Marland Mansion dining room to hold first dinner in 75 years

Something is happening in Ponca City that hasn’t occurred for at least 75 years. On Saturday, Dec. 10, dinner will be served in E.W. Marland’s private dining room at the Marland Mansion for the first time since 1941.

A party of 12 guests will have dinner in the formal dining room, courtesy of Hugh Pickens and Dr. S.J. Pickens, the signature sponsors of this year’s Gala at the Mansion.

The Marland Gala is a fundraiser for the Marland Estate Foundation, whose mission is to restore and preserve the historic, architectural landmark and to educate people on the E.W. Marland story.

Dinner has not been served in Marland’s private dining room at the Mansion since his passing in 1941. Although Marland lost his oil company to banking interests in 1929 and closed the mansion, he would reopen the mansion to parties and formal dinners during his tenure as Governor of Oklahoma from 1935 to 1939.

“We are honored to have the opportunity to sponsor the Marland Gala this year,” said Pickens. “We are especially honored to be the first guests to have dinner in E.W. Marland’s formal dining room in over 75 years.”

The Pickens invited guests include Ponca City Mayor Homer Nicholson, Barbara Rozell, Kay County District Attorney Brian Hermanson, Ruslyn Hermanson, Marland Estate Manager David Keathly, Marcia Keathly, Phillips 66 Community Affairs and Public Relations Head Diane Anderson, Deloris Pickens, and Joseph Gierek, owner of the Gierek Art Gallery in Tulsa and his wife Mary Gierek.

The dinner will be prepared by Chef Tracy Wyatt at Sodexo and will include: Chicken Caesar Salad with warm chicken breast slices, New England Clam Chowder, bone-in filet, green beans with bacon, baked potato with butter and sides of bacon, sour cream and shredded cheese, dinner rolls, and dessert of carrot cake and lemon cream pie, prepared by Chef Jeff Denton of TS Fork.

“We want to express our sincere gratitude to the Pickens for being our major sponsor for the 2016 Gala,” said Terron Liles, Chairman of the Marland Foundation. “We want to thank them for their generosity toward the Marland Gala, The Marland Estate Foundation and the Marland Mansion as a whole.”

Tickets to the Gala are $100 and are currently for sale at the Marland Mansion Gift Shop and The Bag Lady Boutique. For more information, contact Liles at (405) 742-7654.

E.W. Marland was a colorful oil baron in the 1910s and 1920s. He was also a U.S. Congressman, as well as the 10th Governor of Oklahoma. His dream was to live in a palace, and so he built this majestic home.

The Marland Mansion and Estate, completed in 1928 after nearly three years of construction, is a 55-room Italian Renaissance Villa. In addition, it is a National Historic Landmark and is recognized as one of America’s Castles. Also known as the Palace on the Prairie, the mansion is furnished with original and period furniture, so it appears as if the Marland family still lives here.