Waldo Emerson “Dode” McIntosh was Inducted into the Tulsa Hall of Fame in 1988

Waldo Emerson “Dode” McIntosh is much like Tulsa.  Like the city he has called “home” since the early 1920’s, McIntosh is firmly rooted in the history and traditions of the Creek people.  And, like the city, McIntosh has used these foundations to promote growth and development in the highly anglicized world of modern Tulsa.

Waldo Emerson “Dode” McIntosh was born on February 29, 1893, in Smith County, Tennessee, a descendant of noted Creek chiefs since the Colonial times.  In 1901 the family moved to Checotah, Indian Territory, a territory offering many opportunities set against a backdrop of Native American culture.

It was in 1901 that Dode experienced the event which he professes was the most important of his life.  He met an eight-year-old tomboy named Lulu Vance.  The couple courted for many years and eventually eloped in 1914.  The immediate bond that was created between the two eight-year-olds would continue until Lulu’s death in 1987.  Their union produced four sons and one daughter.

McIntosh made his living in the lumber business for many years in Checotah and Miami.  However, his interest in politics and a desire to serve the public compelled him to run for election of the post of city clerk of Checotah.  He served in the position for two terms, terms that were interrupted by his service in the U.S. Army during W.W.I.  His political activities in Northeastern Oklahoma continued with his service as Ottawa County Democratic chairman for eight years.  In the early 1920’s McIntosh moved his family to Tulsa.  He was appointed to the post of Tulsa County Assessor to fill an unexpired term.  He returned to elected office in 1959 as the Tulsa County Treasurer, a position that held until 1963.

A great challenge was placed before McIntosh in 1961 when he was appointed Chief of the Creek Nation.  The position was not a new one to members of the McIntosh family as Dode became the fourth member of the family to be called upon for that service.  His actions on behalf of his people had a dramatic impact upon tribal affairs for the five complete terms.  Central to McIntosh’s philosophy was the belief that the Creeks must become increasingly self-sufficient.  For McIntosh the solution to this problem was education.  He worked feverishly to expand educational opportunities for tribal members including service on the Board of Regents of the Haskell Institute, the Board of Trustees of Bacone College and the National Indian Educational Advisory Committee.  Other areas of the Creeks social welfare were among his priorities including housing, medicine and economic opportunities.  McIntosh received perhaps his greatest notoriety as a champion of Creek rights in the face of the Federal Government.  Through a series of complicated legal actions, the Creeks received millions of dollars from the government in consideration of decades of treaties that had never been enforced.  McIntosh’s theme of self-reliance once again came into play as he realized that claims of the treaties would not be realized if the Creeks did not do it themselves.

McIntosh has made substantial contributions to Tulsa’s civic organizations.  His work with the Lions and the Chamber of Commerce has earned him special recognition from both groups.  He has served on the board of the Oklahoma Historical Society and was the first president of the Tulsa County Historical Society in 1962.  It is not surprising to find his mark on the institutions preserving Oklahoma’s history, for he himself is a link, a link between the state’s Indian past and its future in America’s mainstream.

Moscelyne Larkin & Roman Jasinski was inducted into the Tulsa Hall of Fame in 1988

Thirty-two years of love and labor have established the Tulsa Ballet Theatre as a dance company worthy of national and international acclaim.  The venerable Dance Magazine honored Tulsa Ballet Theatre’s founders and artistic directors Roman Jasinski and Moscelyne Larkin as “paragons in the development of American Ballet companies,” and a New York dance critic wrote of the Company’s 1983 New York debut, “Tulsa Ballet Theatre is one of the best things to be associated with Oklahoma since Rodgers and Hammerstein.

The daughter of a Shawnee-Peoria Indian and a Russian mother, Miss Larkin was born in Miami, Oklahoma.  She moved to Tulsa when she was nine and attended Horace Mann School.  In Tulsa, she studied ballet under her mother Eva Matlogova, and later with Celli, Vilsak-Shollar and Mordkin in New York City.  She joined the Original Ballet Russe at 15 and was recognized as one of the five famed Indian Ballerinas.

