Thousands of alumni, hundreds of teachers and many Tulsans knew that Will Rogers High School was a special place, but it took the idea and perseverance of one alumna – Betty Ann Brown Trinka – to make sure the rest of the country knew. On September 6, 2007, Will Rogers High School was formally included in the National Register of Historic Places.
Original Architectural Drawings
Most buildings have state or local significance, but Will Rogers was recognized as having national significance as well. The school is well known for its quality of materials and construction and its fine craftsmanship, as well as its being a modern architectural masterpiece. Many of the features – light fixtures, mural, interior and exterior design – are the same as they were when the school was opened in 1939. The original interior and facade are intact, thanks to those who have maintained and operated the building over the years. When the Tulsa Public Schools began consolidating in 2011, Superintendent, Keith Ballard, recognized that Will Rogers High School, with its rich heritage and beautiful structure, was a special place and recommended that the doors stay open.
Will Rogers, the Man Upon his tragic death in 1935, it was decided to name the new Tulsa high school on the hill for the legendary, beloved, Will Rogers. What a great decision...for students, alumni, teachers, staff and the Tulsa community as well. We know about the school. What about the man? It would be hard to find a state whose native son has made more of an impact on America than did Oklahoma’s Will Rogers. Few have come close to his communication skills or mastered so many venues: stage, motion pictures, newspaper, radio, author, speaker and lecturer. He was an Oklahoma Cherokee cowboy, rodeo performer, trick rope artist, humorist, author, news analyst, journalist, philosopher and America’s first radio commentator. At the time of his death, he was the number one box office attraction and his column was published in more than 600 newspapers. He was a direct link to the original Americans, a country boy, a cowboy and a middle American, even though he spent some 30 years living on either the East or West coasts. Some think that no one before or since related to so many people. He was loved, read, watched, heard and respected by millions around the world. Within days after his death the major radio networks went silent for 30 minutes. Newspapers chronicled his life and his death with up to l7 pages of coverage. Newsreels of his memorial service showed in theaters for weeks. Found in his pockets after the crash was a stub of a pencil, a pocket knife, eyeglasses, a magnifying glass, a program from a rodeo he and Betty had attended a few days earlier, a small cardboard and wood puzzle from the rodeo, and a pocket watch that was still running. He wore the watch tied to an old string; things that a small boy might carry. Simple things. And maybe that’s why Will Rogers was so loved by so many. What an honor to have his name above the entrance to our school. by Steve Wright, Class of ‘56
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