OurStory - Oklahoma City Community Foundation · OurStory Celebrating 40 Years. elping the...

OurStoryCelebrating 40 Years of Helping the Community

We have always known that the story of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation is best told through our donors and their own stories. It’s their passion, generosity and thoughtfulness that make what we do possible.

Since our founding in 1969, we have been fortunate to work with thousands of donors who want to help their community through charitable giving. In this publication we are sharing a selection of donor stories from our first 40 years as a way to illustrate the impact of a single gift on the lives of many. May these stories serve as examples of how future donors can realize their charitable dreams through the Oklahoma City Community Foundation and become part of Our Story.

Nancy B. AnthonyExecutive Director

Welcome

Contents1969 1John & Eleanor Kirkpatrick

The Seventies 2Muriel H. WrightGeorge & Ruth BozalisDoug & Peggy CummingsThe Shirk FamilyMaimee Lee Browne

The Eighties 8Curt SchwartzMary & Spencer SessionsRoberta Eldridge MillerBarth & Linda BrackenTom & Gladys Seale

The Nineties 14John & Susan FrankJerry CooperClassen ’55 Scholars AwardSally Jo LangstonJim & LaVerna Cobb

The New Century 22Judge Eugene MathewsCharles & Mary Lou MilesJohn & Joy Reed BeltDean WildJames & Virginia Meade

Our Story: Celebrating 40 Years of Helping the Community | 1

Our StoryOur Story begins in the 1960s when John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick asked attorney Don Ellison to investigate the benefits of a community foundation for Oklahoma City. A concept that has been around since the early 1900s, community foundations were growing as popular alternatives for charitable giving as new tax laws began putting restrictions on private foundations and individual gifts to charities.

The Kirkpatricks, longtime philanthropists, understood the importance of a community entity through which individual donors could support nonprofit organizations and projects. They wanted to provide an entity with its own systems of checks and balances over which no one faction could gain control. They also envisioned an organization that would have the flexibility to adapt to changing needs in the community and that would preserve a donor’s original intent. For several years, Mr. Ellison and Mr. Kirkpatrick examined the workings of the country’s most successful and respected community foundations and began slowly building the framework of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation.

Banker Jack Abernathy, a longtime friend of Mr. Kirkpatrick’s and one of the founding Trustees said of his initial experience on the board: “I didn’t see how this thing would ever get off the ground. John is a very hard person to say no to but he never seemed to have any doubts whether it would work.” Mr. Abernathy would go on to say that the early success of the organization was due to the degree to which donor wishes were honored and also to the Kirkpatricks’

ability to enlist volunteer manpower and financial support from a wide variety of the public.

There is no question that without the Kirkpatrick family’s vision, leadership and generosity, the Oklahoma City Community Foundation would not be the organization it is today. But just as John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick had hoped, it is through the gifts of many donors that we are able to make a significant impact on the community and will for many years to come. Our Story is but a reflection of the unique and generous donors, organizations and businesses with whom we have been honored to work with since 1969.

1969

John & Eleanor Kirkpatrick: Our Founders

John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick with attorney Don Ellison.

2 | Oklahoma City Community Foundation


Our StoryMuriel H. Wright: Preserving History Proud of her Choctaw heritage, Muriel H. Wright devoted her life’s work to preserving our state’s American Indian history. Born prior to statehood in Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory, Ms. Wright’s mother was a Presbyterian missionary teacher and her father was a notable Choctaw politician and physician. She was educated at Wheaton Seminary in Massachusetts, returned to Oklahoma and completed a teacher education course in 1912 at East Central Normal School, later East Central University in Ada. Ms. Wright taught English and history, and served as principal at various Oklahoma public schools during a time when it was a rarity among women.

Preserving her biracial identity played a primary role throughout Ms. Wright’s career. She proudly boasted that her lineage included passengers aboard the Mayflower as well as a principal chief of the Choctaw Nation who is credited with suggesting the name Oklahoma for the state. She was very active in the Choctaw Nation, holding many offices and participating in tribal policymaking.

Her passion for Oklahoma history led her to publish various articles and books on the subject, including three textbooks that were used in Oklahoma public schools. In 1923, Ms. Wright began writing for The Chronicles of Oklahoma, the quarterly journal of the Oklahoma Historical Society, and in 1943 took over editorial duties for the publication although she was not officially named editor until 1955. Throughout her writings she emphasized topics such as the influence of Indian history on the state, biographies of notable women and historic preservation.

