More Images from Women's History Exhibit

Click on images to enlarge.

Teri Bowers Heads Oklahoma Aquarium in Jenks

The Oklahoma Aquarium in Jenks, Oklahoma has appointed Teri Bowers Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director. She has 18 years experience in television news including at KTUL-Channel 8. She is married to KTUL Chief meteorologist Frank Mitchell and they have two children.

Oklahoma's Jeane Kirkpatrick Profiled

The Okahoman has a nice article on the US's 16th Ambassador to the UN (and Oklahoma native) Jeane Kirkpatrick today. Read the article here...

Wilma Mankiller & Michael Wallis = Tulsa Headliners

The Tulsa Press Club will honor Wilma Mankiller, first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, and best selling author Michael Wallis by recognizing them as the 2007 Headliners. They will be honored at a banquet Sept. 7 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Tulsa. The Headliners Club was started in 1956 by the Tulsa Press Club to recognize outstanding civic, business, professional and industrial leaders of the community.

Aug 26 is Women's Equality Day

Happy Women's Equality Day! Check out these websites and take note of which women they choose to highlight!


1.) About.com's page about Women's Equality Day.


2.) The White House's 2007 Women's Equality Day Proclamation.


3.) A 34 page report on women's equality published by the Directorate of Research, Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute, Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. (Hats off to our women in the military!) Were you familiar with Kate Millett (who Time Magazine called "the Mao Tse-tung of Women’s liberation") or her book Sexual Politics?

New Book on Oklahoma "Voices From the Heartland"

The University of Oklahoma Press is about to release Voices From the Heartland -- a collection of essays edited by four Rogers State University faculty - Carolyn Anne Taylor, Emily Dial-Driver, Carole Burrage; and Sally Emmons-Featherston.

Celebrating women's contributions to Oklahoma, the essays are written by renowned Oklahoma women including Wilma Mankiller, Kim Henry, Billie Letts, Maria Tallchief, and Sherri Coale.

To read more, click here.

Check out their great website here.

To purchase a copy at Amazon, click here.

Voice of the Tallgrass - Native Women Artists of Oklahoma

I have blogged previously on this exhibit at the Pioneer Woman Museum in Ponca City that runs through September 16. It showcases a large variety of 25 very talented Native women of Oklahoma including Cherokee bead worker Martha Berry, Osage artist Wendy Ponca, Kaw painter Cindy Russell, Sac and Fox ribbon worker Shalah Rowlen, and Cherokee painter Virginia Stroud. The show is open Tues - Sat: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sun: 1 - 5 p.m.. Admission: $3 adults, $2.50 seniors, $1 youth (ages 6-18), free for children under age 6.

Here is the museum's website: http://www.pioneerwomanmuseum.com/

and here is a nice article about the exhibit: http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=8949

Oklahoma Women's Groups meet with Rep Mary Fallin

Representatives from Oklahoma women's organizations including Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., American Association of University Women, Federally Employed Women, Girls Scouts - Red Lands Council, League of Women Voters of Oklahoma, National Association of Women Business Owners, National Federation of Business and Professional Women, the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women, the Oklahoma Women's Network, the Women's Foundation of Oklahoma, and the YWCA of Oklahoma City met with Representative Mary Fallin August 21st to discuss legislation and programs that can improve the status of women and girls in Oklahoma.

Billie Rodely Moving from OETA to Mary Fallin's Staff

I know several staffers whose relationship with Congresswoman Mary Fallin's office has ended in recent weeks. So I was delighted to learn via a post on The McCarville Report that Billie Rodely is going onto the Congresswoman's staff. We will miss her fine reporting at OETA but this promises to be an exciting move for both women. I assume this means Billie will have to give up her prominent role in the Oklahoma City Gridiron Show; I'll miss that.

Deana Franke & Miki Farris Nominated for Award

Two Oklahoma women have been nominated for the 2007 “Stand On A Better World” Award and YOU can cast a vote for one. The award is presented by Mannington Mills, a leading manufacturer of flooring.

