Tulsa Studies
Guide to Articles and Photo Essays
rodger randle
the center for studies in democracy and culture
OU-Tulsa
OU-Tulsa
These photos illustrate themes in our studies about Tulsa.
In this section, we explore modern Tulsa, as well as our history leading up to today. In our past, we look for clues that explain how we became the place—and the people—that we are today. Observing our contemporary city, we look for the trends that are working to shape Tulsa's future.
tulsa: our formative past
Oil was the economic reason for Tulsa's explosive growth and prosperity, and
the leaders of the petroleum industry provided civic leadership that left a permanent mark on Tulsa's character. This article explains their impact on the formation of our city's culture.
The Glenn Pool field would have meant little to Tulsa if our town had not already established the infrastructure required to support such growth and expansion. The most critical element was luring rail service to Tulsa. The railroad was the single most important fact of life in early Tulsa, and its impact on our landscape is still visible today.
Our first flag was adopted in 1924, and we are on our third new flag since then. Each Tulsa flag has been emblematic of an epoch of our history. The flag of 1924 was looking to our future, and now, our present flag looks backwards to our roots.
Films and Videos
Created by the United States Information Service for use abroad in telling the American story, this 10 minute film offers a time trip back to daily life in the Tulsa of 75 years ago. Most buildings and scenes are recognizable to us today, but our style of life has changed dramatically.
The 1949 movie named after our city offers glimses into Tulsa's oil boom era. Curiously for a movie of that era, two themes are surprisingly modern: environmentalism and feminism ...but moviegoers of the time likely missed the subliminal political messaging.
In this video. State Sen. Stratton Taylor (who will later be remembered in Oklahoma history as a Senate President Pro Tem) interviews Tulsa's new mayor Rodger Randle on Claremore's KRSU television. It captures an earlier era of our political life and is a rare example of preserved and accesible video from this period.
tulsa: urban changes
Intermingled in older residential neighborhoods are small apartment buildings that were key to Tulsa's earlier urban way of life. This article explores why they were important to the city and why they are coming back.
observing Tulsa: a photographer's notebook
11:00 AM on a Sunday morning, and the parking lot of Boston Avenue Church is empty—the services cancelled. This is one of many scenes in Tulsa during the covid shut-down in August 2021. This photo slideshow documents some of these scenes.
Beyond the familiar, picturesque views of our city, this collection of photos documents other sides of Tulsa that we may sometimes see but rarely notice. The collected photos are of various buildings, houses, and street scenes.
Tulsa as a city has an immense capacity for beauty; the following photos encapsulate the scenic sights that can be witnessed in the fall.
Although not as plagued by grafitti as some other American cities, the walls of empty buildings (and sometimes occupied ones) are canvases of opportunity for grafitti artists. Some of the art has a certain beauty and charm as seen in the images from this collection.
Vandalizing railroad cars with grafitti would have been unthinkable in previous eras, but times have changed. Like urban grafitti, some of it has a naïf attractiveness when viewed in isolation. This photo collection offers a sampling of the moving art that passes through our city.
A visit to Tulsa's Woodward Park and the Rose Garden in December revealed a handful of plants in full bloom. Whether this was just an unusual year or a sign of things to come, it was an awe-inspiring surprise. The number of plants in bloom was few, but there were enough to make this photo collection.
our new podcast series
A New Initiative
Our podcast series on themes in Tulsan culture, history, politics and people will begin in January. Our focus will be on things that help us better understand our city and its past, as well as our role within the state of Oklahoma. The interviewed subjects will include academic, literary, and government leaders.
Lots of history has been published about Oklahoma and Tulsa. We don't seek to repeat it here. Our interest is in exploring explanations rooted in our historic experiences that help us understand who we are today and how our state and city function culturally, politically, and relationally. Our focus is to identify trends and historical experiences and to analyze their importance and impacts.
Overview of Tulsa Studies
Overview of Tulsa Studies
All photos in these collections are © Rodger Randle. 
Notes on Our Tulsa Studies