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Featured Famous Oklahomans:
Owen K. Garriott: One of NASA's First Scientist-Astronauts
Former astronaut Dr. Owen K. Garriott, a graduate of Enid High School and the University of Oklahoma, became one of NASA's first six Scientist-Astronauts in 1965.
Garriott, who also holds an honorary Doctorate of Science from Phillips University in Enid, continued to set several other "firsts" during his 21-year career at NASA.
His first space flight aboard Skylab in 1973 set a new world record for duration of about 60 days, more than double the previous record.
Garriott also operated the world's first amateur radio station from space, W5LFL, which ultimately expanded into an important activity on dozens of Shuttle flights, Space Station Mir, and now the International Space Station, with scores of astronauts and cosmonauts participating.
Between 1974 and 1978, Garriott served as Deputy, Acting, and Director of Science and Applications at Johnson Space Center, responsible for all research in the physical sciences there.
After leaving NASA in 1986, he consulted for several aerospace companies and served on several NASA and National Research Council committees. In 1992, he co-founded the Enid Arts and Sciences Foundation and devotes his time to several charitable activities.
Neil Woodward: Decorated Naval Commander Making His Mark at NASA
Neil Woodward, U.S. Naval Commander and NASA's Deputy Director for Constellation Systems in the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, graduated in 1980 from Putnam City High School in Oklahoma City, where his father Dr. Neil Woodward Jr. continues to reside.
Woodward was commissioned as a naval officer in 1989 and earned his wings as a naval Flight Officer in 1990. He was named a Distinguished Graduate from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and received two Navy Commendation Medals for his service in Operations Desert Storm, Southern Watch, and Somalia.
Woodward joined NASA in 1998, focusing on Shuttle and International Space Station systems and survival techniques for extended missions.
John Herrington: First Native American in Space
Born in Wetumka, Retired Naval Commander and former astronaut John Bennett Herrington became the first Native American to fly in space and perform a spacewalk in 2002 as part of the Space Shuttle Endeavor crew.
A member of the Chickasaw Nation, he joined NASA in 1996 assigned to the Flight Support Branch of the Astronaut Office, where he served as a member of the Astronaut Support Personnel team responsible for Shuttle launch preparations and post-landing operations. He logged more than 330 hours in space before retiring in 2005.
He received several commendations during his naval career, including Distinguished Naval Graduate from Aviation Officer Candidate School in 1984, a National Defense Medal, and the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation.
Today, Herrington serves as Vice President, Director of Flight Systems, and Chief Test Pilot for Oklahoma City-based Rocketplane Limited.
William Pogue: Piloted the Longest Manned Space Flight
Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel and former astronaut, William Reid Pogue joined NASA in 1966, logging 2,017 hours in space and piloting Skylab 4 in the mid-70s, which is one of the longest manned flights on record -- 84 days, one hour, and 15 minutes.
Born in Okemah and a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University and Oklahoma State University, Pogue has received numerous service awards from NASA and the U.S. Air Force, including the NASA Distinguished Service Medal and an Outstanding Unit Citation while a member of the USAF Thunderbirds.
In 1975, he was a Fellow of the Academy of Arts and Sciences at Oklahoma State University, and Pogue is an inductee into the 5 Civilized Tribes Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma Aviation and Space Hall of Fame.
Pogue, who retired from NASA in the early 90s, also served as a member of the astronaut support crews for the Apollo 7, 11, and 14 missions.
Thomas Stafford: Made History and Shaped America's Future in Space
With six missions and 507 hours and 43 minutes in space, Weatherford native and Retired U.S. Air Force General and former Astronaut Thomas Stafford commanded the historic first meeting in space between American astronauts and Soviet Cosmonauts in 1975.
Then, in the early 1990s, he led an effort at NASA to define the nation's future goals in space, including permanent stations on the moon and exploring Mars.
Stafford graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1952, but has received several honorary degrees from colleges and universities around the nation and throughout Oklahoma, including the University of Oklahoma, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma City University, and Oklahoma Christian College.
