Oklahoma State Capitol
Art Collection
The People
Included in the Capitol Art Collection are works of art depicting notable individuals from our state. Click on the links below to learn more about the portraits and works featuring these prominent Oklahomans.
Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher by Mitsuno Ishii Reedy
Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher was a leading activist, attorney, and educator who opened higher education to African-American students in Oklahoma and laid the foundation for the Brown v. Board of Education decision.
Albert Comstock Hamlin 1881-1912 by Simmie Knox
A. C. Hamlin, Republican, was the first African American elected to the Oklahoma State Legislature. He was elected in 1908.
Benjamin Harrison Hill 1904-1971 by Simmie Knox
Benjamin Harrison Hill, Democrat, was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 1968.
Carl Albert by Charles Banks Wilson
Born in McAlester in 1908, Carl Albert was elected the 46th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in 1971, the highest elected office ever held by an Oklahoman.
David L. Payne, The Original Oklahoma Boomer by Joe R. Taylor
David L. Payne is known as Oklahoma’s original boomer and has been called the father of Oklahoma for his push to settle the unassigned lands which Payne considered to be public domain.
Dr. Angie Debo by Charles Banks Wilson
Dr. Angie Debo was a leading scholar of Indian and Oklahoma history. Her nine books serve as a cornerstone of American Indian scholarship, and her research is frequently cited as evidence in present-day federal court cases involving tribal land rights.
Dr. John Hope Franklin by Everett Raymond Kinstler
Franklin's prolific writing might only be outdone by his dedication to civil rights. His work From Slavery to Freedom was first published in 1947 and has sold more than three million copies worldwide.
Edward P. McCabe, 1850-1923 by Simmie Knox
Edward P. McCabe established the City of Langston, an all-Black community, and the Langston Herald newspaper.
Flight of Spirit by Mike Larsen
Flight of Spirit features five world-renowned Oklahoma ballet dancers and merges the tragic history of Native Americans with the hope and renewal of modern accomplishments. Behind the illuminated ballerinas is Larsen’s depiction of the Trail of Tears.
Governor Brad Henry by Paul Moore
Brad Henry was officially sworn in as Oklahoma's 26th governor on January 13, 2003. Governor Henry was re-elected in 2006 by one of the largest margins in state history.
Governor Charles Nathaniel Haskell, 1907-1911 by Leonard D. McMurry
Charles Nathaniel Haskell was Oklahoma's first Governor.
Governor David Hall, 1971-1975 by Leonard D. McMurry
David Hall was inaugurated January 11, 1971, following the closest gubernatorial election in the state's history.
Governor David Lee Walters, 1991-1995 by Harold T. Holden
On November 6, 1990, David Lee Walters was elected to serve as the 24th governor of Oklahoma and served until 1994.
Governor David Lyle Boren, 1975-1979 by Leonard D. McMurry
David Lyle Boren was elected to the House of Representatives in 1967 and served until his election as Governor in November, 1974.
Governor Dewey Follett Bartlett, 1967-1971 by Leonard D. McMurry
Dewey Follett Bartlett was first elected to the State Senate in 1962 and was reelected in 1964. He served as Governor from January 9, 1967, to January 11, 1971, and was elected to the U.S. Senate November 7, 1972.
Governor Ernest Whitworth-Marland, 1935-1939 by Leonard D. McMurry
Ernest Whitworth Marland was Governor of Oklahoma from January 15, 1935 to January 9, 1939.
Governor Frank Keating, 1995-2003 by Jo Saylors
Francis Anthony Keating is the second Governor in Oklahoma history to hold two consecutive terms and the only Republican to accomplish that feat.
Governor George Patterson Nigh, January 6, 1963 - January 14, 1963, January 3, 1979 - January 8, 1979 January 8, 1979 - January 15, 1982 January 15, 1982 - January 13, 1986 by Leonard D. McMurry
Taking office at age 31, George Patterson Nigh became the youngest state Lieutenant Governor in the United States. In 1963, Nigh became the 17th Governor in Oklahoma, filling an unexpired 9-day term following the resignation for Gov. J. Howard Edmondson.
Governor Henry Lewis Bellmon, 1963-1967; 1986-1990 by Leonard D. McMurry
Henry Louis Bellmon was the first Republican Governor of the State of Oklahoma. He served as Governor from 1963 to 1967, and from 1986 to 1990.
Governor Henry Simpson Johnston, 1927-1929 by Leonard D. McMurry
Henry Simpson Johnston was a member and temporary presiding officer of the Constitutional Convention in 1906. He was elected Governor in 1926 and took office January 10, 1927.
Governor Jack Callaway Walton, Jan. 8 - Nov. 19, 1923 by Leonard D. McMurry
Jack Callaway Walton was elected Governor in 1922 and was impeached within the year, serving from January 8, to November 19, 1923.
Governor James Brooks Ayers Robertson, 1919-1923 by Leonard D. McMurry
James Brooks Ayers Robertson was Governor of Oklahoma, January 13, 1919 to January 8, 1923.
Governor James Howard Edmondson, 1959-1963 by Leonard D. McMurry
James Howard Edmondson was the youngest governor in the history of the state. He served as Governor from 1959 to 1963.
Governor Johnston Murray, 1951-1955 by Leonard D. McMurry
Johnston Murray served as Governor from January 8, 1951, to January 1955.