“It is a shame that all the old-timers are not interviewed before they pass on,” said Ms. Wright. “For when they go, much of the history of the Indian Territory and early days in Oklahoma will be lost.”

It was her objective to preserve and promote public awareness of the unique history of our state. In 1951, her book “A Guide to the Indian Tribes of Oklahoma” was published and remains a standard reference material today on the subject of American Indian history. Ms. Wright also conducted most of the initial research for the Oklahoma Historical Society’s historic marker program that identifies historical sites across the state. She established a notable career in historical literature at a time when it was almost exclusively dominated by men. Honors she received included the University of Oklahoma’s Distinguished Service Award, an honorary doctorate degree from Oklahoma City University and induction into the Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame.

Upon her retirement in 1972, the Oklahoma Historical Society established the Muriel H. Wright Heritage Fund at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation to support an annual publications award. Following her death in 1975, memorial contributions further funded the endowment ensuring that this great Oklahoman’s legacy will long be remembered.

The Seventies


George & Ruth Bozalis: Supporting Their CommunityGeorge Bozalis was a quiet, dignified and dedicated doctor. His wife, Ruth Russell Bozalis was an outgoing and gracious woman who loved people and never wanted to miss a function. “My daughter-in-law said it best when she described mother as ‘the ultimate party girl with not enough parties to go to’,” shared Dr. John Bozalis, the couple’s eldest of their three children. “Dad was very bright but very private, a real behind-the-scenes person.”

Married for 58 years, the couple believed in giving back to their community.

Born in 1910, George Bozalis earned undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Oklahoma. Following post-graduate study in St. Louis, he served as the chief resident of the St. Louis Municipal Contagious Disease until he joined the Army Medical Corps in 1940. During World War II, Col. Bozalis served in the Third Army under Gen. George S. Patton and was awarded five battle stars and a Bronze Star Medal. He returned to Oklahoma City to practice medicine and in 1954 founded the Oklahoma Allergy Clinic.

Ruth Russell’s parents made the Oklahoma Land Run in 1889. Born in 1911 in McAlester, Ruth moved with her family to Oklahoma City in 1917 where she attended Classen High School. A graduate of the Oklahoma College for Women, she married George Bozalis in 1937. While George was a reserved individual, Ruth illustrated her interest in the community through involvement in numerous civic and arts organizations, never seeming to tire. “At age 95, she could cover more ground than people my age,” John Bozalis said of his mother. “She had just an amazing level of energy.”

Longtime friends of John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick, Dr. and Mrs. Bozalis established an endowment at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation in 1976 to benefit allergy research at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. George Bozalis died in 1995 but his work continues at the Oklahoma Allergy Clinic now under the direction of his son, John. Ruth Bozalis died in 2009, the day after her 98th birthday.

The Seventies

Dr. George and Ruth Bozalis established an endowment in 1976 to benefit allergy research.

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Dr. George and Ruth Bozalis


Our Story

Oklahoma native Doug Cummings grew up in the oil patch. His father was an oil field foreman and during Doug’s early childhood, his family frequently moved from one job site to another throughout Oklahoma and Kansas. He met his wife, Peggy, after moving to Crescent. They both graduated from Crescent High School and attended the University of Oklahoma, where Doug received his bachelor’s degree in geological engineering.

Doug and Peggy were married in 1951 and shortly thereafter Doug served two years as an officer in the U.S. Army, where he was stationed in both Japan and Korea. After returning home, he joined Kirkpatrick Oil Company where he worked for 18 years as a geological engineer. In 1972, he established the family business, Cummings Oil Company, in Oklahoma City and still runs the

company today along with his two sons, Brent and Sean.

In 1974, Mr. and Mrs. Cummings established an advised fund at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation through which they support a number of charitable organizations, including the Boy Scouts of America - Last Frontier Council. “Growing up in a small town, I never really had the opportunity to participate in Boy Scouts,” says Doug. “I

was always disappointed that we weren’t able to get a group established, and I

want to make sure that every young man can have that experience I missed out on.”

Additionally, the couple has made grants to a variety of charitable programs including a gift to support collaborative performances of Ballet Oklahoma, Canterbury Choral Society and the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Boy Scouts of America - Last Frontier Council is one of several organizations Doug and Peggy Cummings support through their advised fund.

