In addition to being the home of the Osage Nation, the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve and vast cattle ranches, Osage County has produced its share of noteworthy citizens, we like to call legends, including: military heroes, movie stars such as Ben Johnson, actor Larry Sellers, singer Anita Bryant, actor Clark Gable, ballerinas and most recently Food Network star, Ree Drummond.
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Osage Principal Chief James Bigheart
A statue of Osage Principal Chief James Bigheart, who served from 1875 to 1906, was unveiled on June 22, 2016, on 11th and Grandview in Pawhuska, Okla, on the Osage Nation campus.James Bigheart, also known as “Jim,” was born in 1835 at St. Paul, Kan., then called Osage Village. His father was Nun-tsa-tum-kah and his mother was Wah-hiu-shah; both were full- blooded Osages, who named him Pun-kah-wi-tah-An-kah.He was a Catholic convert, educated at the Old Osage Mission in Kan., established among the Osage in 1847 by Catholic Father Schoenmakers. He learned to speak many languages fluently – Osage, Pon...
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A statue of Osage Principal Chief James Bigheart, who served from 1875 to 1906, was unveiled on June 22, 2016, on 11th and Grandview in Pawhuska, Okla, on the Osage Nation campus.
James Bigheart, also known as “Jim,” was born in 1835 at St. Paul, Kan., then called Osage Village. His father was Nun-tsa-tum-kah and his mother was Wah-hiu-shah; both were full- blooded Osages, who named him Pun-kah-wi-tah-An-kah.
He was a Catholic convert, educated at the Old Osage Mission in Kan., established among the Osage in 1847 by Catholic Father Schoenmakers. He learned to speak many languages fluently – Osage, Ponca, Creek, Sioux, Cherokee, French, English and Latin.
Bigheart Served in the Civil War, Company I, 9th Kansas Cavalry. He entered the service in 1862 at Iola, Kan. At the end of the Civil War, he was mustered out on March 22, 1865 at DeVall’s Bluff, Ark.
Bigheart had a vision and foresight for his people, serving his people in many capacities as: Agency Clerk, Interpreter, Councilman, Delegate, Chief and Principal Chief.
Old Chief Pawhuska, appointed Beaver to take his place as Principal Chief. Upon Beaver’s death, his sons being too young, the Band appointed James Bigheart as Principal Chief in 1875.
The 1881 Constitution which is attributed to Bigheart, united the Great and Little Osage. The Chief was no longer appointed, but elected by the people. There were two political parties, basically the full bloods which Bigheart represented, and the mixed bloods.
Bigheart, was the first chief to sanction appropriations for schools and championed education.
James Bigheart was the first to recognize the possibilities for grazing and fattening stock on the lush bluestem grass found on the Reservation. He purchased Texas cattle and brought them up to the Osage Reservation.
Bigheart fought the Quakers who wanted to remove Osage children from the local Catholic Schools and send them to the government schools.
In 1875, in his first year as Chief, he signed the first blanket oil lease with Edwin Foster, on behalf of the Osage people, for the exploration of oil and gas. Because of the leadership of James Bigheart retaining the mineral estate, the Osage people become the wealthiest tribe in America during the 1920’s.
Even though many honors were bestowed on Chief Bigheart, he showed no tendency toward pompous display of wealth or power. Bigheart wore modest white men’s clothing and spent his life in the interest of matters concerning the Osage Tribe.
James Bigheart was the only Indian at the time granted a license to bring whiskey into the reservation. This privilege was granted to him by the Secretary of Interior Hitchcock. Prior to that, he was said to have been arrested for serving alcohol to Washington officials in his home.
Chief Bigheart at one time had more influence in the Interior Department than any other Indian. This was stated in a newspaper article on Bigheart.
Married several times, but he lost the wives and children to diseases over the years. In 1884, Bigheart married Alice Grass McIntosh a Cherokee. They had four girls, Mary Jane, Rose, Sarah Lillian and Belle who survived to adulthood.
Bigheart is credited with delaying the Osage Allotment Bill, while he conducted an investigation of the Osage citizenship rolls. Chief Bigheart bitterly opposed the allotment of the Osage lands, and many say that he delayed that event for at least ten years. Bigheart’s biggest argument was, the white men would come in and take the land. Around 1904, when a final vote was taken on the Allotment Bill, Bigheart failed to show up. They later found him beaten and left for dead. The beating caused a stoke. Bigheart spent the last two years remaining conducting business from his bed.