Governor Lee Cruce, 1911-1915 by Leonard D. McMurry
Lee Cruce served as Oklahoma's second Governor from January 9, 1911, to January 11, 1915.
Governor Leon Chase Phillips, 1939-1943 by Leonard D. McMurry
Leon Chase Phillips was a member of the State Legislature from 1933 to 1938; Speaker of the House in 1935; and Governor from January 9, 1939, to January 11, 1943.
Governor Martin Edwin Trapp, Nov. 19, 1923 - Jan. 10, 1927 by Leonard D. McMurry
After the impeachment of Gov. Walton, Martin Edwin Trapp served as Governor of the State from November 19, 1923, until January 10, 1927.
Governor Mary Fallin, 2011-2019 by Paul Moore
Mary Fallin is the first woman to serve as Governor of Oklahoma.
Governor Raymond Dancel Gary, 1955-1959 by Leonard D. McMurry
Raymond Dancel Gary was the first Governor to be born in Oklahoma after statehood. He served as Governor from from 1955 to 1959.
Governor Robert Lee Williams, 1915-1919 by Leonard D. McMurry
Robert Lee Williams was Oklahoma's third Governor.
Governor Robert Samuel Kerr, 1943-1947 by Leonard D. McMurry
Robert Samuel Kerr was Oklahoma's first Oklahoma-born governor. He served as Governor of Oklahoma from January 13, 1943, to January 13, 1947.
Governor Roy Joseph Turner, 1947-1951 by Leonard D. McMurry
Roy Joseph Turner served as Governor of Oklahoma from January 13, 1947, to January 8, 1951.
Governor William Henry Murray, 1931-1935 by Leonard D. McMurry
William Henry "Alfalfa Bill" Murray was probably Oklahoma's most colorful political figure. Murray was a member of the 63rd and 64th United States Congresses and Governor of Oklahoma from January 12, 1931, to January 15, 1935.
Governor William Judson Holloway, 1929-1931 by Leonard D. McMurry
William Judson Holloway was elected Lieutenant Governor in 1926 and advanced to the Governor's office upon the impeachment of Gov. Johnston and completed the term.
Jim Thorpe by Charles Banks Wilson
Jacobus Franciscus "Jim" Thorpe is considered one of the most versatile athletes in modern sports. This Sac and Fox Indian from Oklahoma won Olympic gold medals in the pentathlon and decathlon and was called "the greatest athlete in the world" by Sweden's King Gustav V.
Kate Barnard by Sandra Van Zandt
Kate Barnard was the first woman in American history elected to state office as well as Oklahoma’s first commissioner of charities and corrections.
Mickey Mantle by Kenneth Wyatt
Often called "The Commerce Comet" or simply "The Mick," Oklahoma native Mickey Mantle is considered one the greatest starts in the history of Major League Baseball.
Miss Alice Robertson by Mike Wimmer
In 1920, Alice Mary Robertson became the second woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives when she defeated the three-term incumbent William W. Hastings, in Oklahoma's Second Congressional District.
Mrs. Lamar Looney by Mike Wimmer
Oklahoma’s first female Senator was born Mirabeau Lamar Cole on January 16, 1871, in Alabama.
Ralph Ellison by Tracey Harris
This painting of Ralph Ellison depicts the famous author in front of the Aldridge Theatre alongside playbills of the many jazz giants he watched perform there.
Rep. Bessie S. McColgin by Mike Wimmer
Oklahoma’s first woman to serve in the Oklahoma House of Representatives was Amelia Elizabeth “Bessie” McColgin, a Republican from Rankin in western Oklahoma. She was elected in 1920 and served in the Eighth Legislature from 1920-21.
Robert L. Williams by Joe R. Taylor
Governor Robert L. Williams was responsible for the completion of Oklahoma’s dome-less capital and oversaw every detail. He believed the dome would be a “useless ornamentation” because he strongly wanted to stay within budget.
Robert S. Kerr by Charles Banks Wilson
Sen. Robert S. Kerr, Oklahoma’s homespun statesman, led a career that stretched from a log cabin near Ada to national leadership and immense business success.
Roscoe Dunjee, 1883-1965 by Simmie Knox
Oklahoma journalist and publisher Roscoe Dunjee founded the nationally known Oklahoma City Black Dispatch newspaper in 1915 and shaped American history, serving as spokesman and leader in the civil rights movement.
Sequoyah by Charles Banks Wilson
Sequoyah is credited with the creation of the Cherokee syllabary, a group of 85 symbols used to notate the sounds of the Cherokee language.
T. Boone Pickens by Mike Wimmer
Born in Holdenville, Oklahoma, T. Boone Pickens is one of the nation's most successful and influential businessmen. He is also well-known as a generous philanthropist.
Wiley Post by Mike Wimmer
Wiley Post was from Maysville, Oklahoma, and during the 1930s became one of the world’s most famous pilots.
Will Rogers by Charles Banks Wilson
Known as Oklahoma's favorite son, Will Rogers was a cowboy, vaudeville performer, humorist, social commentator, and motion picture actor. He was one of the world's best-known celebrities in the 1920s and 1930s.
Woody Guthrie by Charles Banks Wilson
Singer, songwriter, author and social activist, Woody Guthrie was America’s first true folk hero.