The Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) is an

agency Agency may refer to: Organizations * Institution, governmental or others ** Advertising agency or marketing agency, a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising for its clients ** Employment agency, a business that ...

of the

government of Oklahoma The government of the U.S. State of Oklahoma, established by the Oklahoma Constitution, is a republican democracy modeled after the federal government of the United States. The state government has three branches: the executive, legislative, and ...

dedicated to promotion and preservation of

Oklahoma's history The history of Oklahoma refers to the history of the state of Oklahoma and the land that the state now occupies. Areas of Oklahoma east of its panhandle were acquired in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, while the Panhandle was not acquired until t ...

and its people by collecting, interpreting, and disseminating knowledge and artifacts of

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

. The mission of the OHS is to collect, preserve, and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. The society has the rare distinction of being both a Smithsonian Institution and National Archives and Records Administration affiliate.

History

The OHS was formed in May 1893, 14 years before Oklahoma became a state, by the Oklahoma Territorial Press Association. The initial function of the OHS was to collect and distribute newspapers published in

Oklahoma Territory The Territory of Oklahoma was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 2, 1890, until November 16, 1907, when it was joined with the Indian Territory under a new constitution and admitted to the Union as th ...

. The society was declared an agency of the territorial government in 1895, and it became an official state government agency when Oklahoma reached

statehood A state is a centralized political organization that imposes and enforces rules over a population within a territory. There is no undisputed definition of a state. One widely used definition comes from the German sociologist Max Weber: a "sta ...

in 1907. The OHS is both a private, membership organization and an Oklahoma government agency. The OHS Board of Directors is made up of 25 members, 12 of whom are appointed by the governor and 13 elected by OHS members to three-year terms.

Functions

The OHS today works statewide and nationally to preserve and nurture Oklahoma's history. The

Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office The Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) is an agency of the government of Oklahoma dedicated to promotion and preservation of Oklahoma's history and its people by collecting, interpreting, and disseminating knowledge and artifacts of Oklahoma. ...

, also operated by the OHS, carries out federal preservation programs in Oklahoma under the

National Historic Preservation Act The National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA; Public Law 89-665; 54 U.S.C. 300101 ''et seq.'') is legislation intended to preserve historic and archaeological sites in the United States of America. The act created the National Register of Historic ...

, to preserve Oklahoma's significant buildings, parks, objects, and sites. Projects are carried out in partnership with the

Department of the Interior The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government headquartered at the Main Interior Building, located at 1849 C Street NW in Washington, D.C. It is responsible for the mana ...

and the National Park Service, as well as other state and local governments, groups, and interested people. The society posts markers at historical sites.

Publications

The OHS has published ''

The Chronicles of Oklahoma ''The Chronicles of Oklahoma'' is the scholarly journal published by the Oklahoma Historical Society The Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) is an agency of the government of Oklahoma dedicated to promotion and preservation of Oklahoma's hist ...

'', the society's scholarly journal, since 1921 and continues to issue four editions per year. The society's monthly newsletter, ''Mistletoe Leaves'', includes information about OHS activities and historical happenings throughout Oklahoma. Both publications and other historical works are available by subscription or per issue. The OHS has also published numerous other titles including ''The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma Culture and History''. ''The Chronicles of Oklahoma'' through 1962 are available online through the

Oklahoma State University Library Electronic Publishing Center The Oklahoma State University Library Electronic Publishing Center is located at 103 Oklahoma State University Library Annex Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078, United States. The Electronic Publishing Center has four important digital collections online: ...

. The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma Culture and History is available on the society's website.

Archives and collections

The OHS Research Division houses more than 9 million photographs, more than 1 million pages of historical documents and manuscripts, 3,000 oral histories, historic film and video collections, and more than 4,400 titles of newspapers on available microfilm. Many of the Oklahoma Historical Society's documents and materials are available online at little or no charge, including indexes to the Dawes Rolls, Oklahoma military deaths, the 1890 Oklahoma Territorial Census, Territorial Incorporation Records, Hastain's Township Plats of the Creek Nation, Oklahoma County marriage records 1889–1951, Daily Oklahoman obituaries, and Smith’s First Directory of Oklahoma Territory. The online archives catalog also contains some of the photographs in the OHS Research Division Collection. Historic newspapers are available free of charge on the society's Gateway to Oklahoma History.