Mr. Jasinski was born in Poland and danced his way to honors at the Grand Opera Ballet School.  He became a premier danseur with the George Balanchine Ballet de 1933 and a member of Original Ballet Russe.

Larkin and Jasinski married in 1943 in Buenos Aires.  They toured two years with the Ballet Russe Concert Company and also with Alexandra Danilova’s Great Moments in Ballet. As premier danseur and ballerina, they partnered some of the most famous dancers of all time.

Wishing to put down roots and raise their son, Larkin and Jasinski exchanged their globe-trotting days for the equally hectic enterprise of establishing their own ballet school.  Formerly called Tulsa Civic Ballet, their company initially performed to benefit underprivileged children in need of dental care.  Driven by their high level of excellence, the Tulsa Civic Ballet gradually evolved into the Company that has repeatedly drawn the dance world to Tulsa.

Within the Tulsa community, Jasinski and Larkin have established numerous programs to benefit the underprivileged, and those budding talents which might have otherwise been by-passed due to lack of opportunity.  Mr. Jasinski founded a rare dance class for boys only and taught at the University of Tulsa where a scholarship program for boys was developed.  The couple also taught dance and related arts to low income, Indian families with alcohol and drug problems.  The Tulsa Ballet Theatre visited Tulsa Public Schools regularly, stimulating an understanding and appreciation for dance.

Under Miss Larkin’s guidance, the First Oklahoma Indian Ballerina Festival was held in 1957, and again in 1967 and 1982.  Roman Jasinski choreographed the ballet The Four Moons in 1967 to honor Indian ballerinas.  The Nutcracker, performed by the Tulsa Ballet Theatre and guest children from local areas, is a Tulsa tradition.

Through the leadership of Jasinski and Larkin, the Tulsa Ballet Theatre has brought the world’s best-known and loved dancers and dance troupes to Tulsa, and have brought Tulsa to audiences from coast to coast.  In 1987, Tulsa staged Mozart Violin Concerto, a ballet never before seen in North America or performed anywhere in the world for twenty years.  The nationwide furor surrounding the ballet’s debut focused tremendous attention on Tulsa, and prompted the New York Times to declare the revival “a balletic miracle.”

Moscelyne Larkin and Roman Jasinski received the coveted 1988 Dance Magazine award for their contributions to dance.  Their inexhaustible creative energy and a dedication to their art and community are credited for bringing Tulsa to a cultural center stage throughout the nation.

Robert J. LaFortune was inducted into the Tulsa Hall of Fame in 1988

Harmony and consistency, Robert J. LaFortune once said, creates the best climate, politically and financially, for a city.  For fourteen years, Robert LaFortune helped guide Tulsa with capable, progressive leadership.  His work at City Hall, his service to countless Boards and organizations, and his charitable gifts to Tulsa are testimony to LaFortune’s magnanimous civic dedication.

The former mayor was born January 24, 1927 at Tulsa’s St. John‘s Hospital.  He attended the University of Tulsa, and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University in 1951.  His early business experience included a stint at Reilly Tar and Chemical Corporation and ownership of Reed Drilling Company.

In 1964, LaFortune entered public life as Street Commissioner.  During his three terms, he helped plot the City’s expressway system, plan the present City Hall, the Police-Courts Building, and the Port of Catoosa, and was instrumental in establishing crucial clean air standards for Tulsa.

As mayor, LaFortune waged war on poverty.  He fostered a pride in Tulsa that resulted in greater citizen participation in government.  Tulsa’s budget more than quadrupled during LaFortune’s eight years as mayor, and the Tulsa Performing Arts Center became a reality.  He was requested on more than one occasion to share his views and talents at the White House, and was widely respected by political leaders nationwide.  Although approached to run for higher offices, LaFortune chose to remain in Tulsa where, with his wife Jean, LaFortune raised six children in the town to which he had given so much.

Over the years, LaFortune has been recognized with many honors and awards for his work in the spheres of education, church and civic service, and philanthropy.  He has shared his expertise with numerous groups for a myriad of causes.  These include the Tulsa Transit Authority, The YMCA, the Tulsa Council on Alcoholism, Gilcrease Museum, Downtown Tulsa Unlimited, St. John’s Hospital, the Tulsa Urban League, and the National Conference of Christians and Jews.