Doug & Peggy Cummings: Giving Back to Help Others

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Doug & Peggy Cummings


Maimee Lee Browne: Making Dreams a Reality

The SeventiesFormer Oklahoma City mayor George Shirk was devoted to his community. During his tenure as mayor, beginning in 1964, he worked to redevelop Oklahoma City and helped shape downtown into the area we know today. Mr. Shirk’s efforts to advance the city eventually led to the construction of the Kerr-McGee Tower, Liberty Tower and Myriad Botanical Gardens. He was also instrumental in the creation of the Historic Preservation Commission which is credited with saving the city’s historic neighborhoods and buildings including the Colcord building, Overholser Mansion and Harn Homestead.

A first generation Oklahoman, George’s parents John and Carrie came to Indian Territory in 1903. He and his sister, Lucyl, followed in their father’s footsteps and attended the University of Oklahoma. George passed the bar exam in 1936 and joined his father’s law firm of Shirk and Danner. Lucyl was a teacher in the Oklahoma City public schools for several years and in 1956 became executive director of

the Oklahoma City Council of Camp Fire Girls, a position she held until her retirement in 1979.

Both George and Lucyl were passionate about Oklahoma history. George served as president of the Oklahoma Historical Society and authored several books and articles detailing the state’s history, and Lucyl published a history of Oklahoma City that was used in Oklahoma public junior high schools.

In 1970, George and Lucyl established the Carrie Shirk Memorial Fund at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation in memory of their mother. The fund supports the Fund for Oklahoma City which addresses the changing needs and opportunities in the community. Upon George’s death in 1977, a bequest in his estate further supported the fund, as well as a variety

of charitable organization endowments. Following Lucyl’s death in 2008, memorial contributions benefited the fund, ensuring the Shirk family’s legacy and devotion to Oklahoma City will continue to impact our community well into the future.

The Shirk Family: Preserving a Family Legacy

Carrie Shirk

George Shirk

Lucyl Shirk

Maimee Lee Browne was a lady who truly lived her life to the fullest. Armed with a positive attitude and contagious enthusiasm, Mrs. Browne dreamed of doing things that had not been done and she did them.

Married for 62 years to Virgil Browne and the mother of six children, Mrs. Browne served many existing causes and initiated just as many new ones. While living in Texas and Louisiana she started a college savings program for public school children. In 1922, she established the first formal citizenship ceremony that remains the model for our country’s naturalization ceremony.

After the family moved to Oklahoma City in 1923, she directed her attention toward starting parent

education classes in Oklahoma City schools and later helped to establish the city’s Planned Parenthood Federation. A few years later, she organized and served as president of the first chapter of the Oklahoma City Women of Rotary. And through her tireless efforts, the Redbud was named the official state tree in 1938.

“With her brilliant mind and unlimited energy, her mind and hands never stopped. I don’t believe she ever lost a moment of time in her life,” wrote her husband in the introduction to a book of her poetry the family published several years after her death in 1963. Not long after the establishment of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation in 1969, Mr. Browne established an endowment in his wife’s memory. Fittingly, that endowment supports the Fund for Oklahoma City which is used by the Trustees to support innovative programs and projects that benefit the overall community.


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Two Thelma Gaylord Academy participants perform in Follow That Happy Ending, an original creation written by academy staff.


Our StoryCurt Schwartz Lyric Theatre Scholarship Fund: Encouraging Young Performers

The Eighties

Curt Schwartz was a performer. A commercial real estate developer by day, the married father of two fueled his passion for theatre and live performances through Lyric Theatre productions and as part of a two-man comedy team.

Armed with a fine arts degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1960, Curt quickly became active in local, state and national arts and cultural organizations and served on numerous boards including the Arts Council of Oklahoma City and Lyric Theatre. But performance was his calling. With his close friend Larry Bledsoe, they created the comedy team Schwartz & Bledsoe and performed across the country. He also appeared in memorable leading roles in several Lyric Theatre productions including Bye Bye Birdie and The Music Man and was the television and radio spokesperson for a local car dealership for many years. Curt always attributed his success as a performer to Maybelle Conger, his drama teacher at Central High School.