A highly decorated Air Force officer, Stafford also received some of NASA's highest commendations, including Distinguished Service and Exceptional Service medals and the NASA medal for outstanding leadership. In 1994, he was inducted into the Oklahoma Commerce and Industry Hall of Honor, and in 1997, into the National Aviation Hall of Fame and Aerospace Walk of Honor.
He commanded the Apollo 10, which was the first flight of the lunar module to the moon and the first rendezvous around the moon. Upon re-entry
Stafford set the highest speed record ever attained by man when his craft reached 24,791 statute miles per hour.
Stuart Roosa: Command Module Pilot for NASA's Important Apollo 14 Mission
Born Aug. 16, 1933 and deceased Dec. 12, 1994, former U.S. Air Force Colonel and astronaut Stuart Roosa graduated from Claremore High School and attended Oklahoma State University before completing his bachelor's degree at the University of Colorado.
Roosa joined NASA in 1966 as a member of the astronaut support crew for the Apollo 9 flight. He completed his first space flight in 1971 as command module pilot on Apollo 14, which NASA still considers a crucial mission for the nation's space program.
Apollo 14 achievements included: the first use of the Mobile Equipment Transporter (MET); largest payload placed in lunar orbit; longest distance traversed on the lunar surface; largest payload returned from the lunar surface; longest lunar surface stay (33 hours); and the first use of color television on the lunar surface.
In completing that first space flight, Roosa logged 216 hours and 42 minutes in space. He served as a backup command pilot for the Apollo 16 and 17 missions and was assigned to the Space Shuttle program until his retirement in 1976.
Shannon Lucid: Most Flight Hours in Orbit than Any Non-Russian Astronaut in the World
Astronaut Dr. Shannon Lucid, a graduate of Bethany High School and the University of Oklahoma, holds an international record for the most flight hours in orbit by any non-Russian and until June 2007 held the record for the most flight hours in orbit by any woman in the world.
First qualifying for assignment as a mission specialist on Space Shuttle flight crews in 1979, Lucid is a veteran of five space flights, logging 5,354 hours or 223 days in space.
It was her mission aboard the Columbia from Oct. 18 to Nov. 1, 1993 -- considered by NASA management to be the most successful and efficient
Spacelab flight ever flown -- that made her America's female space traveler with the most hours in space. She logged 838 hours and 54 minutes.
As of February 2007, Lucid, who currently serves at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, also holds the United States' single mission space flight endurance record on the Russian Space Station Mir. In completing this mission, Lucid traveled 75.2 million miles in 188 days.
Leroy Gordon Cooper: A Record-Setting Space Pioneer
Born March 6, 1927 in Shawnee and deceased in 2004, Retired Air Force Colonel and former astronaut Leroy Gordon Cooper, Jr. served in 1965 as command pilot for the Gemini 5 mission, which established a new space endurance record by traveling more than 3.3 million miles in an elapsed time of 190 hours and 56 minutes.
Following that eight-day, 120-revolution flight, Cooper also became the first man to make a second orbital flight, winning the United States the lead in hours in space at the time by accumulating a total of 225 hours and 15 minutes.
In 1963, he piloted the Faith 7 on a 22-orbit mission, which concluded the operational phase of Project Mercury. During the 34 hours and 20 minutes of flight, Faith 7 reached an apogee of 166 statute miles and a speed of 17,546 miles per hour and traveled 546,167 statute miles.
Cooper, who joined NASA in 1959, also served as a backup command pilot for Gemini 12 and for Apollo X. He retired from the Air Force and NASA in 1970, receiving the Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross, and Exceptional Service and Distinguished Service medals from NASA during his career.
Jamie Oldaker: From Souza to Seger
For more than 30 years, Tulsan Jamie Oldaker has built a career in the music industry as one of the world's most respected drummers, producers, and talent scouts. A pillar in the drumming community, Oldaker has toured and recorded with the likes of Eric Clapton, Bob Seger, Stephen Stills, Peter Frampton, Buddy Guy, and Robert Cray.
Inspired by his father, a former drummer, Oldaker grew up listening to John Phillip Souza and Benny Goodman's drummer Gene Krupa. However, it was The Beatles appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show that turned Oldaker to rock-n-roll.