The program recognizes and celebrates women who “do the right thing” to make a difference in the lives of people and communities in America and around the globe. There are three levels of awards -- local, national and global. One winner will be chosen in each award category and receive $10,000 for her chosen charity. One of those three will be the Grand Prize recipient receiving $25,000 for her chosen charity. One woman, chosen by online voting, will receive the “Your Better World Award” and $10,000 for her chosen charity. Winners will be announced in October 2007, with the awards ceremony held Nov. 15 in Philadelphia.

So cast your vote for either Deana Frank who helped found and now run a battered women's shelter in Tahlequah or Miki Farris who founded the Infant Crisis Center in Oklahoma City. Check out the program and cast your vote here. Voting ends on September 7, 2007.

MJ Alexander's "Salt of the Earth"

Oklahoma artist MJ Alexander has traveled nearly 5,000 miles to photograph the faces of Oklahoma's Centenarians. Beginning August 17th, her photos will be on display at The Oklahoma Heritage Center in Oklahoma City. In addition, Alexander has published the book Salt of the Earth: The Wit and Wisdom from Oklahoma's Elders. Her exhibit and book pay tribute to the individuals who have both lived and created Oklahoma's history.

Stillwater Sculptor Lou Moore Hale

OU's Sooner magazine has a nice article in their Spring 2007 issue about Stillwater sculptor Lou Moore Hale's Centennial project "Facing a Century: Life Stories in Sculpture." Lou carved the portraits and her husband, OSU professor emeritus in history, Doug Hale wrote biographies. The works are on exhibit around Oklahoma. In August, they will be on display at Redlands Community College. View her work here.

July 28 - Women Authors Sign Books at OKC Zoo

Three Stillwater women authors will sign books at the Oklahoma City Zoo Saturday, July 28 from 9 to noon. Linda Allen’s book, Menagerie at the Manger, is about animals at the Nativity and has been named 2007 Book of the Season by The Book Bank Foundation. Jewel Sample’s Flying Hugs and Kisses tell about her grandson, Brennen, who died from SIDS. There is a companion activity book as well. Lori Scott has contributed to more than a dozen books and published over thirty-five short stories, devotions, puzzles, articles, and poems. She will showcase the first two titles in her new children’s chapter book series, Meghan Rose on Stage and Meghan Rose Has Ants in Her Pants. For more information, call the Zoo at 405-424-3344 or go to http://www.okczoo.com/.

Norma Eagleton Made History

Former Oklahoma Senator Penny Williams suggested to my husband recently that I need to show on my website that:

Norman Eagleton was the first woman elected to statewide office in Oklahoma who could have voted for herself.

Yeah, Norma. Thank you, Senator.

Oklahoma's Trail Riding Gals

When she isn't teaching middle school in Edmond, my step-daughter, Adena Warner, raises adopted mustangs and curly horses and is a member of Oklahoma's Parade Gals - a sub group of Oklahoma's Trail Riding Gals. You can read an article about the group here that appeared recently in Edmond Outlook magazine. Read more about trail riding at Oklahoma Horse Online. Click on the image to the left to see May's curly main.

Oklahoma Women's Groups to Meet

Faye Henson (left), Oklahoma State President of the American Association of University Women and I met today with Dena Drabeck (center) at Congresswoman Mary Fallin's downtown OKC office to plan a gathering of women's group in late August. Stay tuned for more on this new initiative.

:-)

Jennifer Onzahwah Elected 1st Women Chief of Absentee Shawnee Tribe

Jennifer Onzahwah was recently elected the first woman chief of the Absentee Shawnee Tribe. Read Oklahoman article here.

Oklahoma's Best Women Athletes

The Oklahoman today has a list of "The 100 Best Athletes in Oklahoma History." Ten are women. One is a horse: Easy Jet.

Here are The Oklahoman's picks and their rank plus The Oklahoman's explanation (in quotes) for the women athletes they included:

#5 Shannon Miller - "(Edmond) The most decorated American gymnast ever, with two world all-around championships and an Olympic all-around silver medal that would have been gold if not for dubious judging."

#20 Nancy Lopez - "(University of Tulsa) LPGA's Sam Sneed. Big winner, but never won U.S. Open"

#26 Susie Maxwell Berning - "(Oklahoma City, OCU) Three-time U.S. Open golf winner; four of her 11 LPGA Tour wins were in majors."

