Memorial to Museum

By

-

March 22, 2016

[dropcap]The[/dropcap] Will Rogers Museum in Claremore was originally created in 1938 as a memorial to honor its namesake, who had died three years earlier. It was funded by the Oklahoma Legislature through the Will Rogers Memorial Commission and built in nine months on 20 acres of land donated by Will’s wife, Betty.

“When you think about him dying in 1935 during the Great Depression and yet Oklahoma was willing to invest and build that beautiful memorial during that time, it goes to show how big of an impact he was on our country and on our state,” says Tad Jones, the museum director. “It is probably hard for us to comprehend today how big a star he was, but he was literally the biggest star in the world. He was number one in movies and radio and the number one public speaker and the number one newspaper columnist. Most of the country was touched by Will Rogers in some way.”

In 1944, his body was moved from California to a tomb at the Claremore memorial, drawing in large crowds to pay their respects. Because of the growing interest, his family also began to donate his personal belongings to be displayed there. The budding museum began to fill up with his clothes, movie posters, sculptures and saddles. The collection continues to grow today. One of their recent additions is a large Ambassador Bill movie poster donated by longtime collector Gordon Kuntz.[pullquote]He treated people with respect, and that’s why he was loved by people from all walks of life, from kings to common men to Republicans and Democrats.”[/pullquote]

“He has been collecting Will Rogers memorabilia for about 30 years now, and he just donated over 1,500 pieces last year to the memorial,” says Jones. “When he sees Will Rogers items up for bid, he’ll sometimes go in there and buy them and donate them.”

The museum has 12 galleries filled with Will Rogers treasures from all facets of his life, including many sculptures and paintings created in memory of him. The staff works hard to preserve the items for people to enjoy.

Photos courtesy of the Will Rogers Memorial Museum.

“Fortunately, with the help of the legislature, [we’re] putting in a brand new heating and air system,” explains Jones. “We have a great curator in Jennifer Holt who meticulously goes over all the collection and makes sure it’s in good shape for future generations. She’s in the process of digitizing the whole collection, so we will eventually have it available for people to view online. We just take as much care as possible to make sure that we can have it for another hundred years.”

Jones says one of the museum’s goals is to introduce Will to new audiences, show them how important he was to our culture and inspire them to follow the example he set during his lifetime.

“He treated people with respect, and that’s why he was loved by people from all walks of life, from kings to common men to Republicans and Democrats,” says Jones. “That is something for us to strive to – to have the spirit of Will Rogers where we treat people right and enjoy life and live life to the fullest. What we’re trying to do is remind people how big an impact he had on the world and also to be an example of what a good Oklahoman can be.”

The museum contains a theater that plays his movies continuously throughout the day, archives that hold around 18,000 photographs and a library filled with books relating to his life. They also host a podcast called “Bacon, Beans and Limousines” – a reference to a famous Will Rogers speech – where they discuss his life and museum events. The movie schedule, podcast and more museum information can be found at willrogers.com.

What

The Will Rogers Memorial Museum

Where

1720 West Will Rogers Blvd. Claremore, Oklahoma

When

10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday through Saturday

Web

www.willrogers.com

Righting a Wrong: The Legacy of Bill Spiller

By

Lindsay Cuomo

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March 22, 2016

Bill Spiller — Photo courtesy of the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame

Photo courtesy of the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame

[dropcap]The[/dropcap] road to athletic stardom is an uphill climb. To reach the pinnacle of their sport, athletes face challenges that test their abilities, both physically and mentally, each striving to be the best at what they do. Pioneer athletes such as Bill Spiller faced even bigger challenges that no measure of athletic ability could surmount.

Born in Tishomingo in 1913, Spiller grew up in a world that was two decades from Jessie Owens in the Olympics and three decades away from Jackie Robinson’s breaking of baseball’s color line. Though a great all-around athlete at Tulsa’s Booker T. Washington High School and Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, it wasn’t until Spiller was 29 that he started playing the sport of golf.

Spiller proved to be a quick study and in 1947, the same year Robinson debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers, he started playing professionally. At the time, Spiller did not know of the Professional Golf Association of America’s Caucasian clause requiring all players to be white. Spiller did not lie down and accept his fate, but rather fought against an injustice that prevented him from playing professional golf and prevented others from working as professionals at clubs around the country.