After high school, Oldaker left Tulsa for St. Louis to perform with Phil Driscoll at the up-scale Chase Park Plaza Hotel's famed music hot spot The Basement. As Driscoll's drummer, Oldaker found himself on the Sullivan Show stage.
Back in Tulsa during the late 60s and early 70s, Oldaker joined the Tulsa County Band, which played the local scene and toured the country. He also signed on as a session musician with Leon Russell's Shelter Records at the Church Studio.
While with Shelter, Oldaker toured with Russell, the Gap Band, and met Tulsa bassist Carl Radle, who also played with Russell and Eric Clapton. In 1971, Oldaker joined Bob Seger's band, and in 1974, he hooked up with Clapton for the 461 Ocean Boulevard tour and remained through 1980, with a second Clapton stint from 1983 to 1986.
Oldaker was also a founding member of the Tractors, who hit platinum with their self-titled debut album in 1994. Another Oklahoma artist, Ronnie Dunn (now part of Brooks & Dunn--one of country music's most famed duos) represents one of Oldaker's most successful discoveries.
Most recently, Oldaker put together an all-star album, Mad Dogs & Okies, centered around songs written by Oklahoma natives and featuring performances by Vince Gill, Eric Clapton, Taj Mahal, J.J. Cale, Peter Frampton, Tony Joe White, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Bramlett, and others. Mad Dogs & Okies was released on Oldaker's own Mint Blue Island label, in conjunction with Concord Records, in 2005.
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J.J. Cale: His Own "Kinda Thing"
For the past four decades, Tulsa native and guitar legend J.J. Cale has influenced artists like Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Johnny Cash, Lynard Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers, Deep Purple, Santana, and more recently the jam band Widespread Panic.
Although producing only 13 albums of his own, each work has been critically acclaimed and Cale wrote and first recorded songs such as "After Midnight" and "Cocaine," which became chart-topping successes for Clapton. Lauded by his peers and completely unfazed by musical fads, Cale has become an American music icon.
Cale, who first started playing the local Tulsa club scene in the 1950s with fellow Oklahomans Leon Russell and David Gates, cites Chet Atkins, Les Paul, and Chuck Berry as some of his earliest influences. He's often been quoted as saying, "In trying to imitate them, I missed it. And I came up with my own kinda thing."
Cale and Clapton first met in 1976 in London during Cale's Troubadour album release, striking up a personal and professional relationship that has grown stronger over the years. In 2004, Clapton invited Cale to be among the elite guitarists performing at his three-day Crossroads Festival in Dallas.
During Crossroads, Clapton asked Cale to produce an upcoming album with him. As the two worked on the project, creative ideas took flight and they decided to take the project further, releasing The Road to Escondido album this year.
Cale is also the centerpiece of a new musical documentary, "To Tulsa and Back: On Tour with J.J. Cale," by German director Jorg Bundschuh. Released earlier this year by the Time Life label, the 90-minute documentary and 70 minutes of bonus footage capture moments with Cale, his band, and entourage as they travel from gig to gig from Tulsa, Colorado, the Crossroads Festival, and back home again.
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The Flaming Lips: One of 50 Bands to See Before You Die
With an indie/post-punk approach to rock music, The Flaming Lips first laid their lush, psychedelic arrangements, spacey lyrics, and bizarre song titles on Oklahoma audiences, performing for the first time in 1983 at the Blue Note Lounge in Oklahoma City.
Acclaimed for their elaborate live shows featuring the trio--Wayne Coyne, Michael Ivins, and Steven Drozd--in fur suits and amidst baloons, puppets, video projections, and complex stage light configurations, The Flaming Lips have been declared by Q Magazine "one of 50 bands to see before you die."
In 1984, the band recorded their only release (The Flaming Lips) with Mark Coyne, Wayne's brother, singing lead vocals. After his brother's departure, Wayne assumed the vocal duties and the band released their first full-length album Hear it Is (1986) followed by Oh My Gawd (1987) and Telepathic Surgery (1988).
With Coyne on vocals, Ivins plays bass guitar, piano, and provides back-up vocals; and Drozd plays drums, guitars, bass guitar, keyboards, synthesizers, and most other instruments.
