Old Man River

Old Man River

by Pat Rooney

On July 11, 1960, a mid-air collision of two U.S. fighters resulted in the loss of a wing and a tail.  Both planes went down in this “near miss.”  The pilot of the plane struck was soon to be Admiral Ray Ackerman, and had we lost him the pathway of OKC’s recent river development would have assuredly been quite different.

With the recent news of OKC named as an Olympic venue for the LA Olympics in 2028 there has been, rightfully, a ground swell of congratulations for certain leaders of our community, the mayor David Holt and Riversport Executive Mike Knopp to name a couple, for their efforts in such a coup.  It’s our second “Field of Dreams” moment (The Hornets/Thunder being the first).  Really the third, if you include Softball Hall of Fame Stadium (another named Olympic venue).  The list of city leaders deserving credit for this success is long, going back to several mayors and city managers.  But importantly, we can’t forget the one that got it all started, had the idea, and pushed it relentlessly, Rotary’s own Admiral Ray Ackerman of Ackerman McQueen.

Admiral Ackerman’s life is portrayed wonderfully in a book by Bob Burke appropriately titled “Old Man River.”  It details his early life as a young man in Pennsylvania, his initial desire to becoming a priest, his early life in the military, and his career in advertising.  Ray landed in Oklahoma almost by accident taking an entry level position with the Daily Oklahoman in 1947.  He took to his adopted city immediately and relentlessly worked to see it reach its potential, and especially the potential of the river.  Recently, Riversport Director Tom Apel told me he remembers when he was a young man and Mr. Ackerman telling him to start rowing on the river and that “This river is going to host a major event someday.”

Ray was always talking up the river.  He did not like the image of our city having to “mow its river twice a year.”  He did not like the visuals “hot and dusty,” he always said.  He kept pushing for the river’s development, against the many naysayers thinking he was ridiculous.  Afterall, the idea of doing something with the river was not new.  The first development effort was is in 1889 and was an abject failure (but that’s another story).

After losing the United Airlines headquarters in the late 80’s, the city council, mayor and other city leaders came together, under Ray’s leadership as Chamber President, and conceived the Maps Project with the river as a top priority.  With the Maps I approval, Mr. Ackerman got his river, and with the success and popularity of the river and the other projects, the naysayers disappeared and the city was on it way to a remarkable resurgence that is still going on today.

So, as we absolutely congratulate all those with a hand in making OKC an Olympic venue, let’s just remember to put Admiral Ray Ackerman on the top of the list.