#33 Crystal Robinson - "(Atoka, Southeastern State) ABL rookie of the year in 1996, then jumped to the WNBA in 1999 and the New York Liberty."

#37 Doll Harris - "(Cement) Led Durant's Presbyterian College to 1932 AAU women's basketball title."

#61 Michele Smith - "(OSU) Two-time Olympic softball gold medalist is a celebrity in Japan, where she played 14 seasons in the Japanese Pro League. Screaming fans clamor for her autograph; maybe it's the hair. Time Magazine voted Smith "best hair" of the Atlanta Olympics." [I am not making this up; that is what the boys who wrote this elected to focus on!]

#66 Stacey Dales "(OU) Past WNBA all-star, returned to league in 2006 but still a college broadcaster."

#84 Courtney Paris "(OU) Let's assume she'll keep moving up the list."

#86 Kelly Garrison "(Altus, OU) 1988 Olympian placed 16th in gymnastics all-around."

#95 Cindy Yan Fang "(OCU) During her prime, greatest softball second baseman in the world." (NOTE: I'm having trouble finding information on Cindy but, according to an old Oklahoman article, in 1998 she was 29 years old, born in Beijing, 5-8, 136 pounds. She batted .414 with 64 runs in 69 games in 1997 and batted .448 with 76 runs in 63 games in 1998. According to OCU's Rich Tortorelli, "She helped China win the silver medal in the 1996 Olympics. She holds the OCU career record for average (.463). She was All-Tournament at the NAIA Championships in 1997 and 1998, NAIA first-team all-American in 1997, 1998 and 1999 and NAIA player of the year in 1998 and 1999.")

In the The Oklahoman's March 2007 educational supplement "Generations of Oklahoma Women Moving History Forward" (funded by the Oklahoma Women's Network and Girl Scouts Red Lands and Sooner Councils and written predominantly by OSU professors Bob Darcy and Jennifer Paustenbuagh), we also listed Val Skinner and Kelli Litsch.

Val Skinner was an OSU golfer who in 1980 and 1982 was the Big Eight Conference Women's Golf Champion, in 1982 was Big Eight Conference Outstanding Female Athlete, and in 1982 was NCAA All-American. Skinner has earned over $2.4 million as a professional golfer and has raised more than $2.5 million for breast cancer research. She works as analyst for Golf Channel and CBS.

Here is what Bob Darcy said about Kelli Litsch: "From Fay, Oklahoma, Kelli Litsch is considered one of the best to have ever played the game of basketball. She led Thomas high School to two straight six-on-six state high school championships in 1980 and 1981. Turning down scholarships to play at Division I schools, she went to Southwestern Oklahoma State university wherre she powered the lady Bulldogs to three NIAA national championships going 129-5 and becoming the first female athlete to be named a first-team All-American four years in a row."

What women would YOU have included in the top 100 Oklahoma Athletes List? Tell Berry Tramel at btramel@oklahoman.com. He will run comments in The Oklahoman.

Stillwater Artist Lynn Schwartz

Stillwater artist Lynn Schwartz is exhibiting her oil and acrylic paintings at the Oklahoma State Capitol. You'll have to find your way to the Governor's Gallery on the second floor to see her extraordinary work but it is worth it! The show, entitled "Movement: Oklahoma Heritage to Horizons" is sponsored by the Oklahoma Arts Council and will be up through August 17.

Louisa McCune and Oklahoma Today Magazine

Oklahoma Today magazine is celebrating the state’s centennial year by publishing the top forty-six images of the last one-hundred-plus years. The landmark twenty-four-page portfolio appears in their July/August 2007 issue. Louisa McCune says, “The images tell the story of our state in an unpredictable but timeless way. From the Dust Bowl and Civil Rights struggles to quiet family life, this portfolio is simply arresting.” Photographs by Alfred Eisenstaedt, Nina Leen, Dorothea Lange, and A.Y. Owen are included in the collection as well as two Pulitzer Prize-winning images. J. Pat Carter’s image of the May 3, 1999, tornado, which won the Alfred Eisenstaedt Award, also appears in the portfolio. If you don't already subscribe to this remarkable magazine, you'll want to pick up a copy of this issue.

Kalyn Free to be Honored by National Education Association

Oklahoman Kayln Free will be honored by the National Education Association July 1st. Read story here.