In 1990, The Flaming Lips caught the attention of Warner Bros. Records and were signed promptly after a representative of the label witnessed a show during which the band almost burned down the venue with its use of pyrotechnics.
This year, The Flaming Lips released At War with the Mystics, which has received critical acclaim in both the United States and the United Kingdom, where the band has had several hit singles and a robust following.
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Leon Russell: The Man behind the Sound
Born in 1942 in Lawton, Leon Russell attended Will Rogers High School in Tulsa and eventually became an influential sculptor of what's been dubbed the Tulsa or "Red Dirt" Sound--a unique blend of rock, country, gospel, jam, and blues.
Russell, who started his music career at 14 as a nightclub piano player backing touring artists when they came to Tulsa, has played on, produced, arranged, and written some of music's most successful and important records. George Benson's cover of Russell's "This Masquerade" was the first song in music history to occupy the No. 1 spot on the jazz, pop, and R&B charts.
Russell, who has four gold albums of his own, was instrumental in some of Joe Cocker's biggest hits, including the defining song of Cocker's career "Delta Lady." The Carpenters struck gold with Russell's song "Superstar;" Ray Charles covered "A Song for You;" and B.B. King recorded "Hummingbird."
As pop music's "most anonymous big shot," Russell produced and played on sessions with Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Frank Sinatra, Ike and Tina Turner, The Rolling Stones, The Byrds, Bobby Darin, Wayne Newton, Johnny Mathis, Concrete Blonde, and many more.
Considered one of the state's favorite sons and the pride and joy of Tulsa's music scene, Russell was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame this year. Although no longer a resident, Russell's former Oklahoma haunts--his Tulsa mansion near Woodward Park, the Church Studio at Third and Trenton in Tulsa, and his Grand Lake home and studio near Dripping Springs--are revered, preserved, and occupied by long-time fans.
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Alfre Woodard: Emmy Winner Turns Vision into Reality
Born in Tulsa, Alfre Woodard--a four-time Emmy Award winner, who now plays Betty Applewhite on ABC's Desperate Housewives--was named by her godmother, who claimed she saw a vision of Woodard's name written out in gold letters.
A graduate of Boston University's drama program, Woodard's name has appeared in gold as well as neon, with a lengthy list of film and theater credits.
Woodard received her first Emmy in 1984 for her performance as the grieving mother of a child killed by a police officer on the acclaimed NBC series Hill Street Blues. She won her second Emmy for her portrayal of a rape victim on the pilot of L.A. Law, and that same year was also nominated for her role in the John Sayles telefilm, "Unnatural Causes."
She captured her third Emmy with a role in HBO's Miss Evers' Boys (for which she also received a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award and a CableACE Award). More recently, Woodard received a 2003 Emmy for her guest-starring role in The Practice.
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Mary Kay Place: HBO's New Matriarch
Born and raised in Tulsa, Mary Kay Place was first critically acclaimed for her role as country singer Loretta Haggers on the hit comedy series, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, for which she won the Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a comedy.
After working for the head writers of Maude at Norman Lear's Tandem Productions, Place started co-writing for numerous TV series, including M*A*S*H, (for which she earned an Emmy nomination in 1973 with Linda Bloodworth), and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, among others.
Since then she has appeared in 37 feature films including "Bound for Glory," "New York New York," "Private Benjamin," "The Big Chill," "The Rainmaker," and "Being John Malkovich."
Place currently plays matriarch Adaleen Grant on HBO's new smash hit, The Big Love, a series about modern-day Utah polygamists.
Other television appearances include Law and Order: Special Victim's Unit, The West Wing, and Grey's Anatomy.
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Jeanne Tripplehorn: Local DJ to Primetime Devotion
Fresh out of high school, Jeanne Tripplehorn became the youngest female radio DJ in America, spinning rock-n-roll as "Jeanne Summers" during the morning drive time on Tulsa's KMOD-FM.
Her first on-camera appearances included co-hosting a local late night rock-n-roll show, Night Shift, and as "Mingo Valley Girl" in comedic sketches during commercial breaks on local Channel 23's Creature Feature, which showed old monster movies into the wee hours.
When Tripplehorn decided to take acting seriously, she attended the Juilliard School of Drama in New York City. In 1992, Tripplehorn launched her film career with "Basic Instinct," playing Michael Douglas' ex-lover and psychiatrist.