When Curt died in 1985 in a commercial airline crash at the age of 46, friends and family established a memorial fund at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation to benefit the Lyric Theatre Academy. Each year the academy, now known as the Thelma Gaylord Academy, offers classes in acting, music, dance and theatre technology to more than 300 children, ages 5-18, as well as adults. The Curt Schwartz Lyric Theatre Scholarship Fund provides scholarships for children who would not otherwise be able to attend the academy, thus encouraging the love of performance for future generations.


The EightiesEducation played a significant role in the lives of Mary and Spencer Sessions. Mary, a Guthrie native, taught in the Guthrie Public Schools for 18 years, and her husband Spencer served on the Guthrie Board of Education for 14 years, twice holding the office of board president.

Originally from Texas, Spencer moved to Guthrie in the 1920s to work for a local bank and the two met while Mary was attending the University of Oklahoma. They were married in 1926 and Mary continued teaching in the community until 1944. Mr. Sessions bought part interest in Loy’s Hardware, later renamed Sessions Hardware and Gifts. Following Spencer’s death in 1962, Mary continued to run the store to help support her sons through college. After their youngest son’s graduation, she sold the store and continued to remain

very active in the Guthrie community, serving as a founding member of the Logan County Historical Society. Mary died in 1988.

In 1989, their sons John and Don Sessions established the Mary and Spencer Sessions Teaching Award Fund at the Oklahoma City

Community Foundation in honor of their parents’ commitment to education. This fund supports an annual award to the Guthrie Teacher of the Year for curriculum, academic materials and training.

“These were two people who loved Oklahoma and we wanted to do something to honor them,” says Don Sessions. “They both had such an impact on the people of Guthrie during their lives, we hope to continue their legacy through this award.”

Mary & Spencer Sessions: Honoring a Couple’s Impact on Their Community

Roberta Eldridge Miller: A Passion for Art and her CommunityAs a child, Roberta Eldridge Miller developed a deep passion for art, and from her father, a wealthy businessman, she learned the importance of giving back to the community. These two factors would influence Mrs. Miller’s charitable giving throughout her life.

Born in Binger, Okla., where her parents owned several businesses and oil and gas interests, Roberta Eldridge studied art at Oklahoma City University. Married to Navy officer Oscar H. Miller, M.D., the couple lived in California until moving back to Oklahoma City in 1951. Once settled, Mrs. Miller returned to her love of painting. An accomplished painter in her own right, she encouraged new artists and would often purchase their works. Mrs. Miller became a patron of art shows throughout the country including the annual Prix de West show at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. She established the museum’s

Robert and Grace Eldridge Gallery in memory of her parents and supported many other museum activities over the years.

Throughout her life, she used her Eldridge inheritance to support varied organizations and charities that were close to her heart, and to help her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren achieve their educational goals. “My mother, as far back as I can remember, always taught me that if you have been able to provide for yourself and your family with what you need and you have something left over, you should share your good fortune with those who still have needs that can’t be met,” says Martha Miller Evans. “It was and is an important life lesson.”

Mrs. Miller died in November 2007. A long-time donor to the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, she left the assets of a revocable trust to the Roberta Eldridge Miller Legacy Fund, ensuring the support she had so lovingly and generously given to her community over the years will continue.


Our Story

Working with the Oklahoma City Community Foundation in 1981, Barth and Linda Bracken found a way to make a difference in their community that didn’t require a significant outlay of cash. The couple assigned part of the working interest from an oil and gas lease and established an advised fund. Since then, earnings from this one gift have allowed the couple to recommend an annual grant from the Barth and Linda Bracken Fund to a worthy organization or charitable project.

“It gives us an opportunity to support a cause or organization we’ve become aware of during the year,” says Linda Bracken. “It’s been a great investment on our part and we’re just so glad we did it.” Barth Bracken echoes his wife’s sentiments. “It’s really an easy process,” he says. “All we have to do is decide which organization we want to help out.”

Both Barth and Linda grew up in Okmulgee but raised their family in Oklahoma City where their company, Bracken Exploration, is headquartered. The couple became involved in the community and

volunteering their time and support to a variety of youth-based and arts projects. Since 1981, the couple has recommended grants to several Oklahoma City-based organizations including Youth Services for Oklahoma County and Variety Care as well as nonprofit groups near the family’s 400-acre ranch in eastern Oklahoma.