Along with fellow golfer, Ted Rhodes, Spiller fought to right the injustice of the Caucasian clause through the public and through the legal system. Though Rhodes was the first and possibly best known of the African-American professional golfers at the time, Spiller had the tools to stand out: a college-degreed player, all-around athlete, teacher, caddie and club maker.

“He was the real deal,” says Del Lemon, author of The Story of Golf in Oklahoma. “As an amateur competitor, his rise was meteoric. On California’s west coast, he set numerous course records and won virtually all the events on the United Golf Tour, where black golfers were allowed to compete.”

Barred from the majority of PGA sponsored events, Spiller played where and when he could. He continually challenged the rules of the PGA and its tournaments despite facing racism, both obvious and obscure, along the way.

In 1961, Spiller’s efforts came to fruition and the Caucasian clause was removed by the PGA. But, in many ways, it was too late for the then 48-year-old. The PGA and most golf fans would never see him play at the peak of his career.

[pullquote]Spiller’s lawsuit knocked down a terrible, impenetrable wall,”[/pullquote]“He would have made an exemplary member of the PGA and possibly a huge draw to the game, perhaps the original Tiger,” Lemon says. “All he wanted was the opportunity to prove himself and make a living in the game for his family.”

With his best days behind him, Spiller would occasionally compete in tournaments and give golf lessons as he raised a family. Despite being a pioneer in the use of video as an instruction tool, Spiller’s legacy would recede into obscurity over time for many golf fans.

In 2009, 21 years after Spiller’s death, the PGA bestowed a posthumous membership to Spiller.

“I think the PGA did its very best, albeit much belatedly, to right an egregious injustice that denied a champion access to a career in golf because of its own institutional racism,” Lemon says.

On October 25, 2015, Spiller was inducted into the inaugural class of the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame. He has also been nominated into the World Golf Hall of Fame. A century after he was born, the Oklahoma native is now receiving recognition for his accomplishments on and off the course.

Lemon remembers. “Due in large measure to what Bill Spiller fought against and ultimately defeated, Tiger Woods never had to hear a PGA Tour official say, ‘Sorry Mr. Woods, but you have been disqualified. We have a whites-only membership clause on this tour.’”

Half A Century

By

M.J. Van Deventer

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March 22, 2016

[dropcap]The[/dropcap] Five Civilized Tribes Museum stands tall atop Agency Hill at Honor Heights Park in Muskogee. The vintage 1870s sandstone building is like a proud sentinel, overlooking this celebrated park.

“It is amazing the building is still standing,” says Sean Barney, the museum’s new executive director, who, with the museum, is dedicated to sharing the culture of the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Muscogee (Creek) and Seminole tribes during the 50th year of the museum’s history.

Barney assumed the director’s post two months ago and loves reflecting on the museum’s history. Originally the Union Agency Headquarters, it was here tribal citizens received their land allotments.

When trains began traveling through Muskogee, citizens walked six miles from the downtown depot to Honor Heights to conduct business. The distance caused the Agency Office to relocate, and the building sat empty for 37 years.

After that time, it hosted a patchwork of colorful occupants, as varied as the rainbow hues of a Seminole ribbon dress. It was a school and Creek Freedmen orphanage. Dances were held here during World War II. The American Legion called it home for several decades. For four years, Minnie Posey, wife of noted Creek poet Alexander Posey, presided over a popular tea room.

[pullquote]Land and lease restrictions prohibit museum expansion, but that doesn’t keep me from thinking big. For the space we have, our private collection is amazing.”[/pullquote]September 1951 was a turning point for the building, when the women of the Da-Co-Tah Indian Club considered establishing a museum. Renovations began August 15, 1955, 80 years to the day after the first cornerstone was laid in the building. During 1964 and 1965, the women’s club raised $94,000 for its restoration.

“It took an act of Congress to have the 5 1/2 acres and the Agency building’s ownership given to the City of Muskogee,” Barney notes. The museum was incorporated Nov. 19, 1965. Ed Edmondson, then a U.S. House of Representatives member, authored House Bill 3867, giving the building back to the City of Muskogee from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The museum opened April 16, 1966; Will Rogers Jr. was keynote speaker. Until then, Barney explains, “there was no place that encouraged Five Tribes citizens to preserve their heritage.”

