4-29-2025
Bob Blackburn: Parks of Oklahoma City: A History
Bob Blackburn, PhD, is the author or co-author of twenty-eight books—including A History of the State Fair of Oklahoma, Sonic: The History of America’s Drive-In, and Love’s: Fifty Years of a Family Enterprise—which tell the stories of some of Oklahoma’s most iconic institutions. After completing his doctorate in history at Oklahoma State University, Blackburn joined the Oklahoma Historical Society, where he served for forty-two years as editor, deputy director, and executive director. Among his greatest achievements was planning, building, and managing the Oklahoma History Center, which opened new opportunities to collect, preserve, and share the story of his native state.
Chair of the Day
Liz Eickman
Elizabeth K. Eickman is the director of the Kirkpatrick Family Fund which makes significant philanthropic investments in programs and organizations that provide leadership to advance the cultural, intellectual and social interest in central Oklahoma and in the Colorado Pikes Peak region. She directs a multi-state grants program and special initiatives which emphasize organization endowments, arts education, the role of arts in community development, animal wellbeing, and an important health concern for Oklahoma – the reduction of teen pregnancy. Ms. Eickman serves as advisor trustee to the Kirkpatrick Foundation and the Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center. She serves on the boards of Green Box, Mollie Spencer Farm, Historic Green Mountain Falls Foundation LLC, Campbell Art Park LLC, Kirkpatrick Policy Group, Honestly: Youth Sexual Health, and the Oklahoma City Arts Commission. Ms. Eickman is the recipient of the Elwin D. Hatfield Award from Downtown Now (2000); Byliner Award – Arts from OKC Chapter of Women in Communications (2006); John Belt Lifetime Achievement Award from the Paseo Arts Association (2014); Governor’s Arts Awards (2018); the Marilyn Myers Founders Award from Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center (2020), and 55 Over 55 Inspiring Oklahomans (2022).
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