Variety Care provides maternal and child health care to low-income families and is one of several nonprofit organizations Barth and Linda Bracken have supported through their advised fund. Variety Care is the former Variety Health Center.

Barth & Linda Bracken: One Gift Benefits Many

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The Eighties

Married in 1932, native Texans Tom and Gladys Seale moved to Oklahoma City when Tom accepted an engineering job with a small independent oil company named Kerr-McGee.

Known as a hard worker and shrewd engineer, Tom played a key role in designing and building the world’s first off-shore drilling platform outside the sight of land in 1947 in the famed Block 32 located 11 miles off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico. According to an American Heritage article, Tom believed in working 24 hours a day and he would often go hunting for his men. “Hiding from Seale on days off became a feature of working for Kerr-McGee,” the article states. Tom’s work philosophy would influence the oil industry’s workweek for many years. Later in his career he would serve on the company’s board of directors.

Married 56 years, Tom and Gladys built a life together in Oklahoma City that included socializing with their many friends, attending social events and traveling. Although childless, Tom and Gladys Seale loved children. The couple established a donor advised fund at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation in 1986 to support a

number of youth-serving organizations including the Boys & Girls Club of Oklahoma County.

A school teacher prior to her marriage, Gladys would continue to support these groups following Tom’s death in 1989. A dedicated bridge player and antiques hunter, Gladys was 99 years old when she died in 2006. Thanks to a bequest in their estate, the Tom and Gladys Seale Fund will continue to support the organizations they cared about as a couple.

Tom & Gladys Seale: Making a Difference in Children’s Lives

The Boys & Girls Club of Oklahoma County offers many programs including homework assistance.

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John and Susan Frank are longtime supporters of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma that provides many programs including Kids Cafe, an afterschool and summer program for chronically hungry children.


Our StoryJohn & Susan Frank: Sharing With Their CommunityLongtime supporters of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and other charitable organizations, John and Susan Frank truly appreciate the value of giving. “We have nothing of our own, but are given all that we have,” says John. “To not share would be embarrassing. The emotional rewards of sharing must be experienced rather than described.”

An Oklahoma native, John graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1967. Originally from Indianapolis, Susan graduated from Purdue University and moved to Oklahoma in 1974 for a job opportunity. The two were married in 1976 and have established successful careers in Oklahoma City, John owns an accounting firm and Susan is the development director at Westminster School.

In 1993, the Franks established both Legacy and Express Funds at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation to provide vehicles for continued and regular giving to charitable organizations and programs in the community.

“The Oklahoma City Community Foundation allows us to provide continued support of the programs we care about,” says John. “We feel comfortable knowing that our charitable wishes will be carried out through our estate plans, so that we may continue to help future generations.”

One of the many charitable programs the Franks support is the Regional Food Bank’s Kids Cafe program. An afterschool and summer program, Kids Cafe provides food, mentoring, tutoring and a variety of other activities to approximately 850 chronically hungry children at 16 sites in central and western Oklahoma. Through the support of donors such as the Franks, the organization is able to better fight childhood hunger and, as a result, the children served show improvements in behavior and school performance.

“Children living in poverty have to do without a lot of things – we believe food should not be one of them,” says Rodney Bivens, executive director of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. “Thanks to many generous donors, the Regional Food Bank’s Kids Cafe program provides at-risk children with a safe after-school environment where they can get help with their homework, enjoy healthy activities and receive a nutritious snack or meal. Were it not for Kids Cafe, many of these children would have no place to go and nothing to eat after school.”

Additionally, John and Susan support other charitable organizations through their advised funds including World Neighbors, Infant Crisis Services, Heritage Hall and Hospice Foundation of Oklahoma. Thanks to their generous spirit and selfless giving, they are truly making a difference in our community.

The Nineties


The NinetiesJerry Cooper Marching Band Scholarship: Helping the Music Play On

Jerry Cooper may have lived and worked in “the capital of the world” for nearly two decades but he delighted in returning home to attend University of Oklahoma (OU) football games and watching the marching band perform at halftime.

The “Nebraska (game) was a must,” says his mother, Barbara Cooper. “He couldn’t understand why so many people leave their seats at halftime.” Jerry loved music and realized a dream when he earned a place in the OU marching band playing baritone.

