The McElroy Family was inducted into the Tulsa Hall of Fame in 2022
The McElroy Family: Donna M. Dutton, Peggy M. Tanner, and A.H. “Chip” McElroy II
Donna Dutton, Peggy Tanner, and Chip McElroy are all lifelong Tulsans. Their parents, Art and Panny McElroy, also native Tulsans, were both hard-working people with a deep entrepreneurial spirit and a drive to serve others and make things better.
It was in 1954 that Art and Panny started McElroy Manufacturing in their garage and by 1979, both Donna and Peggy had joined their parents in the company. Donna came aboard to help Panny with the accounting and Peggy, to help Art sell McElroy’s fin tube equipment as well as develop McElroy’s marketing efforts. In 1985 Chip joined the company as a design engineer. Art and Panny instilled a strong work ethic in them all.
Despite their almost 20-year age difference, they enjoy both working and leisure time together; but, most importantly they respect each other. With the death of Art in 1988, the baton was passed to Panny to run the company. All three maintain that she did an incredible job of preparing them to run and more importantly grow the company. Fortunately, each had a unique skill set that complemented both the company and each other.
Today McElroy employs over 360 people globally and is actively led by Chip, Donna, and Peggy. Both corporately and individually, the McElroys are civically minded, striving to promote a healthy community – whether that be through cultural, educational, or health organizations.
All three siblings have been involved in Scouting programs both as youth and adults. Both sisters were involved in the Girls Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma, earning the highest award, which at its very core is about community service. Chip has been active with the Indian Nations Council of Boy Scouts of America first as a youth earning his Eagle and since 1995 has offered his leadership skills to their board and has also served as its Council President.
Since the late 1960s, Peggy has been serving the larger community. First at the Community Chest which was the predecessor to the Tulsa Area United Way. Given her passion for its mission, she has taken an active role in the annual campaigns at all the companies she has served, Cities Service, Williams and finally at McElroy. Peggy is currently serving as the President of the Paso Fino Foundation in addition to serving on the Paso Fino Horse Association Board of Directors for over 12 years.
Donna has spent the last decade, as an active board member for the Food Bank of NE Oklahoma, Gilcrease Museum, and the Tulsa Historical Society & Museum, offering her leadership and tireless energy to each of these organizations.
In addition to his long tenure with scouting, Chip is also an ardent supporter of his alma mater, the University of Tulsa. He has offered his leadership to the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences and the Board of Trustees for almost 20 years.
As a family, Donna, Peggy, and Chip have supported each other in their individual interests as well as Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Tulsa Public Schools, Tulsa Boys Home, American Heart Association, and the Red Cross; and are proud to have had an opportunity to support the creation of The Gathering Place. They are grateful to the men and women that have and are making McElroy the company that it is today. And they are most proud of this community that has been so good to them.