Currently, Mr. LaFortune is Board Member of the Williams Companies, Brookside State Bank, Cascia Hall, and the Oklahoma Heritage Association.  He is a member of the National Executive Board, of the Boy Scouts, and Vice-President of the Indian National Council Executive Board.  He is Chairman of the St. John’s Health Corporation and a trustee of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center Trust.  LaFortune also serves as a member of the executive committee of the Tulsa Area United Way, and is a trustee of the Tulsa City-County Library Trust and Chairman of the Board of Philbrook Art Museum.

The LaFortune era in city government saw Tulsa through many great and turbulent times.  LaFortune’s administrative skill and effective leadership helped steer Tulsa toward the progressive course it has assumed today.  Robert J. LaFortune’s guidance built the strengths of Tulsa’s past, and continues to promote the City of Tulsa toward a greater future.

John Hope Franklin was inducted into the Tulsa Hall of Fame in 1988

If a commitment to reason and justice is the hallmark of a civilized person, then John Hope Franklin certainly must be considered among America’s most civilized individuals.  Through a career that includes accomplishments in the fields of teaching, writing and public policy, these dual principles have been the common denominator in each of his endeavors.

John Hope Franklin was born on January 2, 1915 in Rentiesville, Oklahoma, the youngest child (and only son) of Buck Colbert and Molly Franklin.  The family moved to Tulsa in the early 1920’s where B.C. Franklin’s law practice provided early lessons for the young Franklin on the relationship between individuals and the law.  This exposure to the law combined with the family’s deeply held beliefs on the importance of education formed a pattern that would be evidenced in Franklin’s entire career.

Franklin was graduated from Tulsa’s Booker T. Washington High School in 1931.  In 1935 he received the Bachelor of Arts degree in history, magna cum laude, from Fisk University.  He continued his education at Harvard University, where he received the MA and PhD degrees in 1936 and 1941 respectively.  In addition to his earned degrees he has received honorary degrees from over 70 institutions, including the University of Tulsa and the University of Oklahoma.

Franklin is a teacher.  His career has included positions at Fisk University, St. Augustine’s College, North Carolina College at Durham and Howard University.  At Brooklyn College he held the posts of professor and chairman of the history department beginning 1956.  In 1964 Franklin began teaching at the University of Chicago, an institution where he would also serve as the history department chairman and subsequently be named John Matthew Manly Distinguished Service Professor in 1969.  Additional positions have allowed him to teach in Salzburg, Austria, Cambridge University in England and Australia, where he was a Fulbright professor at several universities.  Currently, Franklin is John B. Duke Emeritus of History at Duke University.

In his capacity as a lecturer Franklin’s service includes several universities in India under auspices of the American Council or Learned Societies and the Department of State.  His international experiences also include stints in South America, the South Pacific and East Asia as Lincoln Lecturer for the Board of Foreign Scholarships.  In America’s bicentennial year Franklin was selected by the National Endowment for the Humanities as the 1976 Jefferson Lecturer, the nation’s highest honor for humanities scholars.  And, in 1988 Franklin returned to his hometown to present the 1988 Oklahoma Lecture in the Humanities.

Franklin’s influence on America’s education has not been limited to those fortunate enough to attend his classes or be in the audience of his lectures.  His career in publication began in 1943 with the appearance of THE FREE NEGRO IN NORTH CAROLINA, 1790-1860 and has continued to the present time with the inclusion of ten additional volumes.  The publication of FROM SLAVERY TO FREEDOM; A HISTORY OF NEGRO AMERICANS in 1947 is an event of particular significance as the book has been widely used as the text for Black studies courses universities throughout the world.  In addition to his own books, Franklin’s publication in scholarly journals and his editorship of many editions have produced a body of work that has made a tremendous impact on the American public.