For Barney, the 50th anniversary is a year-long event. The April 16 celebration includes the annual Art Under the Oaks outdoor sale, a tribal encampment and play, storytelling, craft demonstrations and a movie, The Dawes Commission.

A resident of Muskogee for 10 years, Barney has been a museum member for two years, serving on the 2015 Museum Board, before assuming the leadership position. His varied background includes spending his youth in Europe, where his father was stationed with the U.S. Air Force. In the 1970s, the family returned to the U.S., living in Washington, Montana, New Mexico and Oklahoma.

As a ninth grader, he studied Oklahoma history and its Native American influence. Now Barney is discovering new facets of the Native American culture. His small, second floor office was once a superintendent’s bedroom.

He remembers well his first impression of the Five Tribes Museum.

Photo courtesy of the Five Civilized Tribes Museum.

“I thought it had great potential but was too small,” he says. “Land and lease restrictions prohibit museum expansion, but that doesn’t keep me from thinking big. For the space we have, our private collection is amazing.”

This year, Barney is focusing on the art/culture of each tribe, drawing work from museum archives. Creek artists include Acee Blue Eagle, Joan Hill, Lee Joshua, Jon Mark Tiger, Jimmie Fife, Johnny, Jerome and Dana Tiger and Enoch Kelly Haney, known for his Oklahoma Guardian sculpture atop the Oklahoma State Capitol.

A Haney painting hangs behind Barney’s desk. The central figure appears to serve as Barney’s guardian in his new role.

Valjean Hessing and Gwen Lester Coleman are representing Choctaw artists. Cherokees include Troy Anderson, Joan Hill, Donald Vann and Bill Rabbit. Representing Seminoles are Mike Daniel, Lee Joshua and Benjamin Harjo. Mike Larsen’s art honors Chickasaws.

While planning future public events is an integral facet of Barney’s museum management, he’s also focusing on the museum’s five-year strategic plan. It includes using the latest technological advances to be successful in the competitive museum marketplace across the nation.

Digitalization is in progress for every museum item – art, artifacts, photos, documents, correspondence. “Most museums set this as a 20-year goal,” he notes. “We intend to complete it in five years.” Digitalization allows other museums and libraries to access and borrow from the museum’s holdings.

Barney considers the museum a safe harbor for the five tribes’ history. He enjoys exploring the museum’s vast archives, which bulge with more treasures than can ever be displayed.

“It’s a shame the public will never see many of these things,” Barney says. “But if someone suggested we build a new, larger museum I would now oppose it. I’m a sucker for old buildings and their history.

“We are known statewide as a leader in Native American art and history,” he continues. “There is more here than meets the eye. I’m lucky to be doing what I am.”

A Presidential Collection

By

Paul Fairchild

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March 22, 2016

[dropcap]John[/dropcap] Dunning is the Indiana Jones of political memorabilia. He’ll go to any length and brave any danger to acquire relics commemorating political campaigns. But, like Indy, he prefers his relics in a museum. A portion of his collection – 200 boxes of it – now sits in the Oklahoma Historical Society.

The Oklahoma Historical Society features more than 20,000 items from John Dunning's collection. Photos courtesy of the Oklahoma Historical Society. — The Oklahoma Historical Society features more than 20,000 items from John Dunning’s collection. Photos courtesy of the Oklahoma Historical Society.

“I just always kind of liked history, and my grandfather liked to go to auctions and antique shops,” Dunning says. “I’d travel with him, and we’d travel to little towns around the state and stop at shops. This was the early ’60s, and Nixon was running against Kennedy. I’d pick up buttons.”

He was just a kid when he started collecting, but by 1972, the year George McGovern faced off against Richard Nixon in the presidential election, Dunning was out of control.

“At that point in time, I was collecting everything and anything political,” he says. “By 1972, I was going crazy collecting with McGovern and all that. A little after that, I was spending too much money. I was spending so much money. I decided to quit collecting presidential stuff and just focus on Oklahoma stuff.”

In addition to haunting antique shops, he traded with fellow collectors through the mail – and there were plenty of them. Today, the buying and selling of political memorabilia is a multimillion dollar industry. It has its own trade association, the American Political Items Collectors. Its annual conference gathers collectors from every state in the nation, all hoping to find the item that completes their collection.