Many films and several Broadway productions later, Tripplehorn now plays Barbara Dutton Henrickson on HBO's new smash hit The Big Love, a series about modern-day Utah polygamists.
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Kristin Chenoweth: From Carnegie Hall to the West Wing
Broken Arrow native, Kristin Chenoweth, who plays media consultant Annabeth Schott on NBC's The West Wing, is also working on a third album, has numerous upcoming films, including "RV" with Robin Williams, a concert tour, and performance appearances scheduled across the country.
Chenoweth studied at Oklahoma City University and earned a bachelor's degree in musical theater and a master's degree in opera performance. After graduation, she received a "most talented up-and-coming singer" award from the Metropolitan Opera National Council, which resulted in a full scholarship to Philadelphia's Academy of Vocal Arts.
However en route to Philadelphia, Chenoweth auditioned for an Off-Broadway show, got the part, and decided to pursue a career on Broadway, receiving a Tony Award shortly after her debut.
Film credits include "The Pink Panther," "Bewitched," and "Stranger than Fiction." Chenoweth has performed to sold-out crowds at Carnegie Hall and with the New York Philharmonic, Cincinnati Pops, Boston Pops, and the San Francisco Symphony.
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Michael Vance: Comic Book Superstar
Since first publishing at the age of 11, Michael Vance--an Oklahoma native if ever there was one (Seminole, Oklahoma City, Sand Springs, and Tulsa)--has seen his columns and cartoons appear in more than 500 magazines and dozens of newspapers around the world.
Comic book titles include "Straw Men," "Angel of Death," "The Adventures of Captain Nemo," and his 23 short stories, the "Light's End" collection, which are about a fictional town "set in Oklahoma."
"I have lived my entire life in Oklahoma, and that has influenced everything I've ever written," says Vance, who continues his craft as well as works as the communications director for the Tulsa Boys' Home.
Raised in Seminole, Vance attended Southeast High School in Oklahoma City, but then graduated from Sand Springs High School. In 1972, he graduated from East Central University in Ada.
Vance's history book, "Forbidden Adventure: the History of the American Comics Group," has been lauded as the "benchmark in comics history." He's also listed in the Who's Who of American Comic Books and Comic Book Superstars.
His weekly comics review, "Suspended Animation," has been published for more than 16 years and currently reaches more than 2.25 million readers through fanzines, newspapers, and on more than 80 websites, including this one.
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Jack VanBebber: Hitchhiked His Way to the Gold
Born in Perry and laid to rest there in 1986, Jack Francis "Blackjack" VanBebber is still considered one of the finest wrestlers ever to take the mat at Oklahoma State University. Undefeated in 1929, 1930, and 1931, VanBebber also won three NCAA championships at 155 and 165 pounds.
So when VanBebber made it to the Olympics in Los Angeles in 1932, no one seemed too terribly surprised--the young man had shown that type of dedication all of his life. During that cream of athletic competition, VanBebber had already vanquished some of the world's finest wrestlers.
But as he prepared for his final bout and attempt for the gold, a schedule change moved his match up an hour. He was six miles from the stadium, and no transportation available. Undaunted, VanBebber walked two miles before a passing motorist took him the rest of the way.
VanBebber earned that ride and much more, defeating Eino Leino of Finland (four-time Olympian) and became the world wrestling champion. For more than 50 years, VanBebber was the only American-born wrestler to win three NCAA titles and an Olympic gold medal.
In 1950, a national poll of U.S. coaches, officials, and sports editors selected VanBebber as one of the country's top 10 amateur athletes in the first half of the 20th Century. In 1976, VanBebber took his spot in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
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Leslie Powell: from Lawton to the World and Back Again
Leslie Joseph Powell, artist and philanthropist, was born March 16, 1906 and moved with his family to Lawton in 1912. Documents now housed and cared for by the Museum of the Great Plains indicate that Powell wasted no time after graduating from high school to set out around the world and study art.
That pursuit took him across the United States, to Mexico, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, and Japan. Yet wherever he went, pen, paper, and paints traveled along, leading to a collection of more than 1,600 works of art, several portfolios, sketchbooks, journals, family albums, and other archival materials.