A journalism graduate, Jerry held a variety of reporting jobs before moving to New York City where he initially worked as a freelance writer. He was hired by a hospitality trade magazine and worked his way up the editorial ladder before accepting the job of senior editor at Interior Design Magazine, the position he held when he died in 1989 at the age of 34.

Described by his co-workers as a crackerjack editor who was sensitive and forward thinking, it comes as no surprise that before his death Jerry asked his parents to establish an endowment that would provide a scholarship each year for a member of the OU marching band.

“He wanted others to have the kind of positive experience he had,” his mother says. Since 1993, the Jerry Cooper Marching Band Scholarship endowment at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation has helped other OU band members realize their dreams.

“The scholarship makes it possible for us to reward deserving students for their outstanding service to the Pride of Oklahoma,” says Brian Britt, band director. “We are truly grateful for the Jerry Cooper Marching Band Scholarship and are a better organization as a result of the scholarships provided by the fund.”

The Jerry Cooper Marching Band Scholarship provides awards to deserving OU band members.

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Our Story

Classen High School, located at the corner of Northwest 19th Street and Ellison Avenue in central Oklahoma City, was constructed following the close of World War I and is the city’s oldest high school building. The 6.3 acres on which it was built was part of an area owned by real estate developer Anton H. Classen. Initially opened as a junior high school in 1919, the school was converted to a high school in 1925, graduating its first senior class in the spring of 1926 and its last in 1985. In 1994, Classen became a magnet school for grades 6-12 and renamed the Classen School of Advanced Studies.

During its first 60 years, the school graduated more than 20,000 students, many like Don and Carolyn Zachritz who recall with great fondness their time spent as Classen Comets. The couple and many of their fellow 1955 graduates wanted to both recognize their connection to the school and reward

a current student with a scholarship. In 1997, the group established the Classen ’55 Scholars Award at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation that provides an annual scholarship to a graduating senior based upon financial need, scholastic or artistic merit and good character.

“Like all students fortunate to have attended Classen High School, we remember with appreciation the great education we received,” says Don Zachritz. “That’s why it was important to our class of ’55 to assist other students with their education by establishing the scholarship endowment.” The Classen graduating classes of 1945 and 1954 have followed the lead of the 1955 class and established similar funds also for the benefit of current Classen students. In addition, the Classen Awards Foundation endowment provides scholarships to graduates of the school.

An appreciation for the education they received at Classen High School inspired the Class of ‘55 to create an endowment to award scholarships to students now attending the Classen School of Advanced Studies.

Classen ’55 Scholars Award: Connecting the Past with the Future


Sally Jo Langston believed that a home was the heart for every family. Together with her husband Wendell, they created custom homes for dozens of families for more than 25 years.

The daughter of Oklahoma jewelry business pioneer B.C. Clark, Sally

Jo also understood the importance of giving back to the community. Throughout her life she focused her charitable giving on organizations that give a “help up instead of a hand out” especially those groups who provided assistance during an unexpected crisis like the American Red Cross of Central Oklahoma. For many years, Sally Jo made regular contributions to the organization’s endowment fund at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation. Her longtime support and

the support of others like her helped the organization meet the needs of the thousands of families who were impacted by the December 2007 ice storm in central Oklahoma. Thousands of individuals sought refuge at the Cox Convention Center in downtown Oklahoma City and were served by more than 100 volunteers who provided meals as well as medical attention.

“Without our donors we would have no hope of fulfilling our mission. It is only through the generosity of our donors and volunteers that we are able to serve others,” says Vince Hernandez, chief executive officer of the American Red Cross of Central Oklahoma.

Sally Jo died in 2008 but thanks to her thoughtfulness and concern for others, her support of the American Red Cross of Central Oklahoma and other charitable organizations will continue to benefit others for many years to come.

The Nineties

Because of the support of donors like Sally Jo Langston the American Red Cross of Central Oklahoma was able to assist thousands of people affected by the 2007 ice storm.

Sally Jo Langston: Helping Others in Need

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Our Story

Jim Cobb’s love for his alma mater combined with his sincere appreciation for the education he received led him and his wife LaVerna to help students pursue their dreams of a college education. “My college education did a lot for me,” says Jim. “When I got out I made a promise to myself if I ever had an opportunity to give back I would.”