Museums and historic sites

Oklahoma History Center

The society operates the

Oklahoma History Center The Oklahoma History Center (OHC) is the history museum of the state of Oklahoma. Located on an plot across the street from the Governor's mansion at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive in Oklahoma City, the current museum opened in 2005 and is operated by t ...

, the state's museum located in Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma History Center occupies 215,000 ft² (19,974m²) and contains more than 2,000 artifacts and exhibits featuring hands-on audio, video, and activities. A museum store is available online or at the Oklahoma History Center, and annual membership can be purchased for individuals, families, and institutions. From 1919 to 1942, Czarina Conlan was in charge of collecting artifacts and documents for the museum from the various Native American tribes throughout the state. The History Center also houses the OHS Research Division, which includes a large Research Center that is free and open to the public.

Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture (OKPOP)

In May 2009 the OHS announced plans to build a second museum, to be called the Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture, or OKPOP, and located in Tulsa's Brady District. It is planned as the state museum of popular culture, including music, television, film and the performing arts. After lengthy delays, funding for the museum was obtained through a $25 million

bond issue In finance, a bond is a type of security under which the issuer (debtor) owes the holder (creditor) a debt, and is obliged – depending on the terms – to repay the principal (i.e. amount borrowed) of the bond at the maturity date as well as i ...

approved in 2015. In late 2016, the society announced that OKPOP will be located on North Main Street, across the street from Cain's Ballroom.

Other locations

The Oklahoma Historical Society also administers a number of state-owned properties either in their entirety or with interpretive centers.: * Museums ** Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center ** Museum of the Western Prairie **

Oklahoma Route 66 Museum A Route 66 museum is a museum devoted primarily to the history of U.S. Route 66, a U.S. Highway which served the states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois, in the United States from 1926 until it w ...

** Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library **Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum ** Pioneer Woman Museum and Statue ** Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center ** White Hair Memorial ** Will Rogers Memorial Museum * Historic Homes ** Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum ** Fred and Addie Drummond Home ** Hunter's Home **

Sod House The sod house or soddy was an often used alternative to the log cabin during frontier settlement of the Great Plains of Canada and the United States in the 1800s and early 1900s. Primarily used at first for animal shelters, corrals, and fences, ...

** Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch *Military Sites **

Cabin Creek Battlefield Two American Civil War military engagements were fought at the Cabin Creek battlefield in the Cherokee Nation within Indian Territory. The location was where the Texas Road crossed Cabin Creek, near the present-day town of Big Cabin, Oklahoma. Bo ...

** Fort Gibson Historic Site ** Fort Supply Historic Site ** Fort Towson Historic Site ** Honey Springs Battlefield *Affiliates **Atoka Museum and Civil War Cemetery ** Cherokee Strip Museum and Rose Hill School ** Chisholm Trail Museum and Horizon Hill ** Henry and Anna Overholser Mansion **Oklahoma State Capitol Museum **Tom Mix Museum

Leadership

The Oklahoma Historical Society is under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Tourism and Branding. Under Governor of Oklahoma

Kevin Stitt John Kevin Stitt (born December 28, 1972) is an American businessman and politician serving as the 28th governor of Oklahoma. A member of the Republican Party, he began his first term as governor in January 2019 and was reelected to a second t ...

, Matt Pinnell is serving as the secretary.

Board of directors

The OHS is governed by a 25-member board of directors. Thirteen of those members are elected by the members of the society and twelve are appointed by the governor of Oklahoma, with the approval of the

Oklahoma Senate The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution.ex officio An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term '' ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the office', and the sense intended is 'by right ...

member of the board. The board is responsible for appointing an executive director of the society, who serves concurrently as the state historic preservation officer. The current executive director is Trait Thompson.

References

External links

Oklahoma Historical Society official site

''The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''

OHS Gateway to Oklahoma History

Oklahoma History Center official site

OKPOP official site
{{authority control State historical societies of the United States History of Oklahoma State agencies of Oklahoma Museum organizations Historical societies in Oklahoma 1893 establishments in Oklahoma Territory Organizations established in 1893