From representational interpretations to abstract movements, Powell sketched and painted landscapes, seascapes, urban scenes, and historical monuments.
In partnership with his father, Charles Samuel Powell, the younger artist became the mature philanthropist, establishing the Leslie Powell Foundation and the Leslie Powell Gallery.
Powell created the foundation to enrich the cultural life of the place he always considered home--Lawton and Oklahoma. The mission continues today through the foundation's grant, scholarship, and gallery activities. The foundation has historically awarded grants totaling $15,000 to $20,000 annually to area arts and humanities organizations.
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Eric Logan: from Radio Mascot to Radio Big Shot
The walls of Eric Logan's office at XM Satellite Radio's headquarters in Washington, D.C. are covered with personal memorabilia, celebrity photos, and the like. But, it's the photo of a young Logan flashing his Oklahoma native smile with country singer Mark Miller of Sawyer Brown fame that often gets the most attention.
Back then, Logan wasn't the executive vice president of programming for XM--now overseeing all music, sports, talk, comedy, children's, and entertainment programs for a satellite station with more than 150 channels.
When someone snapped that photo, Logan ran a country radio station in Oklahoma City, a job he got after the station initially hired him to be its mascot--Cody the Coyote.
The decision-makers admired the way Logan, who was working at a competing station across the street, donned his Chuck the Duck costume and waved at passersbys.
Logan soon shed his mascot garb for the DJ booth, then the music director's office, and ultimately program director--all by the time he turned 21.
From there, Logan rose up the radio industry ladder with stops in Seattle, San Francisco, Tampa, New York, and Chicago. Before joining XM in 2004, Logan worked at Citadel Broadcasting, which as the die-hard OU Sooner fan truly enjoyed, allowed him to plan his marketing trips around University of Oklahoma football games.
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Joshua Morrow: Gypsy Life in Oklahoma Prepares Him for Drifter Roles
At three, Joshua Morrow, or Nick Newman as he's now known on CBS' "The Young & the Restless," moved to Sapulpa with his father and sister. Because of his father's coaching career, the family lived the gypsy life in Oklahoma--moving five times Morrow's freshman year before settling in Skiatook.
An All-State high school athlete in football and soccer with a 3.8 GPA, Morrow left behind countless scholarship opportunities to pursue an acting career. He entered Moorpark College in 1992 majoring in communications with a minor in theater. Morrow says he found himself playing a string of drifter roles.
"I was always playing the stranger coming into town," Morrow says. "Something my life in Oklahoma taught me very well. I can adapt to any situation or environment with relative ease."
In 1994, Morrow landed his role on "The Young & the Restless." In 1996, he won a Soap Opera Award for Outstanding Younger Lead Actor, and he's been nominated for five consecutive Emmy Awards. In 2002, Morrow signed an unprecedented five-year renewal contract.
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Thad LuckinBill: Oklahoma Ties Keep Him Grounded
Thad Luckinbill joined the cast of CBS' "The Young & the Restless" as J.T. Hellstrom in November 2000. Born and raised in Enid, Luckinbill says it's his close family ties in Oklahoma that keep him "grounded" in Hollywood.
Luckinbill attended the University of Oklahoma, where he majored in business finance. But his mother, a singer, taught him to love music and sparked his desire to entertain. Quite the guitar player, he's performed many times on "The Young & the Restless."
Luckinbill has guest-starred on several primetime series, including "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Providence," "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," and "Nash Bridges."
He's also starred in the MTV documentary, "True Life," and appeared in Madonna's video for "Don't Tell Me" as the handsome cowboy thrown from a horse at the conclusion of the song.
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Gray Frederickson: Man behind the Scenes
Born in Oklahoma City and a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Gray Frederickson first arrived in Hollywood during the mid-1960s, making quite a mark as the man behind the scenes.
An Academy-Award winning producer, Frederickson's credits include all three "Godfather" films, "Apocalypse Now," and "The Outsiders." He returned to Oklahoma City in 1999 to teach as an Artist in Residence for the film degree program at Oklahoma City Community College and to launch an independent film company, GrayMark Productions.