Bigheart spearheaded the 1906 Act. He made sure the Act said the Osage Tribe owned the mineral rights and that the Shareholders would be the beneficiaries. This was done so that lawyers could not get a few shareholders together to break the Trust. Thus, the Trust has lasted over 107 years.
He was also known as the “Osage Moses” because took care of many people. Bigheart never turned anyone in need away. He was known for his generosity.
He became a mentor to many, like Fred Lookout. Several newspapers quoted Fred Lookout, who said “James Bigheart was the most brilliant politician and leader the Osage have ever known.”
The Bigheart home was on top of a hill overlooking Bird Creek. The house was a two-story, frame house built in a L shape with a breezeway on the lower porch. There were many visitors and there were two dining rooms. The house burned down in the early 1920s.
Bigheart spent his life working for his people. He accomplished his life-long dream of providing security for his Tribe and their children. He died just before the first payment was received by the Osage Shareholders resulting from the 1906 Act. He was truly one of the first champions of sovereignty.
Photo by Roseanne McKee
Text by Bigheart Family
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The Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond
This self-described
“accidental country girl” was born in nearby Bartlesville. She married into a third-generation Osage County ranching family, and found herself worlds
away from the golf-club community where she grew up.
This homeschooling mother of four, soon settled in to life
as a rancher’s wife. Her husband not only raises cattle, he also takes part in
the National Wild Horse and Burro Program, which contracts with ranch owners to
manage wild horse herds.
Ree Drummond, who began as a successful blogger sharing her
recipes and musings about ranch life, has gone on to become a suc...
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This self-described
“accidental country girl” was born in nearby Bartlesville. She married into a third-generation Osage County ranching family, and found herself worlds
away from the golf-club community where she grew up.
This homeschooling mother of four, soon settled in to life
as a rancher’s wife. Her husband not only raises cattle, he also takes part in
the National Wild Horse and Burro Program, which contracts with ranch owners to
manage wild horse herds.
Ree Drummond, who began as a successful blogger sharing her
recipes and musings about ranch life, has gone on to become a successful
cookbook author with a successful line of kitchenware, who also hosts the Food
Network’s “The Pioneer Woman” cooking show.
In an effort to invest in her community, Ree Drummond and
her husband, Ladd Drummond, have renovated an historic building on the corner
of Main Street and Kihekah Ave. in Pawhuska, Okla. The Drummonds have offices
on the second floor of this building, and a bakery. On the first floor they have a deli-style restaurant and mercantile
store, which opened Oct. 31, 2016.
In addition the Drummonds have opened a "cowboy luxury" hotel in Pawhuska called The Pioneer Woman Boarding House. For more information:
The Pioneer Woman Boarding House
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Clark Gable
Although born in Ohio, movie star, Clark Gable, spent time in Barnsdall, Oklahoma, during the oil boom. Known to the locals as "Gabe," he was a bit of a rabble rouser, who some have said left the Osage following a particularly severe scuffle, eventually, making his way to Hollywood, where, as they say, the rest is history. Material for some of his leading roles, may well have had their roots in his oil field days in the Osage. Gable won an academy award for his role in "It Happened One Night" and solidified his position as a sought-after leading man in his r...
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Although born in Ohio, movie star, Clark Gable, spent time in Barnsdall, Oklahoma, during the oil boom.
Known to the locals as "Gabe," he was a bit of a rabble rouser, who some have said left the Osage following a particularly severe scuffle, eventually, making his way to Hollywood, where, as they say, the rest is history.
Material for some of his leading roles, may well have had their roots in his oil field days in the Osage.
Gable won an academy award for his role in "It Happened One Night" and solidified his position as a sought-after leading man in his role as Rhett Butler in "Gone With the Wind."
Photo by Pinterest.com
Content from Wikepedia
Ben Johnson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ben "Son" Johnson, Jr. (June 13, 1918 – April 8, 1996) was an American stuntman, world champion rodeo cowboy and actor. The son of a rancher, Johnson arrived in Hollywood to deliver a consignment of horses for a film. He did stunt double work for several years before breaking into acting through the good offices of John Ford.