Creating the Oklahoma Women's Coalition

I am inviting women's groups and organizations interested in improving the status of women and girls in Oklahoma to help organize a loose-knit coalition to do the following:

(a) Produce a Kids Count-like annual report on the status of women in Oklahoma

(b) Establish a coalition of groups committed to protecting the rights of and improving the status of women and girls in Oklahoma

(c) Select four or five issues to be addressed in the 2008 legislative session and get authors to introduce bills -- and let legislators know about our support for these bills

(d) Raise funds to hire a part-time lobbyist to keep coalition members informed on the status of these bills during the session

(e) Use the Internet and area meetings to encourage coalition members to lobby their legislators and the Governor on these bills

(f) At the close of the 2008 legislative session, produce a “report card” that identifies which legislators voted for these bills

If you belong to an organization that has a legislative agenda that addressess women's issues and you think it might like to participate in this coalition, please let me know (see my profile for contact information). I especially want to include women's groups from all across the state.

Donita Huddleston Thomas Moves to MidFirst Bank

Donita Thomas has left Bank America and is now senior vice president for business banking at MidFirst Bank - Oklahoma City's largest bank. Bank America advertises itself as "the nation's leading financial institution" and, indeed, they have banks literally everywhere. So I always worried they would transfer Donita to New York or California or (heaven forbid) Texas. I have a hunch she is less likely to get away from Oklahoma at MidFirst Bank which is good because that would be a terrible loss for Oklahoma.

Elizabeth Waner is New Edmond City Council Member

REMINDER TO MYSELF: As soon as I get caught up on last weeks (neglected) email, I want to post about Edmond's new city council member.

Update on Amy Poloncheck

I had a nice visit with Amy Polonchek recently. She assures me that she wasn't run off from her position as Executive Director of the Department of Commerce. She tired of the commute - something I can relate to as I, too, tired of commuting to OU when I was running the N.E.W. Leadership Oklahoma program. Amy is happy to be working at the State Dept of Career Tech. The Polonchecks own a home in Stillwater. Her husband works at OSU and she is glad to be back home in Stillwater.

Update on OK author Bellie Letts

From Barbara Santee:

A lot of people have been asking what happened to Tulsa author, Billie Letts, who was arrested when she demonstrated against the Bush Administration's war policy in Iraq when Dick Cheney was in Tulsa several weeks ago. Billie went to court on Thursday, June 7; and the case was dismissed because the policeman who arrested her did not show up as a witness for the prosecution. So, Billie is free as a bird and working on her next novel! By the way, be sure to see her son's (Tracy Lett's) movie, Bug, showing at the AMC. It is an amazing experience!

Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher Portrait to be Unveiled in House of Representatives

I am so old, I can remember when there was almost NO art at the State Capitol. Now it is everywhere and it is beautiful but more importantly some even celebrates Oklahoma women! So of course I am thrilled that a portrait of Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher will be unveiled in the House of Representatives at 11 am Tuesday, June 19. Read the story here --> http://www.ok.gov/newsroom.php?page_id=22&type=1

Jeanette Gamba is AAA National Chair

Jeanette Gamba was recently elected national chairman of AAA. Gamba is chair of Jordan Associates, an Oklahoma City-bassed advertising and public relations company. she is the first woman to hold the position. AAA has over 50 million members.

When US Women Got the Vote

Tom Clapper reminded me today that it was on this day in 1919 that the 19th amendment to the Constitution was passed by Congress giving women the right to vote!
:-)

Full Circle Bookstore to Feature Oklahoma Women Authors

On Thursday, June 7, at 6:30 p.m., Dana Bagshaw will sign her book Mama Grace at the Full Circle Bookstore in 50 Penn Place, Oklahoma City. A historical novel based on an original manuscript by the author's grandmother, Letha Crossman, it tells the story of her family homesteading in Oklahoma in the early 1900s. The book has been selected as an official project of the Oklahoma Centennial Commission and includes photos of the period.

And on Saturday, June 9, at 3 p.m., M.J. Alexander will sign her new book Salt of the Red Earth: A Century of Wit and Wisdom from Oklahoma's Elders. Her newest photography book is a collection of portraits of Oklahomans born in or before 1907.