Originally from Norman, Jim received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from Oklahoma State University (OSU). He and LaVerna met in Stillwater and were married in 1956. Upon Jim’s graduation, the couple moved to Oklahoma City where Jim joined Cobb Engineering Company, which was founded by his father, Fred, in 1921. Jim bought the family business from his father in 1971 and today serves as director of the company.

Jim’s support of his alma mater began soon after his graduation. In 1965, he and four other OSU alumni established the OSU POSSE, a fundraising organization for the OSU Athletic Department that today boasts 8,200 members. He was inducted into the OSU Alumni Association Hall of Fame in 2008, is a recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award and is a member of the OSU College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology Hall of Fame.

In 1990, Jim and LaVerna established a charitable organization endowment fund at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation to support scholarships at the OSU School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Later, they added to the endowment with distributions from their retirement plans, continuing their support for the education of future engineers at the university so dear to their hearts.

Jim & LaVerna Cobb: Giving Back Through Scholarships


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Judge Eugene Mathews established an endowment to benefit Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, a nonprofit law firm that aids low-income families with civil legal issues. The organization helped Jessica and her son, Trevor, escape from an abusive household. Now in a safe home environment, Jessica hopes to be a paralegal one day to help others like herself.


Our StoryJudge Eugene Mathews: Encouraging Social Justice For All

The New Century

Judge Eugene “Gene” Mathews was passionate about two things: his family and social justice.

Born in 1928 in Oklahoma City, Gene began his law practice in 1954 and early on was a vocal leader in the struggle for racial equality in the community. At a time when few white professionals were speaking out against segregation, he stepped forward and offered legal representation at no cost to people who had participated in sit-ins and demonstrations against Jim Crow laws or who pressed to segregate the Oklahoma City public schools.

In 1966, he and his wife, Doli, began a movement known as “Thirty Families” that encouraged 30 white families, beginning with their own family that included five daughters, to move into an area of northeast Oklahoma City that had been affected by white flight.

“Gene had a deeply held conviction of the integrity of each person, regardless of their race, religion or bank account,” says Doli. “This conviction was at the root of his concern for those who suffered discrimination or injustice; a concern that fueled his work and really his life.”

Gene continued to practice law until 1988 when he was appointed judge of the Oklahoma District Court Bench, a position he held for 11 years until his retirement.

In 1999, Judge Mathews established a charitable organization endowment fund at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation for the benefit of Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, a nonprofit law firm that assists eligible low-income individuals and seniors with civil legal problems, a cause close to his heart. Following his death in 2005, memorial gifts from friends and family were directed to the endowment, ensuring that Judge Mathews’ passion for social justice will continue.


The New Century

Charles and Mary Lou Miles credit their education with bringing them far from their humble beginnings.

Growing up in Fairfax, Charles attended the town’s only all-black elementary school and moved to Tulsa to finish high school. After serving in the Navy during World War II, he earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial arts from Hampton University in Hampton, Va. Mary was familiar with the challenges of receiving an education as a black student during segregation. Originally from Buford, Ga., she was sent to attend Stillman Boarding School in Tuscaloosa, Ala. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Clark College, now Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta.

Charles and Mary Lou met as teachers in Gainsville, Ga. and were married in 1948. After moving to Oklahoma

City, they both obtained master’s degrees in 1955 and taught for nearly 40 years at various middle and high schools throughout the community. Now retired, they continue to instill the value of education in their family. Their oldest daughter Gayle Miles-Scott is a CPA and a retired accounting professor, and daughter Vicki Miles-LaGrange is the Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma.

“Education was a way up and a way out for my parents,” says Vicki. “Because of the challenges of the time, they were forced to continue moving further away from home to receive a quality education.”

In 2007, the Miles family established a scholarship fund at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation in honor of the couple’s 60-year marriage and to ensure that their family legacy of learning will live on.

Charles & Mary Lou Miles: A Legacy of Learning


John & Joy Reed Belt: Helping to Preserve the Paseo DistrictWith its rich history dating back to the 1920s, the Paseo District is a truly unique neighborhood located in central Oklahoma City. Its Spanish revival architecture stucco buildings were once home to jazz clubs in the 1950s and the counter culture in the 1960s. It was during the 1970s that the area began its transformation into a vibrant artist haven that today is home to nearly 20 galleries as well as restaurants and boutiques. Its annual arts festival, held each Memorial Day weekend, attracts a wide and varied crowd.

