasons at the Metropolitan.Well-known for her performances in operas by Puccini and Verdi, she also sang Bess with the Cleveland Orchestra in the London Records recording of the George Gershwin classic Porgy and Bess.Mitchell has received numerous awards, including induction into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2004.In Leona's oral history interview, you will hear her talk about a special teacher in her life, and about singing with Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti on the oral history website and podcast VoicesOfOklahoma.com.

Tulsa civic leader and oilman Robert LaFortune was born at St. John Medical Center in Tulsa, January 24, 1927. In 1920, his father Joseph Aloysius LaFortune and his mother Gertrude Leona Tremel LaFortune, had moved to Tulsa from South Bend, Indiana. Joseph LaFortune worked for Warren Petroleum Company for approximately 30 years, retiring as executive vice president. Before and after retirement, he maintained a significant community presence and funded the development of LaFortune Park in Tulsa. Among his many gifts to the University of Notre Dame, he donated funds to renovate the Science Hall into the school's first student center.Robert (Bob) LaFortune served as Tulsa's commissioner of streets and public property (1964–70) and as mayor (1970–78). As commissioner, he participated in the development of the Port of Catoosa through purchasing land for the port and working with engineers on its design. As mayor, he played a significant role in developing Tulsa's freeway system and securing public-private funding for construction of the city's Performing Arts Center.Among his service to many executive boards, LaFortune has been a member of the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America.  He was a 1982 recipient of the Silver Buffalo Award from the Boy Scouts of America.Robert LaFortune and his wife Jeanne Morse LaFortune, a native Tulsan, raised six children, Suzanne Bynum, Kathleen Phoenix, Annette Murray, Robert J. LaFortune, Jr., John M. LaFortune, and Phillip T. LaFortune.

Cyrus Stevens Avery was a businessperson, oilman, and highway commissioner. He created the U.S. Route 66 while being a member of the federal board appointed to create the Federal Highway System, then pushed for the establishment of the U.S. Highway 66 Association to pave and promote the highway. As such, he is known as the "Father of Route 66". And by the way, Cyrus chose the numbers 66 for the famous highway. He was 57 when the book Oklahoma Leaders was published in 1928.

Ray Bingham was an agent, producer, and manager for some of country music's biggest stars.Music has made Ray's world go around since he was nine and started listening to western swing bands at local ballrooms.Music was popular entertainment in Claremore, and where Patty Page, Tommy Alsup and Stone Horse started out.His life story is the history of country music from Oklahoma roots to far beyond. Bingham has been the man behind the scenes promoting and booking top talent for more than four decades, including Garth Brooks' first gig and his mother Colleen Carroll for years before him, the Tulsa Playboys, Peggy Rains, Vince Gill, Reba McEntire, Willie Nelson, Alan Jackson, and Tim McGraw. A deep love of music and friendship with two men – Billy Parker and Red Steagall – eventually led him to start Ray Bingham Productions.Listen to Ray tell you stories about Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks, Ray Stevens, Patsy Cline and more on the Oral History Website and podcast VoicesofOklahoma.com

When Peggy Josephine Varnadow was signed by Universal Pictures in 1949, the public relations staff whittled down her name to the barest essentials, and thus Peggy Dow was born. Born in Columbia, Mississippi, her family eventually settled in Louisiana where she attended Louisiana State and Northwestern University in Illinois.Local modeling and radio opportunities captured the attention of a talent agent who cast Peggy in February 1949. This resulted in additional TV exposure that led Universal to offer her a seven-year contract. She made her 1949 debut in the thriller Undertow followed by 1950's Woman in Hiding. She hit her peak when she co-starred as the lovely nurse in the classic James Stewart farce Harvey (1950). Peggy appeared opposite Arthur Kennedy in the touching war drama Bright Victory (1951).Peggy retired after only three years in the business to marry Walt Helmerich and relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma. Despite a promising Hollywood forecast she never looked back and raised five sons in the process. Avid charity work has her interest in Tulsa with health and library issues at the top of her list.