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John Erling was inducted into the Tulsa Hall of Fame in 2024

John Erling has spent a lifetime sharing the experience of real, heartfelt, challenging, fun and funny conversations with Oklahomans. He has placed some of the most original and fascinating voices of our time in the spotlight.

It all started in tiny Thief River Falls, Minnesota and later Grand Forks, North Dakota where Erling was raised on a farm. Even as a boy, he seemed destined for broadcasting. “They tell me as a child I would stand on a tree stump in the woods on the farm with my mother’s bible and preach to the chickens. And then I would complain to my mother that the chickens are running in and out of my church. So, I was apparently born to do some public speaking.”

Erling moved from chickens to humans in 1961, taking his first radio job in North Dakota and continuing to hone his skills in Minnesota and Nebraska before settling in Tulsa.

For nearly 30 years, from 1976 to 2005, John Erling entertained Tulsans as the host of Erling in the Morning on KRMG radio. Known for his interviews with people of all walks of life—from politicians to celebrities to everyday people—John’s talk show provided the perfect forum to deliberate the hottest local and national topics. In the days before the internet and social media, John’s radio show was where Tulsans turned for everything from entertainment to finding their lost dog.

As a well-respected community leader and member of both the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame and Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame, Erling now devotes his energy and enthusiasm to Voices of Oklahoma, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the oral histories of influential Oklahomans and empowering future generations with the lessons imparted from their legacies. It started by accident.

When he retired from KRMG in 2005, Erling started lunching regularly with his friend, Tulsa businessman and community leader, Walt Helmerich. During these lunches, Erling realized he was learning fascinating new stories about the state and its people–stories that needed to be shared. A few years later, he started recording and has since produced nearly 300 interviews with figures like Roy Clark, Tommy Allsup, Senator Jim Inhofe, Walt and Peggy Dow Helmerich and Oral Roberts. At voicesofoklahoma.com, listeners can hear the voices of those who stood witness to history as well as those who helped shape its direction.

Erling deeply believes that preserving the stories of Oklahomans will reveal the depth of emotion and pride that built our great state. By introducing inspirational stories in an accessible, lively format he hopes to educate and motivate future generations.

John has two children, David and Michelle, and two grandchildren, Emma and Lars. He and his wife, Margaret, cherish their time on the lake or at baseball games with family. And, of course, the occasional chat with one of the many Tulsans who feel radio’s John Erling is part of their own family.

Pat Crofts was inducted into the Tulsa Hall of Fame in 2024

For more than four decades, Pat Crofts has led the development of luxury resort, entertainment and hospitality companies throughout the United States, Central America, Asia and the Caribbean.

In Tulsa, Pat serves as the CEO of Muscogee Nation Gaming Enterprises, advancing its remarkable strategic growth, investment and employment since 2011. During this time, he has overseen a total capital investment of more than $750 million in Oklahoma, which includes over $600 million in the expansion of River Spirit Casino Resort into a world-class hospitality and entertainment destination on the banks of the Arkansas River. As part of the development, Pat successfully recruited the national and international brands of Margaritaville and Ruth’s Chris to Tulsa.

At the grand opening of the Muscogee Nation’s flagship property in 2016, Pat said, “We did not want to build a bigger box. We wanted to build an experience. For the first time in Tulsa’s history, a guest can enjoy their weekdays, weeknights and weekends alongside the Arkansas River.”

Through Pat’s leadership, today, Muscogee Nation Gaming Enterprises is a thriving organization which employs more than 2,200 Oklahomans across 10 entertainment, gaming and resort facilities and provides a positive economic impact of more than $150 million each year.

Prior to joining the Muscogee Nation Gaming Enterprises, Pat held executive positions with hospitality and resort/gaming organizations including Navegante Group, American Heritage, Inc., International Game Technology/CMS International, Harvey’s Casino Resorts and Harrah’s Entertainment (now Caesars Entertainment). Upon graduation from Weber State University in 1973, Pat served as a CPA for the Deloitte, Haskins & Sells firm in Las Vegas, which represented major hospitality companies including the real estate and gaming empire of Howard Hughes.

Pat is currently on the Board of Directors of the Tulsa Chapter of the American Red Cross. He is a former Trustee of the Gaming Industry Association of Nevada; former Chairman of the Nevada CPA Gaming Industry Committee and has served on various boards including Chambers of Commerce, Redevelopment Advisory and Design Review Committees and youth sports organizations.

Tulsa World Media selected Pat as a “2016 Tulsa Persons to Watch,” and subsequently as “2017 Tulsan of the Year.” He was also selected by Oklahoma Magazine as “2019 Oklahomans of the Year” and as “2022 Best CEOs.” Pat was recently selected as one of the “Top 30 CEOs In Indian Country” by Native Business Magazine. He serves as a mentor to many executives at Muscogee Nation Gaming Enterprises and the organization is regularly recognized as one of the “best places to work” in Tulsa.

Pat and his wife, Mary Smith Crofts, reside in Tulsa.