Press Release
April 20, 2017
Contact: Larry O’Dell
Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 405-522-6676
lodell@okhistory.org
www.okhistory.org
2017 Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame Honorees Announced
OKLAHOMA CITY — Jack Baker, chair of the 2017 Oklahoma History Conference Committee, announced that the committee has selected four individuals to be inducted into the Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place during the Oklahoma Historical Society’s annual Awards Luncheon on Friday, April 28, at noon at the Hard Rock Hotel in Catoosa, Okla. The honorees are Dr. Clyde Ellis, Winston-Salem, North Carolina; John Erling, Tulsa; Dr. Paul Lambert, Oklahoma City; and Dr. John Carmichael, deceased.
Clyde Ellis earned his doctorate at Oklahoma State University and teaches at Elon University in North Carolina. He has conducted significant research on American Indians, focusing on boarding schools, the Native American Church, and powwows. He has authored or co-authored several books, including “To Change Them Forever: Indian Education at the Rainy Mountain Boarding School, 1893–1920.”
In 1976 John Erling moved to Tulsa and hosted the KRMG morning show for 29 years. In 2009 Erling founded Voices of Oklahoma, an online oral history project dedicated to the preservation of the history of Oklahoma and its people. The debut interview was with Wilma Mankiller, the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation.
Paul Lambert attained his doctorate from Oklahoma State University and served as the executive director of the Oklahoma Heritage Association from 1973 until 2002, and he worked for the Oklahoma Historical Society for 10 years. He has authored or co-authored 18 books related to Oklahoma history. Dr. Lambert retired from the OHS in 2016.
John Carmichael practiced dentistry in Woodward, Okla., from 1949 until he retired in 1991. He was instrumental in the establishment Fort Supply Historic District. He wrote numerous articles on the history of northwestern Oklahoma.
The annual Awards Luncheon is one of several events taking place as part of the three-day 2017 Oklahoma History Conference in Tulsa. For information about participating in the annual Awards Luncheon or the 2017 Oklahoma History Conference, the public is encouraged to contact Conference Coordinator Larry O’Dell at 405-522-6676 or lodell@okhistory.org or Shelly Crynes at 405-522-0317 or scrynes@okhistory.org.
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.
