Voices of Oklahoma

Voices of Oklahoma
  • 4.7 (38)
  • Society & Culture
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Voices of Oklahoma.com is dedicated to the preservation of the oral history of Oklahoma. Voices and stories of famous Oklahomans and ordinary citizens are captured forever in their own words. Oil and gas, ranching, politics, education and more are all visited in these far-ranging interviews. Students researching any of these areas can listen to first-person accounts of the way life was and draw from knowledge that may guide and shape their future. In addition to students, any visitor will feel close to history as they listen to these personal reflections.

  1. 3h ago

    Rev. Dr. John B. Wolf

    Dr. John Burton Wolf was the senior minister of All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, OK, for thirty-five years, becoming the Minister Emeritus in 1995. He served churches in Racine, WI, and Meadville, PA, before coming to Tulsa in 1960. Dr. Wolf was a navy veteran of WWII, serving as a signalman in the Armed Guard and in the Pacific and was commissioned into the navy Chaplaincy Reserves during the Korean War. His sermons at All Souls included civil rights, reforming the funeral home industry, and the importance of public education. In the community Dr. Wolf was a leader against racial prejudice and promoted the rights of racial minorities, gays and lesbians, and women, including women’s reproductive rights. Many of his sermons were the subject of stories in local newspapers. After retiring from the ministry in 1995 he remained active locally and nationally in causes for education and interfaith understanding. Our Voices of Oklahoma oral history interview was recorded December 16, 2011. Dr. Wolf was ninety-two when he died September 19, 2017. Listen to him tell his story on VoicesofOklahoma.com. Read the full transcript: https://www.voicesofoklahoma.com/interviews/wolf-rev-dr-john-b/

  2. 5h ago

    J. Blake Wade

    It was during J. Blake Wade’s military service which included the Vietnam war that he demonstrated his gift of leadership. When he returned to Oklahoma he dedicated himself to agencies and programs that were for the betterment of Oklahoma. Blake has served as the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Historical Society and the Director of the Oklahoma Capitol Complex and Centennial Commemoration Commission. He was responsible for overseeing preparations for Oklahoma’s centennial commemoration of statehood in 2007. The first three years as Director of the Centennial, the focus was the State Capitol Dome and the Centennial Plaza of the Oklahomans. In 2011 he was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the Native American Cultural & Educational Authority developing The American Indian Cultural Center and Museum and the American Indian Cultural Foundation. Now listen to Blake Wade in his oral history interview talk about Vietnam, Remington Park, the Oklahoma history center and the capitol dome on Voices of Oklahoma, preserving Oklahoma’s history, one voice at a time. Read the full transcript: https://www.voicesofoklahoma.com/interviews/wade-j-blake/

  3. 6h ago

    Robin Siegfried

    NORDAM is a Tulsa-based aerospace company that employs 2,500 “stakeholders” worldwide. But, before there was a NORDAM, there was a sixteen-year-old boy who left Pennsylvania in 1911 because his parents could not afford to take care of him. Ray H. Siegfried was on his way to Texas by train but only got as far as Sapulpa, Oklahoma, because he was running out of money. He found work as an office boy for The Texas Company, which eventually became Texaco. After various exploits, his gregarious personality led him to the insurance business and he formed R.H. Siegfried & Co. Ray married Ruth McBride and they had one child, Robert before Ruth’s untimely death in 1936. Bobby Siegfried worked alongside his father for thirty-eight years at R.H. Siegfried & Co. Bobby married Betty Helfrich in 1938 and they began the third generation of Siegfrieds: Diane, Ray II, Robin, Celest, and Rick. Over the years the family-owned insurance company would often take control of failing companies they had insured. Through this rehabilitation Ray Sr. would preserve the companies and the jobs they provided, and in so doing they would meet their insurance obligation. Just such a situation arose regarding a little company named NORDAM. The grandson of that sixteen-year-old boy, Robin Siegfried, tells the story of the family and the company known as Northeastern Oklahoma Research, Development and Manufacturing: NORDAM, heard here on VoicesofOklahoma.com, supported by the Oklahoma Center for the Humanities at The University of Tulsa. Read the full transcript: https://www.voicesofoklahoma.com/interviews/siegfried-robin/

  4. 7h ago

    Porter Reed

    Muskogee, Oklahoma was a major stop on the Negro League baseball barnstorming circuit. As a child, Porter Reed saw the Kansas City Monarchs, Chicago American Giants, Memphis Red Sox and other Negro League teams play in Muskogee during the 1930s. When he became a teenager, Reed played on the local team battling the Negro Leaguers when they came to town. And when the Kansas City Monarchs came to town, he would play with the Monarchs and against them. During his career, Porter played with the Birmingham Black Barons, the Muskogee Cardinals, the Detroit Wolves, the Houston Eagles, the Minneapolis White Elephants and the Los Angeles Stars. And Porter played with such famous names as Jackie Robinson and batted against Satchel Paige. Listen to Porter talk about his baseball career, including the prejudice that followed him during those days. Porter Reed was 94, June 29, 2016, when he recorded this oral history interview for VoicesofOklahoma.com. Read the full transcript: https://www.voicesofoklahoma.com/interviews/reed-porter/

