Oklahoma Today September-October 1986 Volume 36 No. 5
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1. .. SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER '86 . OIL FIVER! TOM SLICK AND THE SEVIN LUCKY STRIKLS WORLDL$RICHIS'T ROPlNdo A CELEBRATION OF THa W15W -4 September-October '86 Vol. 36, No. 5 COVERS BED AND BREAKFAST promise of the Magnificent Seven - IN LITTLE DIXIE 14 Oklahoma's wildest and wealthiest oilfields. For Oklahomans who thought they had to catch a plane to Connecticut or LEGACIES The Continent to stay in a country 32 inn, hang onto your ticket and hop in Oklahoma's oil tycoons got rich by the car. taking some of its vast natural resources, but a look around the state shows how much they gave back. KlNa OF THE WILDCATTERS CANT STOP BIG RED Tom Slick eamed his nickname by - 34 using his secrets for success: street- smarts, savvy and ESP. Barry Switzer shows the latest miniature monuments to the Sooners' knack for staying on top. Photo by Jim Argo. Inside front. A bobcat lolls in a tree near Goodwater. Photo by Kym They've got six national Wilson. Back. A lichen- championships under their belts; one covered boulder blends more will tie the Sooners with Notre with the fall foliage in the bme for the most No. 1 titles in Wichita Mountains. Photo football history. by David Halpem. PORTFOLIO 40 FEATURES Scenes from an Oklahoma fall. OKLAHOMA'S 23 DEPARTMENTS - - - - - - - - - 1 LUCKY- - - STRIKES- THE WORLD'S RICHEST CALF Meet Jackson Bamett, the richest Today in Oklahoma .............................. 4 MNQ EM lll~SHOW 8 who ever lived, and Sheriff Buck BmwLm .......................................... 5 The world's best gather each year in Garrett, a judge-slapping, pistol- Uncommon Common Folk ....................6 Bushyhead to offer an unlikely mixture packing ladies man, and all the others Oklahoma Omnibus: Geronimo ..........I2 of entertainment. whose lives became entwined in the Entertainment Calendar ....................... 45 PUBLISHED BY THE OKLAHOMA TOURISM AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT 1 OkMoma TODAY (ISSN 0030-1892) is published bi- Sue Caner, Editor-in-Chief Geri Stevens, Accounting monthly in January, March, May, July, September and Susan Bunney Tomlinson, Managing Editor Melanie Mayberry, Subscription Services November. Subscription prices: $lZ/yr. in U.S.; $161~1. Pat Shaner Laquer, Art Director Sheila Brock, Events Calendar outside U.S. Copyright 1986 by Oklahoma TODAYmaga- Carolyn Hollingsworth, Marketing zine. 401 Will Rogers Bldg., P.O. Box 53384. Oklahoma I City, OK 73152. (405) 521-2496. I Printed at PennWell Printing, Tulsa. 1 Abe L. Hesser, Emutioc Dinttor Tourism and Recreation Commission Second-class postage paid at Oklahoma City, OK and Tom Creider, Phnning @ Ddopmmt additional entry offices. Postmaster: Send address Eugene Dilbeck, Madcting Snw'm James Durham, C%ainnan Larry Lindley changes to Oklahoma TODAY Circulation. P.O. Box N. Clay McDermeit, Pads Rilla Wilcox, Vice Chainnan Jim Pate 53384, Oklahoma City, OK 73152. Michael L. Moccia, Adminishurtion Bob Hiton Grace Renbarger Tom Rich. Lodga Carlos Langston R. L. Rollins - SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER '86 3 won national football championships" with Notre Dame this winter and Keith describes the challenge. His sto- ry begins on page 34. Fans may want to drop by OU's Stovall Museum this fall to view a spe- cial exhibit of football memorabilia. Ar- tifacts from cheerleaders, the band and the Rufneks will be included along with old-style helmets, jerseys and trophies. tb And speaking of winners, Michael sk someone to name three things $u After 39 years as Sports Informa- Wallis has won three national awards AOklahoma is best known for, and tion Director, perhaps no one knows from the Public Relations Society of two out of the three will be OU foot- more about football at the University America for stories published in Okla- ball and oil. This issue salutes both: of Oklahoma than Harold Keith. homa r0DW. He's also a popular writ- the oil industry for its many contribu- Keith began promoting OU football er with our readers. Cited were stories tions to the state and the six Sooner teams in 1930 when Ad Lindsey was on the 45th Infantry, rodeo cowboy football teams which have won nation- coach and Bennie Owen, for whom the Freckles Brown and the Panhandle al championships. playing field is named, was athletic town of Texhoma. Oil is believed to have been discov- director. He attended all 178 games $u Recent changes for OkIdoma TO- ered in Oklahoma in 1859 near what is played by Bud Wilkinson-coached DAY include a new managing editor- now Pryor when Lewis Ross, brother teams. And he still goes to all the Susan Bunney Tomlinson-and mov- of Cherokee Chief John Ross, acciden- home games, but since his retirement