Tall and laconic, Johnson brought further authenticity to many roles in Westerns with his extraordinary horsemanship. An elegiac portrayal of a former cowboy theatre owner in the 50's coming of age drama, The L...
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ben "Son" Johnson, Jr. (June 13, 1918 – April 8, 1996) was an American stuntman, world champion rodeo cowboy and actor. The son of a rancher, Johnson arrived in Hollywood to deliver a consignment of horses for a film. He did stunt double work for several years before breaking into acting through the good offices of John Ford.
Tall and laconic, Johnson brought further authenticity to many roles in Westerns with his extraordinary horsemanship. An elegiac portrayal of a former cowboy theatre owner in the 50's coming of age drama, The Last Picture Show, won Johnson the 1971 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
He operated a horse breeding farm throughout his career. Although he said he had succeeded by sticking to what he knew, shrewd real estate investments made Johnson worth an estimated 100 million dollars by his latter years.[1][2]
Personal life
Johnson was born in Foraker, Oklahoma,[1] on the Osage Indian Reservation, of Irish and Cherokee ancestry,[3][4] the son of Ollie Susan (née Workmon) and Ben Johnson, Sr.[5] His father was a rancher and rodeo champion in Osage County.
Throughout his life Johnson was drawn to the rodeos and horse breeding of his early years. In 1953 he took a break from well paid film work to compete in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, becoming Team Roping World Champion although he only broke even financially that year.
Johnson was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1973.[6]
Johnson's 1941 marriage to Carol Elaine Jones lasted until her death on March 27, 1994, they had no children. Jones was the daughter of noted Hollywood horse wrangler Clarence "Fat" Jones.[7][2]
Career
Johnson's film career began with the Howard Hughes film The Outlaw. Before filming began, Hughes bought some horses at the Oklahoma ranch that Johnson's father managed, and hired Johnson to get the horses to northern Arizona (for The Outlaw's location shooting), and then to take them on to Hollywood.
Johnson liked to say later that he got to Hollywood in a carload of horses.[8] With his experience wrangling for Hughes during The Outlaw's location shooting, once in Hollywood he did stunt work for the 1939 movie The Fighting Gringo, and throughout the 1940s he found work wrangling horses and doing stunt work involving horses.
His work as a stunt man caught the eye of director John Ford. Ford hired Johnson for stunt work in the 1948 film Fort Apache, and as the riding double for Henry Fonda.[4] During shooting, the horses pulling a wagon with three men in it stampeded. Johnson, who "happened to be settin' on a horse", stopped the runaway wagon, and saved the men. When Ford promised that he would be rewarded, Johnson hoped it would be with another doubling job, or maybe a small speaking role.[9] Instead he received a seven-year acting contract from Ford.[10] Ford called Johnson into his office, handed him an envelope with the contract in it. Johnson started reading it and when he got to the fifth line and it said "$5,000 a week," he stopped reading, grabbed a pen and signed it, and gave it back to Ford.[9]
His first credited role was in Ford's 3 Godfathers, the film is notable for the riding skills demonstrated by both Johnson and star Pedro Armendáriz. Johnson later said the film was the most physically challenging of his career. Ford then suggested him for a starring role in the 1949 film Mighty Joe Young; he played 'Gregg', opposite Terry Moore. Ford cast him in two of the three films that have come to be known as Ford's cavalry trilogy, all starring John Wayne: She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), and Rio Grande (1950); both roles showcased Johnson's riding ability. Ford also cast Johnson as the lead in Wagon Master (1950), one of Ford's favorites.
Under Ford's subtle guidance, Johnson became at more at ease in front of the camera and by 1949 had developed into a thoroughly professional actor with a relaxed natural style. In real life Johnson didn't show any bad temper, his demeanor in tense situations was calm but firm. But although known for avoiding dramas he had definite boundaries; during the making of Rio Grande he defied Ford, who was notorious for browbeating his actors, and reportedly told him to go to hell. Johnson thought the incident had been forgotten, but Ford did not use him in a film for over a decade. Johnson also appeared in four films of Sam Peckinpah, but had a good relationship with the wayward director, Peckinpah appreciated Johnson's authenticity and lack of acting airs.[2]
Johnson played in supporting roles in Shane (1953) starring Alan Ladd, and One-Eyed Jacks (1961) starring Marlon Brando. In 1964 he worked with Ford again in Cheyenne Autumn. He also appeared in four Sam Peckinpah directed films: Major Dundee (1965; with Charlton Heston), The Wild Bunch (1969; with William Holden & Robert Ryan), and two back-to-back Steve McQueen movies, The Getaway and the rodeo film Junior Bonner (both 1972). In 1973 he co-starred as Melvin Purvis in John Milius's Dillinger with Warren Oates; he also appeared in Milius's 1984 film Red Dawn. In 1975, he played the character Mister in Bite the Bullet, starring Gene Hackman and James Coburn. He also appeared together with Charles Bronson in 1975's Breakheart Pass. In 1980, he was cast as Sheriff Isum Gorch in Soggy Bottom U. S. A.
