Award winner becomes Territorial Capital Sports Museum

By Darl DeVault
Special to Guthrie News Page

After 17 years of honoring the state’s outstanding athletes, the Oklahoma Sports Museum continues its award-winning preservation of Oklahoma’s athletic heritage under its new name, Territorial Capital Sports Museum.

Founded in 1993, by Richard Hendricks, Ferguson Jenkins, and Geese Ausbie, it was later designated the state’s official sports museum by the legislature. To carry out its mission to honor Oklahoma athletes it opened in 1996, after supporters purchased and renovated a 13,000 square foot space in downtown Guthrie. Museum association members created displays within three adjoining buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, with help from the State of Oklahoma.

“We offer visitors a glimpse of the richness and diversity of Oklahoma’s athletic heritage,” said Hendricks, executive director. “We thank Geese Ausbie for helping with the spark of the idea and were blessed that Ferguson Jenkins helped build this museum, as his fame and friendliness meant we could gather support to move into buildings much faster than without his work.”

After the accumulation of a large collection of Oklahoma sports related displays and memorabilia, supporters then sought to create special events to honor Oklahoma’s most important sports figures.

In 1999, the museum began presenting the Warren Spahn Award to the best left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball yearly to honor the legacy of Oklahoman Spahn’s 363 MLB wins, the most ever for a lefty. In 2001, the Oklahoma Museum Association voted the Warren Spahn Award its annual Outstanding Promotional/Informational Publication. Spahn, who died in 2003, owns three of the most prestigious records for a pitcher in the post-1920’s live-ball era. He had the most wins, most complete games and shutouts for any pitcher who played their entire career in the live-ball era.

Noted Edmond artist Shan Gray, working closely with Spahn, sculpted the 27-inch Warren Spahn Award and later scaled it up to become three identical versions of the bronze heroic-size statue. Visitors to the museum find one of the 9-foot statues dominating the Warren Spahn Award Gallery that features paintings of the first seven winners by Tom Gentis. The other statues grace plazas outside the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in downtown Oklahoma City and Turner Field in Atlanta.

The Spahn Award was presented along with other significant recognition such as the Bill Teegins Excellence in Sportscasting Award and the Ferguson Jenkins Outstanding Athletes Award.

The museum has hosted the Oklahoma High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame since 1998. In 2005 the Oklahoma High School Baseball Coaches Association gave the museum its T.R. Larman Special Recognition Award.

Museum volunteers hosted the Oklahoma Black Baseball Reunion for three years, attracting several notable athletes. In 2004, the inaugural Oklahoma Black Baseball Reunion won the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department’s annual Redbud Award for Outstanding New Event.

The Oklahoma Historical Society annually selects a State Historic Preservation Officer’s Citation of Merit winner for outstanding accomplishments in historic preservation. In 2006, the museum received that exclusive and prestigious honor.

In 2008 the museum merged with the Jim Thorpe Association in an attempt to broaden their scope of promoting the athletic heritage of Oklahoma. After working together for five years, leaders recently decided it would be better for the two organizations to go their separate ways.

The TCSM functions under the original OSM Association 501(c)(3) incorporation and is striving to recruit new members to the volunteer association. Current board members are Dan Newton, Pres., Chris Evans, V. Pres., Lucy Swanson, Sec., Frank Davis, Jack Herron, Jon Chappell, Don Hardin, Rob Hudson, Kenneth Mitchell, Sen. A. J. Griffin, R-Guthrie, Barry Cogburn, John Vance, Mike Simpson, Darl DeVault, publicist, and Richard Hendricks, director. Associate board members are LaVerne Dowding, Rick Davis, John Schwartz, and Scott Hill.

The membership’s interest and dedication in working with sports figures at the state level has fostered the awards mentioned in this article.

The museum association needs help in identifying and connecting to a more diverse group of potential members and committee workers. New association members with leadership development training, museum committee work and sports organization experience are sought.

Visitors may view displays in the following sports:

Basketball: OKC Thunder, Hornets, Blake Griffin, Desmond Mason, Courtney Paris, Wayman Tisdale, Crystal Robinson, Phillips 66ers, Harlem Globe Trotters- museum founder Hubert “Geese” Ausbie and Marques Haynes.

Football: Heisman Trophy display, first Bedlam between OU and OSU (Oklahoma A&M), Pro Football HOF members’ items. Jerseys: Steve Owens, Adrian Peterson, Barry Sanders, Sam Bradford, and Jason White.

Baseball: Bats of the eight National Baseball Hall of Fame members, jerseys, photos and autographed balls from players past and present, a display of Oklahoma MLB managers and coaches, George Barr collection of MLB autographed balls from 1930-1950’s, Oklahoma High School Baseball Coaches HOF honoring more than 80 coaches, Patti Cox Hampton, and Earlene “Beans” Risinger GPBL (League of their Own). Displays also feature Mickey Mantle, Johnny Bench, and Allie Reynolds. Pro Teams: OKC Indians, Oklahoma City 89ers and RedHawks, and Tulsa Drillers.

Native American athletes: Jim Thorpe, Allie Reynolds, Johnny Bench, Cal McLish, Pepper Martin, and the Hominy Indians Football Team

Pro Rodeo: Lazy E Arena chute display, Jim Shoulders, Roy Cooper, Lane Frost, Billy Etbauer, and Oklahoma Barrel Racers

Olympics: Shannon Miller, Nadia Comaneci, Bart Conner, Michele Smith, Ryan Franklin, Danny Hodge, John Smith, Wayne Wells, and coaches Lloyd Simmons, Steve Nunno and Peggy Liddick.

Golf: Doug Tewell, Susie Maxwell, Gil Moran, Nancy Lopez, Bo Wininger and the Women’s Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame exhibit.

Sports fans wanting to learn more about Oklahoma athletes can be a part of the effort by becoming an association member or sponsor: Membership donation levels– $25, $50, $100. Sponsorships are structured at $500, $1,000, and $2,000 per year.

All donations are tax deductible. All donors receive an Oklahoma sports lithograph and sponsors are listed on the website. When visiting, fans are greeted by hosts, Judy Cochran or Barbara Russell. Contact the museum by email at oklasportsmuseum@sbcglobal.net.

Museum admission is by donation at 315 W. Oklahoma Ave. in Guthrie, opening Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. or by appointment at 405.260.1342.