ing our offices to the Will Rogers tally hit oil while drilling for salt water. in 1969, he says he prefers to view Building, next to the Capitol. Former His well produced 10 barrels a day. Barry Switzer's finest playing their out- managing editor Kate Jones recently And ever since, not only the devel- of-state games on TV-"the best seat headed west for Denver. opment of the state's economy, but in the stadium." $u Long-time subscribers who stop also its growth in the arts, health care Keith's book, OkIahoma Kickof, cov- for a sandwich in the new restaurant of and research, education and even the ers the first 25 years of OU football Oklahoma City's Will Rogers Airport character of its people have been influ- beginning in 1895. A second book, may look up and see a familiar scene. enced by the production of oil. Forty-Seven Straight, describes the On the wall is a mural painted from a Who were these people who risked teams coached by Wilkinson. photograph in OkLahoma TODAY of it all to discover the state's major oil So who could be better qualified to Lake Altus-Lugert in Quartz Mountain fields? What were they like and how write about OU's six national champi- State Park. First printed in the Fall did they spend the millions of dollars onship teams than Harold Keith? 1983 issue, we liked it well enough to made during that turbulent 30-year OU could tie up the title of "most reprint in the 1985 scenic calendar. veriod? Paul Lefebvre, former OkMoma TO- Bob Gregory, author of Oil in ORla- DAY art director, was the photogra- Next Issue: Spend Christmas with homa, writes about Tom Slick, the turn-of-the-century Oklahomans in pher. -Sue Carter "King of the Wildcatters," and the Guthrie when today's residents mns- other folks who first punched the form their restored downtown into aVic- earth's crust into the state's richest oil torian stage. Almost everyone in town- pools beginning on page 18. from nursing home ladies who crochet Among- these over-night- millionaires Christmas tree stars to high school home was Thomas Gilcrease, who later gave economics girls who make cookies- his art collection and the Gilcrease Mu- contributes to this festive, historically The Great Getty, by Robert Lenzner; seum to the city of Tulsa. Woolaroc, authentic holiday celebration. Then Cmn PubIkAm, Inc., 419 Pad Awe. the lodge where Frank Phillips enter- you'll meet some of Oklahoma's best Soudr, New Yod, NY 10016; $18.95. craftsmen and women and see their tained, and the Marland Mansion, The careers of thousands of early-day work And for those who have won- entrepreneurs were launched in the home to E.W. Marland, also continue dered why red din in Oklahoma is red, to be enjoyed by the public today. you'll find out in the November-De- richness and promise of Oklahoma's Kathryn Jenson White lists other oil- oember issue of ORkdoma WDAY. historic oilfields profiled by writer Bob related places to visit on page 32. Gregory in this issue. However, none 4 Oklahoma TODAY exceeded the fortune built by J. Paul taped it for his children and grandchil- homa football games this season, and Getty, proclaimed in the 1950s as the dren. With this in mind, I did the last January we had a party for Coach richest man in the world. Getty's em- same, and then put it in book form Barry Switzer and several OU and pire began in Oklahoma's oilfields. with pictures of my early childhood OSU players. Lenzner, a family insider who spent and photos from the book Osage Couno Our club has been featured in sever- four years researching the book, de- Pmfikr. al local newspapers and magazines. scribes Getty's astounding business I am from Ponca City. William Aaron savvy and success, as well as his mer- Northbrook, Illinois Stephen B. Wright curial and tarnished personal life. Honolulu. Hawaii The MayJune issue of Okkdoma TO- President, Sooner Club of Hawaii The Champions! Oklahoma DAY, with its articles about Osage Sooners 1985, Soonen Iffustrattd,P. 0. County, is terrific. I shed a tear when I Please send your latest issue of Okh- 837, Tuh, OK 74101; $1 7.95. Devo- saw that cover because I was born in homa TODAY so that it will reach my tees of the University of Oklahoma's Osage County three months before husband for our anniversary. And on football team are likely to enjoy this Oklahoma became a state and I consid- the card please write: "Three wonder- play-by-play recap of the Sooners' vic- er the "Emerald Ocean" God's ful years we now celebrate-all in torious march to the 1985 national country. Oklahoma, my home state. Okfaha- championship. A generous supply of homa TODAY is my gift to you so you'll photographs supplements articles Estal E. Sparlin know my state better, too." about each -game of the season, Coach Cleveland, Ohio Barry Switzer, the team's graduating Eleanor Smith seniors and the Orange Bowl finale.