Johnson played the part of "Bartlett" in the 1962-1963 season of Have Gun Will Travel which featured a short scene of his riding skills. In the 1966-1967 television season, Johnson appeared as the character "Sleeve" in all twenty-six episodes of the ABC family Western The Monroes with costars Michael Anderson, Jr., and Barbara Hershey.[11]
He teamed up John Wayne again, and director Andrew McLaglen, in two films; appearing with Rock Hudson in The Undefeated (1969), and in a fairly prominent role in Chisum (1970).
The apex of Johnson's career was reached in 1971, with Johnson winning an Academy Award for his performance as 'Sam The Lion' in The Last Picture Show, directed by Peter Bogdanovich co-starring Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, and Cybill Shepherd.
On the set of The Train Robbers, in June 1972, he told Nancy Anderson of Copley News Service that winning the Oscar for The Last Picture Show wasn't going to change him and he wouldn't raise his salary request to studios because of it. He continued, "I grew up on a ranch and I know livestock, so I like working in Westerns. All my life I've been afraid of failure. To avoid it, I've stuck with doing things I know how to do, and it's made me a good living.[12] He also co-starred with Gary Busey in "Bloodsport" (1973), as the "win-at-all-costs" father to his football-playing son.
He portrayed the character Cap Roundtree in the 1979 miniseries The Sacketts.
He also co-starred in 1994 version of Angels in the Outfield.
He also continued ranching during the entire time, operating a horse-breeding ranch in Sylmar, California.[4] In addition, he sponsored the Ben Johnson Pro Celebrity Team Roping and Penning competition, held in Oklahoma City, the proceeds of which are donated to both the Children's Medical Research Inc., and to the Children's Hospital of Oklahoma.
Ben Johnson was raised on the Barnard-Chapman ranch which is now home to the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve just north of Pawhuska.
References
1.Brazee, Joann. "Ben Johnson Jr., obituary". Osage County News Service. Archived from the original on 2008-06-18.
2.Jensen, Richard D. (2010). The Nicest Fella - the Life of Ben Johnson: The World Champion Rodeo Cowboy who Became an Oscar-winning Movie Star. iUniverse. ISBN 9781440196782.
3.Thurman, Tom. - Ben Johnson: Third Cowboy on the Right. - IMDb
4.Erickson, Hal. "Ben Johnson". Allmovie.
5.Ollie Susan Workmon Rider obituary, Osage County, Oklahoma USGenWeb Project hosted by Rootsweb.com
6.http://www.prorodeo.com/champions.aspx?xu=50
7."Hollywood Horses". Missed a Shot Productions. March 11, 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-06-03. Hollywood Horses is a documentary about the horses that were used, and who sometimes starred, in films. This webpage briefly recounts the history behind the documentary. Ben Johnson was closely connected both professionally and personally with the horses of Hollywood.
8."Ben Johnson". JWayne.com.
9.Brown, David G. (September–October 1995). "Last of a Breed". American Cowboy (Active Interest Media) 2 (3): 43. ISSN 1079-3690.
10.McBride, Joseph (2003). Searching for John Ford: A Life. Macmillan. p. 496. ISBN 978-0-312-31011-0.
11.Filmography by TV series for Ben Johnson. - IMDb
12.Anderson, Nancy (June 4, 1972). "John Wayne A Father Figure On Movie Set in Durango, Mexico". The Joplin Globe (Copley New Service).