  5. 9h ago

    Guy Logsdon

    Guy Logsdon grew up in Ada, Oklahoma. He graduated from Ada High School and East Central State University and earned his master’s degree and Ed.D. in education and administration at the University of Oklahoma. Dr. Logsdon became Director of Libraries and Professor of Education at the University of Tulsa. Logsdon became a leading authority on Woody Guthrie’s life and music and western swing music, including its principal performers Bob and Johnnie Lee Wills. He became an avid collector of cowboy songs from working cowboys, and also became a fellow at the Smithsonian Institution. His long list of publications includes Woody’s Road, written with Woody Guthrie’s sister, Mary Jo Guthrie Edgmon. His many honors include induction into the Hall of Fame of the Oklahoma Historical Society in Oklahoma City. So now, listen to Guy Logsdon talk and sing his way through his oral history interview on VoicesofOklahoma.com. Read the full transcript: https://www.voicesofoklahoma.com/interviews/logsdon-guy/

  6. 10h ago

    Jane Jayroe Gamble

    As millions of television viewers watch Jane Jayroe crowned Miss America in 1967, and as Bert Parks serenaded her, no one would have thought she was actually a very shy and reluctant winner. Nor would they know that the tears, which flowed, were more of fright than joy. She was nineteen when her whole life was changed in an instant. Jane went on to become a well-known broadcaster, author, and public official. She worked as an anchor in TV news in Oklahoma City and Dallas, Fort Worth. Oklahoma governor, Frank Keating, appointed her to serve as his Secretary of Tourism. But her story along the way was filled with ups and downs. Listen to Jane Jayroe talk about her struggle with shyness, depression, and a failed marriage. And how she overcame it all to lead a happy and successful life, on this oral history website, VoicesofOklahoma.com. Read the full transcript: https://www.voicesofoklahoma.com/interviews/gamble-jane-jayroe/

  7. 11h ago

    Norma Eagleton

    Norma Eagleton is known for many accomplishments including first female Tulsa city commissioner and Oklahoma corporation commissioner. Norma was the first woman elected to a voting position on the Tulsa City Commission when in 1976 she was elected Finance and Revenue Commissioner. And she was the first woman to serve as an Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner having been appointed by Governor George Nigh in 1979, a position she held for 10 years. At age 50 Norma attended night school to receive her J.D. from Oklahoma City University College of Law graduating in 1988. When serving as a volunteer lawyer her main interest was the protection of children and helping young parents. With her understanding of family dynamics she chose mediation as her avenue of pro bono work. She believes mediation is an opportunity for Legal Aid clients to state their case and talk in a safe non-threatening setting to better focus on the children. In this interview she talks about her early years in Claremore, Oklahoma, her entrance into political life and the issues she faced as an office holder and her experiences as a lawyer. Listen to Norma Eagleton tell her story on the oral history website VoicesofOklahoma.com. Read the full transcript: https://www.voicesofoklahoma.com/interviews/eagleton-norma/

  8. Sep 21

    E.C. Mullendore III

    He was 32 years old and deep in debt. E. C. Mullendore III was murdered on September 26th, 1970, at his home on by far the largest ranch in Osage County, Cross Bell Ranch. The Cross Bell brand came from an old Mexican Mission and was burned into the hides of cattle driven up from Mexico. The cattle belonged to the family of the mother of Gene Mullendore who was the father of E.C. Mullendore III. There was a 15 million dollar life insurance policy taken out on E.C. Mullendore III, which would become the largest life insurance claim in the history of American underwriting. Chub Anderson – personal assistant to E. C. Mullendore III – was in the house at the time of the murder and became the prime suspect. Osage County Sheriff George Wayman led the investigation of what turned out to be a “botched” crime scene leaving no evidence, which would lead to a conviction.  Chub Anderson’s version of the story is not believed by Sheriff Wayman who tells us how he believes the crime was committed. Chub Anderson was never charged with the murder, which makes it one of Oklahoma’s most famous unsolved crimes. Listen to 91 year old Sheriff George Wayman tell, with intriguing details, the story of the Mullendore murder heard on Voicesofoklahoma.com

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Ratings & Reviews

4.7
out of 5
38 Ratings

About

Voices of Oklahoma.com is dedicated to the preservation of the oral history of Oklahoma. Voices and stories of famous Oklahomans and ordinary citizens are captured forever in their own words. Oil and gas, ranching, politics, education and more are all visited in these far-ranging interviews. Students researching any of these areas can listen to first-person accounts of the way life was and draw from knowledge that may guide and shape their future. In addition to students, any visitor will feel close to history as they listen to these personal reflections.

Information

  • Creator
    Voices of Oklahoma
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    243
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Voices of Oklahoma
  • Show Website
    Voices of Oklahoma

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