For over 30 years John and Joy Reed Belt have led the charge to revitalize the area and make it a desirable neighborhood in which to live and work. John, who has served as the General Counsel of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation since 1984, owns a majority of the commercial space in the Paseo District. In addition to her career as an executive recruiter and corporate consultant, Joy works to promote local and regional artists through her Paseo gallery, JRB Art at the Elms. John was also the founder of Harding Fine Arts Academy, a charter high school located near the Paseo District.

In 2007 the couple created a Legacy Fund at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, ensuring their support of the Paseo District and other arts-related and beautification projects continues well into the future.

“The many years of experience I have had with the Oklahoma City Community Foundation as well as several other foundations, enables me to say that it is the most efficient and certain way of achieving a donor’s charitable goals that I have seen,” John said.

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The Paseo Arts District is home to nearly 20 artist galleries as well as restaurants and boutiques.


Dean Wild: Finding Fairness For All In 1956, segregation was prevalent throughout the country but in Frederick, Okla., head football coach Dean Wild recognized athletic talent, regardless of skin color. His decision to integrate the high school team was more about giving young men a fair chance than about politics. That year he teamed 12 players from the town’s black high school with 27 white players. Together they would go undefeated and become the first integrated team to win a state championship, a full 10 years before Frederick schools would be integrated.

“It was tough, real tough,” Dean’s wife Mildred says of the 1956 season. “Dean always said the saving grace was the fact the team beat everybody.”

Born in 1912 near Granite, Okla., Dean Wild was the youngest of six. He graduated from Southwestern Oklahoma Teacher’s College and would coach and teach mathematics for more than 30 years before serving as the vice principal at Putnam City West High School soon after the school opened in the 1968. As an administrator, Dean would bring the same fairness he used as a coach and quickly earned the respect of the students and faculty.

As a trailblazing coach, Dean Wild earned many honors. What may have meant most to him though was the scholarship fund established by the Putnam City West Alumni Association in his honor at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation. “It was one of the few times I’d seen him at a loss for words,” says Mildred, who had been married to Dean for 69 years when he died in 2008 at the age of 95.

The New Century

Coach Dean Wild, Frederick High School

Mildred & Dean Wild


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A successful oil and gas producer, James Meade and his wife, Virginia, are longtime art collectors who share their passion with the community through their longtime support of the Oklahoma City Museum of Art.

Mr. Meade, a native of Pittsburgh, Pa., and Mrs. Meade, who was born in Mexico City, moved to Oklahoma City in 1958 when he was transferred by Snee and Eberly, an Appalachian oil and gas producer, to oversee drilling throughout Oklahoma and the Arkoma Basin. Today the company operates as the Meade Energy Corporation.

During the time Mr. Meade was growing the company, the couple began acquiring their varied and vast art collection and became involved with the art museum. Over the years, Mr. and Mrs. Meade as well as their eldest daughter, Virginia Meade Fox, have held leadership positions on the museum’s volunteer board. In fact, Mr. Meade was the museum’s first board president and remains a lifetime Trustee.

Glen Gentele, museum director, says the Meades’ leadership and commitment to the museum has made a difference in its development. “They share

their collections, personal resources and knowledge in so many ways,” he says. “Whether it be hosting Evenings in the Homes of Collectors or lending superb examples of antique pistols, marine paintings and 18th-century English and American silver for exhibitions, or establishing endowments and providing operating support, their philanthropy inspires our work and the community.”

In 2007, the couple established the James C. and Virginia W. Meade Collections Fund at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation to assist the museum in acquiring art for its permanent collection. “As an art collector, I believe an appreciation for the arts is important to Oklahoma City,” Mr. Meade says. “We were a little behind our neighbors like Dallas and Tulsa and my wife and I wanted to do something to make up the difference.”

The Meades have been donors to the Oklahoma City Community Foundation since 1993. “We have a high regard for the purpose of the community foundation and the way they conduct business and keep donors informed,” he added.

Jim and Virginia Meade are longtime supporters of the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. At right, the Meades with one of their five daughters, Virginia Meade Fox (left), and niece Elizabeth Meade.

James & Virginia Meade: Enriching the Art Community

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Contact Information1000 N. Broadway Ave.

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P.O. Box 1146 73101-1146

Phone | 405/235-5603

Fax | 405/235-5612

Web Site | www.occf.org

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