Franklin has been the recipient of numerous honors for his work.  His colleagues elected him president of the American Studies Association (1967-1968), the Southern Historical Association (1970-71), THE Organization of American Historians (1974-75) and the American Historical Association (1978-79).  In 1964 he was elected to membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.  His election to the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1979 marked the first time a Black Oklahoman has been elected to that body.  During his distinguished career, Franklin has received presidential appointments to the National Council on the Humanities and the Advisory Commission of Public Diplomacy and was named a United States delegate to the twenty-first General Conference of UNESCO.

In the arena of public affairs Franklin’s counsel is sought by America’s leading figures.  His work as a member of the research team in the Supreme Court’s landmark BROWN VS THE BOARD OF EDUCATION was integral to the outlawing of the segregation in education Franklin personally experienced throughout his career.  His participation in the vanguard of the civil rights movement included his presence in Selma, Alabama in 1965 at the historic march led by Dr. Martin Luther King.

The astounding total of achievements and honors amassed by Franklin serves as a testament to the commitment to two simple principles learned in his earliest years.  Reason and justice are principles that have led him from a limited, segregated Oklahoma in the 1930’s to his recognition as the preeminent American historian.

Dr. Franklin currently resides in Durham, North Carolina with his wife Aureilia.  Their son, John Whittington, lives in New York City.

Alfred Aaronson was inducted into the Tulsa Hall of Fame in 1988.

There are times when people simply have to be told.  In Tulsa during the 1950’s and 1960’s the voice that invariably did the telling was that of Alfred E. Aaronson.  He told the citizens of Tulsa that they could build a community whose quality of life would be the envy of the nation.  And, fortunately, when Aaronson told them something, Tulsans listened.

Alfred E. Aaronson was twenty when he came to Tulsa in 1913.  A native of New York City, he had attended public schools there and City College of New York.  He was one of the founders of the Mid-Co Petroleum Corporation and served as vice-president until 1920.  He also founded Tuloma Oil Company and was one of the founders of Looboyle Incorporated and Consumers Oil Stations.  At the same time as he was making his mark in the oil industry, he acquired an interest in real estate.  In 1924 he built the Court Arcade Building at 6^th and Boulder and served as vice-president of Commonwealth Company of Tulsa which was the first real estate firm to build homes in the $30,000 to $75,000 price range.

In 1957 Aaronson retired from his business activities, but, it was a retirement that was far from inactive. His principle activity from the first day of his retirement became the development of Tulsa’s cultural and human relations resources.  These efforts took many forms and in each instance his participation is credited with “making the difference.”  It was Aaronson who is recognized as the motivator in the “Keep Gilcrease in Tulsa” Committee.  He knew that the massive collection of American art and Indian art and artifacts amassed by Thomas Gilcrease was a resource the city could not afford to lose.  He spearheaded the move to purchase the collection, an issue that would be resolved through the successful approval of a bond issue.  Aaronson doggedly refused to accept a negative vote on a millage levy to finance the Tulsa City-County Library System.  The day after the election he started to convince Tulsans of the importance of a well-developed library system and eventually Tulsans listened.  The Aaronson Auditorium in the Central Library is a testament to his persistence.

In the area of city planning Aaronson brought his expertise developed in the real estate business to bear as an initial member of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area Planning Commission.  Aaronson was also among the first to work through the system to improve Tulsa’s record on human relations.  His service on the city’s first Human Relations Commission and his activities as board member of the Southwest Center for Human Relations earned him a special citation from the University of Oklahoma in 1970.  This citation joined numerous other awards he received from a broad spectrum of civic organizations.  And, among his significant “firsts” was his service to the Tulsa County Historical Society.  Aaronson served as the first chairman of the organization he founded with Dode McIntosh to preserve a record of Tulsa’s history.

The years of service that Aaronson lavished on Tulsa won him the respect of the entire community.  It was, however, Tulsa’s former mayor, James Maxwell, who summed up Aaronson’s contributions when he said, “Aaronson kept slugging . . . he answered the doubtful. . . he challenged the reluctant.  He brought order out of chaos.  He was a one-man army.”

Alfred Aaronson died in 1983.  He is survived by his wife, Millicent, who currently resides in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, and his two daughters, Grace Goldin and Alice Zlotnick.