A Very OK Podcast

From the earliest days after the 1889 Land Run to the modern era, leaders in Oklahoma City have prioritized the sequestration of green space for recreation and rest. In this episode, Trait Thompson and Dr. Bob Blackburn discuss the push to create Oklahoma City's parks by people such as Daniel Stiles, G.G. "Gristmill" Jones, and Anton Classen. They also talk about how parks evolved from areas of passive activity to recreation center...

One of Oklahoma’s first members of Congress, Dick T. Morgan, was a man of faith with a heart geared toward helping his fellow citizens, first in his native state of Indiana and later in Oklahoma. Through his law practice, he helped people navigate the complexities of land claims in the territorial era while planting churches and establishing Sunday schools. During his time in Congress, he advocated for ...

Born in Virginia and raised by his mother in the Cherokee Nation, Robert Owen was a seminal figure in Oklahoma’s early history. He was elected as one of Oklahoma’s first U.S. senators in 1907 where he championed progressive and populist causes in the nation’s capital. Utilizing his background as a bank owner in Muskogee, he was the Senate author of the Federal Reserve Act of 1913, which created the financial system still in use tod...

During his career, guitarist Jesse Ed Davis played with over 100 major artists, including Bob Dylan, the Allman Brothers, John Lennon, and Rod Stewart. His first brush with notoriety was playing with Conway Twitty in Oklahoma City, and he honed his chops with Taj Mahal after moving to Los Angeles. Jackson Browne credits Davis’s guitar solo on “Doctor, My Eyes” with helping that song to become a Billboard Top 10 hit in 1972.

In this...

During World War I, it was common for the German military to tap Allied communications lines along the western front. Seeking to find a way to communicate that could not be interpreted by the enemy, the commander of the 36th Infantry’s 142nd Regiment enlisted Choctaw soldiers to send messages in their native language. The result led to successful operations in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, which ultimately pushed the Germans out of ...

After gold was discovered in California in 1848, Americans flocked to the west coast to make their fortunes. In 1849, Congress instructed Captain Randolph Marcy to find a suitable passage from Fort Smith to Santa Fe by traveling south of the Canadian River. Guided by Delaware scout Black Beaver, Marcy and the first wagon train reached their destination in June 1849. In this episode, Trait Thompson and Dr. Bob Blackburn discuss the ...

Since statehood, numerous elected officials have found themselves on the wrong side of the Oklahoma Legislature’s good graces, which resulted in impeachment charges being filed. In this episode, Trait Thompson and Dr. Bob Blackburn discuss Oklahoma’s constitutional requirements for impeachment, some of the officials who have been impeached in the state over the years, and the charges leveled against them. Their guest is former Okla...

From 1953 to 1957, University of Oklahoma football coach Bud Wilkinson and his Sooners won 47 games in a row, an NCAA record. In this episode, Trait Thompson and Dr. Bob Blackburn discuss Coach Wilkinson and his leadership skills, the players who made the winning streak possible, and a few of the significant games along the way. Their guest is Berry Tramel, a 46-year veteran sports journalist who has written for The Norman Transcri...

Crowds came by the thousands to Municipal Auditorium in Oklahoma City to see the first television images in Oklahoma at a demonstration sponsored by WKY Radio on November 13, 1939. Despite television being a financial drain on broadcasters who had tried it before, E.K. Gaylord believed Oklahoma deserved it, so he applied for a license and was granted the first station in Oklahoma. On June 6, 1949, at 7 p.m., WKY-TV went on the air....

Oklahoma was a state for almost thirty years before the state park system was created. Thanks to federal funds and free labor provided by the Civilian Conservation Corps, seven new state parks were constructed starting in 1935. In this episode, Trait Thompson and Dr. Bob Blackburn discuss the political conditions that led to Oklahoma creating the State Park Commission, the invaluable work of the CCC, and lasting impact of the parks...

 In February 1824, the general-in-chief of the Army authorized the abandonment of Fort Smith and the creation of a new fort in the southwest. Col. Matthew Arbuckle selected a site near the Three Forks and named it Cantonment Gibson. Its mission was to protect white settlers, work for peace between tribes in the region, and establish a diplomatic relationship with Plains tribes. A few months later, Maj. Alexander Cummings establishe...

Maria Tallchief, Marjorie Tallchief, Yvonne Chouteau, Moscelyne Larkin, and Rosella Hightower were all American Indian women, born in Oklahoma during the 1920s, who went on to become prima ballerinas. Nicknamed the “Five Moons,” they achieved the pinnacle of success in their respective ballet careers, making their marks in America and on the international stage. They were named Oklahoma Cultural Treasures in 1997 and a beautiful mu...

The confluence of cultures in Oklahoma, from Blacks who arrived as enslaved persons from the southeastern United States to European immigrants, created the ideal environment for the musical form known as jazz to take root. Jazz performers such as Charlie Christian, the Oklahoma City Blue Devils, and the Ernie Fields Orchestra made their mark on the genre starting out in small clubs located in Tulsa’s Greenwood and Oklahoma City’s D...

In 1964, Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice N.S. Corn was convicted on federal income tax evasion charges. While incarcerated, he provided testimony implicating himself, Justice Earl Welch, and Justice N.B. Johnson in a scheme to accept bribes in exchange for affecting the decision in cases before the court. The resulting scandal cast a shadow over the court and resulted in an impeachment trial in the state legislature. In this episode...

The Cherokee Nation lived in their ancestral homelands in the eastern United States for centuries before the first arrival of Europeans on American soil in the 1500s. As settlers arrived in larger numbers, the Cherokees were forced to cede or sell their lands, first to the British government and then to the United States through successive treaties. This ultimately led to the forced removal of the Cherokee Nation to Indian Territor...

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Oklahoma Territorial Museum in Guthrie, the Daughters of the American Revolution hosted a fireside chat between former governors Brad Henry (2003–2011) and George Nigh (1979–1987) at the Guthrie Scottish Rite Temple in October 2023. In a conversation moderated by Trait Thompson and Michael Williams, registrar and collections specialist at the Oklahoma Territoria...

Oklahoma’s motto, Labor Omnia Vincit, means “work conquers all things.” Today, many people see it as a nod to the hardworking nature of our state’s citizens. In reality, it’s a tribute to organized labor, which was a significant political force in the formation of Oklahoma’s constitution and early laws. In this episode, Trait Thompson and Dr. Bob Blackburn discuss the business and agricultural climate in the United States that led ...

The 1956 Frederick Bombers were the first integrated high school football team to win a state championship in the United States. Coached by Dean Wild, a previous state champion at Watonga, the team of 12 Black players and 27 white players went 14-0 that year and beat Okmulgee Dunbar 33-0 in the Oklahoma Class B state championship game. Coach Wild’s decision to integrate the team two years after the Brown v. Board of Education decis...

When Clara Luper and her students went to New York City in 1957 to perform her play, Brother President, they experienced integration for the first time. The trip opened their eyes to a new way of living and became the impetus to try to bring freedom to segregated Oklahoma. As the NAACP Youth Council leader and a well-respected teacher, Clara Luper brought 13 students to the lunch counter at Katz Drug Store on August 19, 1958, and w...