Celebrate the Centennial of The Chronicles of Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA CITY — In January 2021, the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) will celebrate the centennial of one of its cornerstone programs: The Chronicles of Oklahoma, its quarterly journal that includes scholarly articles on the history and culture of Oklahoma, book reviews, notes and documents, and minutes of OHS Board meetings. The OHS Board of Directors established The Chronicles at its May 6, 1920, meeting, and appointed a committee to arrange for its publication. The committee named J. S. Buchanan and E. E. Dale of the University of Oklahoma as managing and associated editors respectively, and they began production of the first issue. That issue was released 100 years ago, in January 1921.

The OHS Publications Division has planned several ways to commemorate this momentous anniversary. Most significantly, The Chronicles of Oklahoma is now available on The Gateway to Oklahoma History. The Gateway is an online repository of Oklahoma history through which visitors can search and view thousands of historic newspapers, photographs, maps and documents. OHS Web and Visual Communications Manager Jennifer Towry was integral in the scanning and preparation of the journal, which was then uploaded onto The Gateway through a partnership with the University of North Texas Libraries. The process is ongoing, and will be completed in the coming months. Issues currently available can be found at www.okhistory.org/chronicles100.

The history of The Chronicles of Oklahoma will be featured in the “Notes and Documents” section of an upcoming issue of the journal. Dr. Elizabeth Bass, editor of The Chronicles and director of publications for the OHS, will speak to graduate students at universities in the state to inform them of the possibilities available for research and publication. Finally, to wrap up a year of celebration, an exhibit about the importance of The Chronicles and its past editors will be featured at the Oklahoma History Center in the latter part of 2021.

The works published in The Chronicles of Oklahoma cover the depth and breadth of Oklahoma’s rich history, and we invite you to join the OHS in celebrating its centennial. One way to commemorate this anniversary is to support the scholarly work of the journal by becoming a member of the OHS. OHS members receive a subscription to the journal as one of many perks of membership. To learn more, please visit www.okhistory.org/membership.

The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.