Press Release
March 17, 2022
Contact: Nicole Harvey
Director of Strategic Initiatives, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 405-522-5202
nharvey@okhistory.org
www.okhistory.org/grants
Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma and Historical Society of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma Awarded Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grants
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) is proud to announce that the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma and the Historical Society of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma have been awarded grants through the Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program.
“I am pleased to see these grant funds go to the Historical Society of the U.S. District Court for Oklahoma’s Western District and the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma,” said Sen. Kay Floyd, Oklahoma City. “Both of these organizations are taking unique aspects of Oklahoma history to preserve and share the history of our state for a wider audience. These funds will play a vital role in allowing them to continue with this mission.”
The Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma has been awarded $8,000 for a project titled “Oklahoma Episcopalian History Archive Exhibited on The Gateway to Oklahoma History,” which will provide unlimited access to critical historical documents and images by placing them online. This project will see a large range of documents, images and audio and visual media that were digitized via a grant last year from the Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program placed online with metadata on The Gateway to Oklahoma History.
“We are very excited to be a part of The Gateway to Oklahoma History website,” said Pam Bell, archivist of the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma. “Our church history parallels the history of Oklahoma and this grant will allow students and researchers access to previously unavailable resources.”
The Historical Society of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma has been awarded $20,000 for a project titled “The William Hale and John Ramsey Trial Exhibit,” which will help fund an exhibit that will tell the story of the murder of Osage tribal member Henry Roan and its correlation to the 1920s Osage Reign of Terror in Oklahoma. The Hale and Ramsey case was tried in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City in 1926, and generated national attention. The Hale and Ramsey Trial exhibit will address the important legal history of Oklahoma and cover critical topics such as the Dawes Allotment Act, oil headrights, race and tribal lands in Oklahoma from an Osage Nation cultural perspective. Critical to the narrative is providing a better understanding about the unique relationship between Native American communities and the U.S. federal government.
“On behalf of our board of directors, I thank the Oklahoma Historical Society and the State of Oklahoma for this generous grant that will allow the Historical Society of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma to expand its mission to present the history of the court,” said J. Edwar Barth, president of the board for the Historical Society of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma. “This new exhibit about the Osage Reign of Terror and the trial of William Hale and John Ramsey will focus on the important legal history of our state and further reveal a long-hidden story that deserves to be brought to light and newly examined.”
The total amount of funds that will be distributed this year is just over $558,000, with projects ranging from collections care and strategic planning to exhibit development and educational programming. “Entering our third year of the Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program, the OHS is thrilled with the program’s success,” said Nicole Harvey, director of strategic initiatives and grants administrator for the OHS. “To date, the program has funded over 120 projects that are aiding with collecting, preserving and sharing Oklahoma history for local communities across the state.”
The Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program is a grants-in-aid program offered by the Oklahoma Historical Society with a goal of encouraging the collection, preservation and sharing of Oklahoma history at the grassroots level in all parts of the state. Open to tribal and municipal governments and not-for-profit historical organizations located in Oklahoma and registered with the Oklahoma secretary of state, this grants program offers funding ranging from $1,000 to $20,000 for projects focused on collections, exhibits and programming. Applications for this annual program open in the fall and award announcements are made in January. For more information visit www.okhistory.org/grants.
The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.
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