13."Actor ben johnson dies at 77", The Press of Atlantic City (Atlantic City, NJ), 9 April 1996, retrieved 31 August 2012
14.May, Jon D. Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. "Pawhuska". Retrieved February 16, 2013.[1]
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Larry Sellers
Larry Sellers, who was born in Pawhuska, Okla., is an actor/stuntman of Osage/Cherokee/Lakota heritage, perhaps best known for his role as Cloud Dancing on the television show Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman for which he received a Best Supporting Actor Emmy nomination. Photo by Pinterest.com Content by Wikepedia
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Larry Sellers, who was born in Pawhuska, Okla., is an actor/stuntman of Osage/Cherokee/Lakota heritage, perhaps best known for his role as Cloud Dancing on the television show Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman for which he received a Best Supporting Actor Emmy nomination.
Photo by Pinterest.com
Content by Wikepedia
Maria Tallchief
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Born Elizabeth Marie Tallchief (Osage family name: Ki He Kah Stah Tsa;[2] January 24, 1925 – April 11, 2013) was considered America's first major prima ballerina,[3] and was the first Native American to hold the rank.[1]
Almost from birth, Tallchief was involved in dance, starting formal lessons at age three. When she was eight, her family relocated from her birth home of Fairfax, Oklahoma, to Los Angeles, California, to advance the careers of her and her younger sister, Marjorie. At age 17, she moved to New York City in search of a s...
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Born Elizabeth Marie Tallchief (Osage family name: Ki He Kah Stah Tsa;[2] January 24, 1925 – April 11, 2013) was considered America's first major prima ballerina,[3] and was the first Native American to hold the rank.[1]
Almost from birth, Tallchief was involved in dance, starting formal lessons at age three. When she was eight, her family relocated from her birth home of Fairfax, Oklahoma, to Los Angeles, California, to advance the careers of her and her younger sister, Marjorie. At age 17, she moved to New York City in search of a spot with a major ballet company, and, at the urging of her superiors, took the name Maria Tallchief.
She spent the next five years with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, where she met legendary choreographer George Balanchine. When Balanchine co-founded what would become the New York City Ballet in 1946, Tallchief became the company's first star.
The combination of Balanchine's difficult choreographing and Tallchief's passionate dancing revolutionized the ballet. Her 1949 role in The Firebird catapulted Tallchief to the top of the ballet world, establishing her as a prima ballerina. Her role as the Sugarplum Fairy in The Nutcracker transformed the ballet from obscure to America's most popular.
Maria Tallchief with Erik Bruhn in 1961.
She traveled the world, becoming the first American to perform in Moscow's Bolshoi Theater. She made regular appearances on American TV before she retired in 1966. After retiring from dance, Tallchief was active in promoting ballet in Chicago.
She served as director of ballet for the Lyric Opera of Chicago for most of the 1970s, and founded the Chicago City Ballet in 1981.
Tallchief was honored by the people of Oklahoma with multiple statues and an honorific day. She was inducted in the National Women's Hall of Fame and received a National Medal of Arts. In 1996, Tallchief received a Kennedy Center Honor for lifetime achievements.
Her life has been the subject of multiple documentaries and biographies.
Early life
Named for her paternal and maternal grandmothers, Elizabeth Marie Tallchief, known as "Betty Marie" to friends and family, was born in Fairfax, Oklahoma, on January 24, 1925, to Alexander Joseph Tallchief (1890–1959), a member of the Osage Nation, and his wife, Ruth (née Porter), of Scottish-Irish descent.[4][5] Ruth met Tallchief, a widower, while visiting her sister, who was his mother's housekeeper at the time.[4]
Elizabeth Tallchief's paternal great-grandfather, Peter Bigheart, had helped negotiate for the Osages concerning oil revenues that enriched the Osage Nation. Her father grew up rich as a result, never working "a day in his life."
In her autobiography, Tallchief explained "As a young girl growing up on the Osage reservation in Fairfax, Oklahoma, I felt my father owned the town. He had property everywhere. The Tallchief mansion still stands in Fairfax today.
For more information on Maria Tallchief, visit the Osage County Historical Society Museum i Pawhuska.
Biographies and documentaries
Tallchief has been the subject of multiple biographies. Her autobiography,
Maria Tallchief: America's Prima Ballerina, was co-written with Larry Kaplan and released in 1997.[8]
Sandy and Yasu Osawa of Upstream Productions in Seattle, Washington made a documentary titled Maria Tallchief in November 2007, that aired on PBS between 2007 and 2010.