Dunning went to some extreme lengths, including dumpster diving, to expand his own collection.
“When campaigns closed an office down, I would go out and go through all the paper stuff they threw away, like solicitation letters and lots of oddball, behind-the-scenes stuff,” he says.

But he topped that in an effort to lay hands on a ticket to see former President Ronald Reagan address the Oklahoma Legislature. To get it, he stalked the legislature. Not one legislator. The entire legislature.

“You talk about something hard to get,” Dunning says. “I made some wanted fliers up and went to all the senators’ and House members’ offices and dropped those fliers off. One politician knew my grandfather real well. We visited and it turned out he was anti-Reagan. He reached into his trashcan and pulled out the ticket.”

A few years ago, running out of space and wanting to make some costly home improvements, Dunning sold a portion of his collection to the Oklahoma Historical Society. It contains more than 20,000 items.

[pullquote]There’s a lot of socialist memorabilia because in 1914 Oklahoma had 20 percent of voters support the Socialist Party.”[/pullquote]“The Oklahoma Historical Society is honored to house the political collection that John Dunning assembled,” says Larry O’Dell, a spokesperson for the Historical Society. “It covers a century-and-a- half of Oklahoma history through campaign and political ephemera, giving historians a glimpse of important issues of several time periods.”

Dunning’s collection of political memorabilia spans 150 years, featuring everything from buttons and ribbons to pens and hats. On display are several items tightly tied into Oklahoman history.

“There’s a lot of Senator Kerr memorabilia,” O’Dell says. “He was one of the most dominant Oklahomans in the national political realm. We’ve always talked about why Oklahoma was so involved in NASA. That’s because Senator Kerr was involved in that, and he focused Oklahoma in its development. He was also very close to being a vice presidential nominee for President Truman.”

Oklahoma’s quest for statehood was never a simple yes or no question. Would there be one state or two? Would it (or they) be controlled by Republicans or Democrats? Dunning’s statehood collection, ribbons and celluloid buttons offer a glimpse into the question’s complexity.

Or take a gander at the pen used by President William McKinley for the signing of the “Free Homes Act.” The law played a significant role in opening up Oklahoma Territory for settlement.

“There’s a lot of socialist memorabilia because in 1914 Oklahoma had 20 percent of voters support the Socialist Party,” O’Dell says. “It was very strong in Oklahoma at the beginning of the twentieth century. That came about because we were a populist state. We had a big socialist bloc until World War I. Then they started campaigning against the war, and that’s what broke them here in Oklahoma.”

Dunning still collects and regularly contributes new pieces to the Oklahoma Historical Society. For him, it’s about fun.

“I’ve always been into history, especially Oklahoma history.” Dunning says. “I just love chasing it, finding little artifacts for events or things. I’ve got a huge archive of Oklahoma material. I don’t know how many items, but way more than what the Historical Society has in their collection. But I’d like to see all my stuff down there someday.”

Letter From the Editor

By

Staff

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March 22, 2016

Downtown OKC 050114 6114 — Photo by Brent Fuchs.

[dropcap]Over[/dropcap] the course of two days, we had 40 of Oklahoma’s top young people come through our office at Oklahoma Magazine for photo shoots and interviews. It was often busy, sometimes hectic and incredibly enjoyable as I had a chance to meet and visit with everyone selected for our 40 under 40 class of 2016.

This year’s class covers a wide variety of professions from across the state, and we focused on finding people who work on making their communities a better place for everyone. I hope you enjoy reading the feature and getting to know a little bit about each of them as much as I did. We’ll also be posting a video interview with each person on okmag.com, so be sure to check that out as well.

Oklahoma Magazine Associate Editor Laurie Goodale had the chance to speak to two other talented Oklahomans, Zach and Colton Swon. The Swon Brothers may live in Nashville now, but they have strong ties to the state and will be playing with Carrie Underwood on Aril 27 at the BOK Center in Tulsa.

As always, feel free to contact me at [email protected].

40 Under 40 2016

By

Staff

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March 18, 2016

With representatives from businesses, nonprofits and universities, among others, the 2016 40 under 40 class is one of Oklahoma Magazine’s top yet. We visit with each of our selected members and talk to them about what they do on the clock, off the clock and how they’re dedicated to making Oklahoma great.

