The Legacy of Louisa McCune

The Legacy of Louisa McCune
by Lance McDaniel

Club 29 member Louisa McCune is executive director of Kirkpatrick Foundation. Her father, Edward A. McCune, MD, was a longtime member of Enid Rotary ­Club. In the mid-1990’s, her oldest sister, Allison, was one among the first class of three women admitted into Enid Rotary Club.

This column was supposed to be written by Louisa McCune. McCune was a renowned journalist, engaged philanthropist, dynamic community leader, and inspirational activist who passed away earlier this fall. The brief bio above is how she signed her final Rotary Reflections article from October of 2023.

That Rotary Reflection was called “A New Era for Psychedelics – Opening our minds to what’s possible in clinical settings.” The column was fascinating, well researched, thoughtfully explained, filled with cultural references, and supported by several prestigious academic sources. It was a perfect example of what made Louisa McCune so unique.

Louisa McCune was smart, quirky, extremely well read, and passionate to her very core about what she believed. She held a wide range of interests, unbridled curiosity, and a keen intellect. She possessed the ability to follow ideas down the rabbit hole to get to their essence. And she was willing to put in the hard work, year after year, to channel what she learned along the way into sensible solutions for illuminated issues.

Louisa McCune was an outstanding storyteller. As long-time editor of Oklahoma Today she rooted out the very best stories from across Oklahoma, dragged them into the light, and provided a respected, award-winning platform for the world to see and learn about these Oklahoma treasures in the most professional manner possible. Then, as co-founder and editor of ArtDesk magazine, she elevated local and regional art in all its forms into the highest echelons of the international art world.

As an advocate for the arts and animal welfare, Louisa believed that she could affect change by building coalitions of people bound by common ideas and fueled by a passion for change.  She used her respected position as executive director of the Kirkpatrick Foundation to inspire others to think more strategically and advocate more effectively for their own causes.

I met Louisa McCune when I became executive director of the deadCenter Film Festival. She was the first person to sit me down and give me an overview of how the nonprofit world worked. She took me through the processes of how to apply for grants, engage good board members, grow an audience through partnerships, and plug into the creative nonprofit community. It was a masterclass in nonprofit management. Her counsel led me to training, grants, and partnerships with the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits, Oklahoma Arts Council, Arts Council of Oklahoma City, and Allied Arts. She was a connector like no other.

Louisa McCune had a significant impact on my life as a nonprofit leader. Multiply that by the thousands of nonprofit leaders who sat across from Louisa for the first time, nervous and intimidated, only to leave an hour later feeling empowered, engaged, and energized to take on the nonprofit world. Multiply that by the hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans who were served by those different nonprofits. Then add the hundreds of thousands of Oklahoma Today and ArtDesk readers around the world. You start to get a sense of the unbelievable influence one person can have during their time here on earth.

We are all fortunate that Louisa McCune followed in the footsteps of her father, Edward A. McCune, MD, and her trailblazing oldest sister, Allison, to share her gifts and passion for service with all of us here at Club 29. Farewell to an amazing member of the Rotary Club of Oklahoma City.