On Main Street in Farifax, the Tallchief Theater still stands. Fairfax residents hope to renovate Theater for community use.
References
1.Howard Chua-Eoan (April 12, 2013). "The Silent Song of Maria Tallchief: America’s Prima Ballerina (1925-2013)". Time. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
2."Dance Magazine 1960 Award Winners: Maria Tallchief". Dance Magazine (April 1961).
3.Hedy Weiss (April 12, 2013). "American prima ballerina Maria Tallchief dies at 88". Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved April 15, 2013.
4.Anderson, Jack (April 12, 2013). "Maria Tallchief, a Dazzling Ballerina and Muse for Balanchine, Dies at 88". New York Times. Retrieved April 13, 2013.
5.Maria Tallchief; Larry Kaplan (1998). "Chapter 1". Maria Tallchief: America's Prima Ballerina. Holt. ISBN 0-8050-3302-5.
Marjorie Tallchief
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Marjorie Tallchief was a ballerina of the Osage Nation. She is the younger sister of the late prima ballerina, Maria Tallchief, and was the first Native American to be named "première danseuse étoile " in the Paris Opera Ballet.[1][2]
Early lifeMarjorie Louise Tallchief was born 19 Oct 1926[2] in Denver, Colorado while her parents, Alexander Tallchief and his wife, Ruth (née Porter), were on a family vacation with her older siblings, brother Gerald and sister Maria Tallchief. She was raised in Fairfax, Oklahoma. She and her family moved to Los Angeles in 193...
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Marjorie Tallchief was a ballerina of the Osage Nation. She is the younger sister of the late prima ballerina, Maria Tallchief, and was the first Native American to be named "première danseuse étoile " in the Paris Opera Ballet.[1][2]
Early life
Marjorie Louise Tallchief was born 19 Oct 1926[2] in Denver, Colorado while her parents, Alexander Tallchief and his wife, Ruth (née Porter), were on a family vacation with her older siblings, brother Gerald and sister Maria Tallchief. She was raised in Fairfax, Oklahoma. She and her family moved to Los Angeles in 1933, where she and her sister could train in ballet dancing. She trained with Bronislava Nijinska and David Lichine.[1][2]
Career
After completing her training in Los Angeles, Marjorie began performing for several dance companies. According to the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, these included: "... the American Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo (1946-47), the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas (1948-55), Ruth Page's Chicago Opera Ballet (guest artist, 1958-62), and the Harkness Ballet (prima ballerina, 1964-66). Her most acclaimed roles were performed in Night Shadow (1950), Annabel Lee (1951), Idylle (1954), Romeo and Juliet (1955), and Giselle (1957)."[1]
She was the first Native American to be "première danseuse étoile" of the Paris Opera Ballet and performed with the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas.[3] During her career she also performed for politicians such as U.S. Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, and foreign dignitaries such as Charles de Gaulle. After her retirement from the stage, she acted as a dance director for the Dallas Ballet, the Chicago Ballet School and the Harid Conservatory until 1993.[3][4]
Accolades
In 1991, she was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. In October 1997, she and her elder sister Maria, along with Moscelyne Larkin, Rosella Hightower, and Yvonne Chouteau, were named Oklahoma Treasures at the Governor's Arts Awards.[5]
To learn more about Marjorie Tallchief, visit the Osage County Historical Society Museum in Pawhuska.
Reference
1.Short, Candy Franklin. Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. "Marjorie Tallchief." Retrieved December 9, 2012.
2.Profile of Marjorie Tallchief, Oklahoma State University library archives
3.“The first step 32 students start dance training at Harid Conservatory...". Boca Raton News. September 13, 1988. Retrieved September 16, 2009.
4."Breathing life through dance". Tulsa World. July 15, 2007. Retrieved September 16, 2009.
5."Oklahoma's Indian Ballerinas To Be Honored as Treasures". Tulsa World. October 8, 1997. Retrieved September 16, 2009.