Travis Owens, 30

Tulsa
Senior Manager of Planning and Development, Cherokee Nation Businesses
Owens, who manages cultural resource development for the Cherokee Nation Businesses, enjoys how his job allows him to contribute to the success of the Cherokee Nation. “As a Cherokee Nation citizen, it is an honor to be able to work towards protecting and preserving some of Cherokee Nation’s most historic assets,” he says. “It gives me great pride to know that the work that I do will help preserve our history and culture for future generations.” Owens stays busy outside of his job as well – in addition to spending time with his family, he is board president of the Tulsa Children’s Museum and serves on the board of Preservation Oklahoma, American Indian Alaskan Native Tourism Association and Fab Lab Tulsa. Owens believes in giving everything he does his full attention. “When you lead a busy life, it is very easy to not fully participate in every aspect of your life,” he says. “Whether it is dinner with friends, meeting with an employee/coworker or reading your email, choosing to be fully present and invested ensures that you get the most out of every situation.”

Terrie Shipley, 30

Tulsa
Owner and Educational Planner, Terrie Shipley Consulting; Associate Director, Youth Philanthropy Initiative
Originally from the the San Francisco Bay area, Shipley not only runs her own consulting firm but also serves as associate director of Youth Philanthropy Initiative and is a candidate for a doctorate in educational administration, curriculum and supervision from the University of Oklahoma. She says she has two dream jobs, serving as both an educational planner who works with high school students on a one-on-one basis with the student as her client, and assisting in the positive development of teens all over Tulsa with the Youth Philanthropy Initiative. She says one of her proudest moments is getting text messages from consulting students who have just been granted admission to a school they really wanted. “They’re so excited and relieved; it’s a turning point in their confidence,” she says. “Those texts are an emojifest in the best way, and I just feel proud of them and the work they’ve put into the process.” She’s also currently acting as board president of Mental Health Association Oklahoma and served as gala chair for Up With Trees. Shipley describes her latest venture as motherhood – she and her husband recently had their first child. She adds she enjoys exploring new places and cultures and has been able to see not only the U.S., but also Europe and Asia in depth. “I’m just as Chinese as I am Caucasian and grew up with both cultures,” she says. “While I can speak and understand Cantonese, I regret not learning how to write in it.”

Bricktown St. Patrick’s Day Block Party

By

Staff

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March 16, 2016

From travelok.com:

Come and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Oklahoma City’s Bricktown Entertainment District. The Bricktown St. Patrick’s Day Block Party will be held outdoors on the corner of Reno and Oklahoma Avenue in the heart of Bricktown. Enjoy continuous live music, green beer and soft drinks while browsing for St. Patrick’s Day beads and t-shirts. While there, enjoy everything that Bricktown has to offer including a variety of restaurants and bars.

Rent

By

Staff

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March 16, 2016

Thurs, March 17 thru Sat, March 19 –

From tulsapac.com:

Set in the East Village of New York City, RENT is about falling in love, finding your voice and living for today. Winner of the 1996 Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, RENT has become a pop culture phenomenon with songs that rock and a story that resonates with audiences of all ages. This is theatre at its best — exuberant, passionate, and joyous.

For mature audiences only. For tickets visit tulsapac.com.

Blue Oyster Cult

By

Staff

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March 16, 2016

shutterstock_322396571CROPPED — TDC Photography / Shutterstock.com

Fri, March 18 –

Famous for their classic rock songs “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper”, “Godzilla” and “Burnin’ For You”, Blue Oyster Cult graces the stage of The River Spirit Casino for a night of rock and roll. See band members Eric Bloom, Donald Roeser, Richie Castellano, Kasim Sulton and Jules Radino perform your favorite 70’s and 80’s BOC hits you know and love. For tickets, visit www.riverspirittulsa.com.

Kristen Chenoweth

By

Staff

-

March 16, 2016

Fri, March 18 – Sat, March 19 –

From travelok.com

For two nights, Emmy and Tony Award winning singer and actress Kristin Chenoweth takes the stage at the Civic Center Music Hall. These special performances are part of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic’s Pops Concert Series and will include highlights from her long and illustrious career. Known for her roll on the hit show “Glee” as well as Glenda the Good Witch in the Broadway smash “Wicked,” this Oklahoma native returns to her home state for two fun nights of amazing music.

For tickets visit okcphilharmonic.org

Travis Owens, 30

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