The company's first film featured Burt Reynolds and was recently released by 20th Century Fox Home Video. GrayMark has also produced two other films--"Surveillance" and "The Hunt" shot in and around Oklahoma City, with release dates in mid to late 2006.
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Kate Barnard: Founder of Oklahoma's Penal System
Greatly influenced by the social activism of Jane Adams as well as the poverty she saw around her in the cities and on the farm, Kate Barnard envisioned a penal system for her fledgling state that turned out "the largest percentage of prisoners who never return to a life of crime."
Having studied corrective social legislation and traveled extensively, Barnard used this knowledge and experience in 1907 to become Oklahoma's commissioner of Charities and Corrections and the first woman to win statewide elective office in the United States. She was re-elected to the post in 1911.
Before establishing its first prison in McAlester in 1908, Oklahoma sent its prisoners to the penitentiary in Lansing, Kansas. Rumors of torture and abuse prompted Barnard to make a surprise inspection in August 1908.
Shocked by what she witnessed, Barnard urged Oklahoma to establish its own prison system that stressed rehabilitation over "revenge." With the help of Governor Charles N. Haskell, the first contingent of 50 inmates arrived by train in McAlester just two months after Barnard's inspection.
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Bill Hader: Live from New York
Raised in Tulsa and first appearing as the class clown-encouraged by both teachers and students at Patrick Henry Elementary, Edison Middle School, and Cascia Hall-Bill Hader recently joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live" as one of their featured performers.
Hader's improvisation and impersonation skills come to SNL's 31st season via "Second City Los Angeles" and Ashton Kutcher's series "Punk'd." He came to the attention of SNL creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels after Megan Mullally, "Will & Grace" co-star and fellow Oklahoman, saw him perform and recommended that Michaels take a look.
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Troy Aikman: Before the Cowboys, He Led the Fighting Hens
With all-time football stats as long as the passes they record, Troy Aikman is most often remembered in Oklahoma for bringing the Fighting Hens of Henryetta out of the doldrums.
At 12 years old, Aikman moved with his family from Cerritos, Calif. to Henryetta and played fullback for the Fighting Hens. However by his sophomore year, Aikman could throw a football 65 yards standing flat footed-an ideal skill for a quarterback.
Dubbed the Ice Man for his cool confidence, the 14-year-old Aikman made his debut as starting quarterback, leading his team to victory over Checotah and eventually taking the Hens to the state playoffs, which hadn't occurred in 25 seasons.
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Belle Starr: "a Friend to any Brave and Gallant Outlaw"
Before embracing a life of criminal pursuits throughout the Indian Territory (Oklahoma), Belle Starr was the daughter of a wealthy Missouri innkeeper and excelled at her Carthage Female Academy studies-including Greek, Latin, math, and "deportment" or manners and conduct.
Born Myra Belle Shirley Feb. 5, 1848, Starr spent much of her adult days in saloons drinking and gambling. She wore buckskins and moccasins or tight black jackets, black velvet skirts, high-topped boots, a man's Stetson hat with an ostrich plume, and twin holstered pistols.
From her association with outlaws such as Jesse James and the Younger brothers, Starr reached a level of fantastic notoriety that today leaves the facts of her life almost indistinguishable from the fiction.
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Russell Myers: Creator of a Little Witch Who Packed a Big Wallop
When Russell Myers, an alumnus of the University of Tulsa, created the wacky, ill-tempered comic-strip witch Broom Hilda, it was a way to pay the bills. According to the artist, he certainly didn't expect Broom Hilda and her sidekicks to cast their spell over generations of animation buffs.
"I created a little witch, a little troll and a little buzzard," Myers says. "What's so magical about that? They paid all my bills."
Born in 1938 in Pittsburg, Kan., Myers started his artistic career in 1960 with Hallmark Greeting Cards in Kansas City, Mo., which hired him to write and illustrate greeting cards. During his spare time, Myers created Broom Hilda, and on April 19, 1970, the comic strip first appeared in the Chicago Tribune Syndicate.
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Walter Cronkite
A former CBS TV news anchorman, Walter was once voted the "most trusted figure" in America. Walter, who started his broadcasting career as a radio announcer in Oklahoma City, worked as managing editor of CBS news for 20 years and helped transform broadcast journalism into the thriving industry it is today.