Ken Taylor
Kenneth M. Taylor is considered a legend in Osage County because of his quick response on Dec. 7, 1941, when the Japanese Imperial Navy attacked the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor. During the chaos of the attack, Taylor with the help of a fellow pilot, was able to get a fighter plane into the air where he shot down multiple Japanese planes.Taylor sustained some injuries during his heroic efforts and went on to receive the Distinguished Service Cross and a Purple Heart, and several other awards over his 27 years of active duty. Taylor retired as a Colonel in 1967. He went on to be an Assistant Adjutant Ge...
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Kenneth M. Taylor is considered a legend in Osage County because of his quick response on Dec. 7, 1941, when the Japanese Imperial Navy attacked the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor.
During the chaos of the attack, Taylor with the help of a fellow pilot, was able to get a fighter plane into the air where he shot down multiple Japanese planes.
Taylor sustained some injuries during his heroic efforts and went on to receive the Distinguished Service Cross and a Purple Heart, and several other awards over his 27 years of active duty. Taylor retired as a Colonel in 1967.
He went on to be an Assistant Adjutant General for the Alaska Air National Guard. In 1971, he retired from military life as a Brigadier General and Commander of the Alaska Air National Guard.
In 1970, Taylor was portrayed in the film Tora! Tora! Tora! for which he also served as a technical adviser.
According to the City Manager of Hominy, Okla., Gary Lanham, Taylor, was the first pilot to shoot down a Japanese plane after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Taylor was depicted in the partially fictionalized movie "Pearl Harbor," and was played by Ben Affleck, Lanham said.
Kenneth M. Taylor grew up in Hominy after moving here with his family shortly after his birth. He spent his formative years there and eventually graduated from Hominy High School in 1938.
After graduation, he enrolled in the University of Oklahoma and joined the Army Air Corps.
Though Kenneth Taylor passed away in 2006, his bravery and service to his country will always be remembered.
The Hominy City Council passed a proclamation, signed by Mayor Fairweather, officially recognizing Taylor for his military service.
The proclamation was sent to the Oklahoma governor’s office, which approved his recognition.
Photo and Content Courtesy of City of Hominy
Major General Clarence Tinker
Clarence Leonard Tinker (1887-1942) was the first American Indian in U.S. Army history to attain the rank of major general;
Tinker took command of the Hawaiian Department following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. Promoted to major general in early 1942, he was placed in charge of the newly created Seventh Air Force at Hickam Field, Hawaii., Tinker led four Liberator bombers on a raid to Wake Island on June 5, 1942. Leaving Midway Island on June 6, his plane crashed at sea, killing all on board.
Clarence L. Tinker was the first American general to die in World War II; his body was never ...
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Clarence Leonard Tinker (1887-1942) was the first American Indian in U.S. Army history to attain the rank of major general;
Tinker took command of the Hawaiian Department following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.
Promoted to major general in early 1942, he was placed in charge of the newly created Seventh Air Force at Hickam Field, Hawaii., Tinker led four Liberator bombers on a raid to Wake Island on June 5, 1942.
Leaving Midway Island on June 6, his plane crashed at sea, killing all on board.
Clarence L. Tinker was the first American general to die in World War II; his body was never recovered.
He received the Soldier's Medal in 1931 and, posthumously, the Distinguished Service Medal. Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is named in his honor.
To learn more about Major General Clarence Tinker, visit the Osage County Historical Society Museum in Pawhuska.
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Anita Bryant
Anita Jane Bryant, born March 25, 1940 in Barnsdall, Okla., is an American singer, 1958 Miss Oklahoma beauty pageant winner, former brand ambassador for the Florida Citrus Commission. According to Wikepedia, Bryant scored four Top 40 hits in the United States in the late 1950's and early 1960's, including "Paper Roses", which reached number five on the music charts. In 2005, Bryant returned to Barnsdall, Oklahoma, to attend the town's 100th anniversary celebration and to have a street renamed in her honor. Photo by NewsOK.com Content from Wikepedia
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Anita Jane Bryant, born March 25, 1940 in Barnsdall, Okla., is an American singer, 1958 Miss Oklahoma beauty pageant winner, former brand ambassador for the Florida Citrus Commission.
According to Wikepedia, Bryant scored four Top 40 hits in the United States in the late 1950's and early 1960's, including "Paper Roses", which reached number five on the music charts.
In 2005, Bryant returned to Barnsdall, Oklahoma, to attend the town's 100th anniversary celebration and to have a street renamed in her honor.
Photo by NewsOK.com
Content from Wikepedia