Including everything from the assassination of JFK to Watergate and Vietnam, Cronkite had an impact on public opinion in almost every aspect of politics and current events. His philosophy was to get news stories "fast, accurate and unbiased," and he never left a newscast without his signature line - "and that's how it is."
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Johnny Bench
Born in Oklahoma City, Johnny played baseball for the Cincinnati Reds while hitting, catching and throwing his way to a Hall of Fame career. Johnny was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989 and was possibly the best catcher of all time, a title which Sporting News magazine bestowed upon him in 1998. After baseball, he spent nine years as a broadcaster with CBS radio and logged thousands of hours of air time.
Johnny's sports and broadcasting career are not the only things he cares about, however. He has always found time to lend a hand for philanthropic events and non-profit organizations. He has used his star status to help aid many programs including the Heart Association, the American Cancer Society (as past National Chairman of Athletes vs. Cancer), the Kidney Foundation, Franciscan Sisters of Poor Health System, the American Lung Association, and the 'Catch the Cure' program of the Children's Hospital of Cincinnati.
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Reba McEntire
Reba, a native of Chockie, Okla., is a music legend who will live on for years in the hearts of her fans. She has sold more than 48 million albums during her career. Some of her more popular songs include "Room to breathe," "I'm gonna take that mountain," and "Love Revival."
She has also had stints on television and roles in various movies.
Reba is not yet done with her music career, however. She recently went on tour in support of Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit organization that helps build houses for those in need. She said she supports the organization because she believes everybody should have a home.
"This year, I hope more people will join us to help Habitat, not only at the concert stops, but through involvement with Habitat," she said.
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Ron Howard
Born in Duncan, Okla., Ron was a staple on American sitcoms for years. From his role as Opie in the Andy Griffith Show, to his happy-go-lucky performances as Richie Cunningham in Happy Days, Howard was always a loveable character.
He appeared in various films including The Shootist, a movie that led to his nomination for a Golden Globe award.
He later became a director and is now recognized as one of the brightest, up-and-coming producers in Hollywood. Films he has produced include Far and Away, A Beautiful Mind, and Cinderella Man.
Ron said many of the movies he has produced were inspired by the pride he has in his nation.
"There is something inherently tough about Americans," he said. "They will not accept defeat. The astronauts of Apollo 13 would not give up, John Nash in 'Beautiful Mind' would not give up, and Jim Braddock would not surrender to poverty."
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Ralph Ellison
The author of one of the 20th century's more famous novels - Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison is considered one of the leading figures in the battle for desegregation and civil rights during the 1950s and 1960s.
Even though Ellison, who was originally from Oklahoma City, tried to publicly express his objectivity in the racial disputes, his popular book and writings were cornerstones in the fight against racial insensitivity.
Ellison's works were so well received he was awarded such honors as the Medal of Freedom (1969), Chevalier de l'Ordre des Artes et Lettres (1970), and the 1985 National Medal of Arts.
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William J. Crowe
A leading figure in American politics and military operations over the past 50 years, William J. Crowe has been one of the most influential people in recent American history.
He served as Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staffs under Ronald Reagan and George Bush, and was Ambassador to the United Kingdom under Bill Clinton.
William was Commander in Chief of the Allied forces in Southern Europe from 1980-1983, and Commander in Chief of the U.S. Pacific Command from 1983-1985.
He currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Visitors for the International Programs Center at Oklahoma University.
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Toby Keith
Toby has long been a favorite among Oklahoma country music enthusiasts.
Originally from, Okla., Toby first began touring the music scene in the 1980s, but he wasn't picked up by a major label until 1992, when Mercury records signed him.
His first hit song, "Should've been a Cowboy," was released in 1993 and began an illustrious music career that continues today. Some of Toby's more popular songs include "Who's that man?" "How do you like me now?!" and "I wanna talk about me."
Toby is an ardent supporter of the U.S. troops stationed around the globe and programs such as Ally's house, a non-profit organization set up in honor of Allison Webb, a girl who passed away from cancer last year shortly before her third birthday.
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