Celebrating Black History Month: Sarah Rector, first black millionaire in Oklahoma

Sarah Rector, born March 3, 1902 in Indian Territory near what is now Taft, Oklahoma, was the granddaughter of Creek Indians who were born before the Civil War.  Under the Treaty of 1866, she inherited land. However, the plot of land allotted to her was unsuitable for farming, and about 60 miles from where she and her family lived.

To help allay costs of property taxes, her father leased Sarah's land to the Standard Oil Company in February 1911.  In 1913, oil was discovered, with a daily yield of 2500 barrels of oil, and $300, which would be equivalent to $9,800 in 2023. Sarah became a millionaire before she was 12, the richest little girl in Oklahoma.

Because of her wealth, the Oklahoma Legislature tried to have her declared white, since many white people could not handle the thought of a young, black girl being rich.

After an article about her appeared in The Chicago Defender, Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois became concerned for her welfare, and wanted to be sure she was not taken advantage of.  DuBois established the Children's Department of the NAACP, which investigated claims of white guardians suspected of depriving black children of their land and wealth. 

Rector enrolled in the Children's School, a boarding school at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, and entered the institute upon graduation. She increased her wealth by owning stocks, bonds, businesses and a 2000-acre piece of land. 

She moved her family to Kansas City, Missouri and lived a comfortable life, entertaining celebrities such as Count Basie and Duke Ellington.  During the Great Depression she lost much of her wealth, but she became involved in the civil rights movement.

She passed away in 1967.

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Johnston Murray, first Native American governor in the US

 Johnston Murray, born July 21, 1902 in the Chickasaw Nation, in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma), was the first Native American to be elected as governor in the United States. His mother Mary Alice Hearrell was one-eighth Chickasaw, but Johnston never opted to enroll as a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation.  

His father William Murray was an advisor to Governor Douglas Johnston of the Chickasaw Nation, and served as ninth governor of Oklahoma from 1931-1935.

Johnston Murray attended public schools in Tishomingo, Oklahoma and attended college at the now Murray State College (named for his father), graduating in 1924.

He became active in state politics with the Democratic Party, and in 1940, he was elected chairman of the Oklahoma Electoral College. He then served as the Democratic chair of Oklahoma's 8th Congressional District.

Murray was elected Governor of Oklahoma in November 1950, taking office January 21, 1951. He was the first Oklahoma governor to be elected as Chairman of the Southern Governors Conference.  He funded the Turner Turnpike, which connected Oklahoma City and Tulsa.  The project had been approved by the legislature in 1947, and it was completed during his administration.  Murray was instrumental in purchasing the state fairgrounds in Oklahoma City. 

After leaving politics he worked in Fort Worth, Texas for a while, before returning to Oklahoma City, in 1960.  He passed away in April 1976 after a surgery for a ruptured abdominal blood vessel.

Irene Ryan, Granny Clampett, born 1902

Irene Ryan, born Jessie Irene Noblitt in El Paso, Texas October 17, 1902, is best know for her role as the feisty mother-in-law to Buddy Ebsen's Jed Clampett in the long-running comedy Beverly Hillbillies.  Ryan was only six years older than Ebsen at the time. She was already established as a celebrity for her work in vaudeville, radio, and movies.

In 1963 and 1964, she received two Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Series (Lead). 

When the series ended, Ryan fulfilled her life-long dream of performing on Broadway. She appeared in the musical Pippin, for which she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Supporting or Featured Actress (Musical).

A month after the ceremony, Ryan passed away from heart disease in April 1973. 

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month: Luis Castro, first Latin-American to play in Major League Baseball

Luis Castro, born November 25, 1876 in Colombia, is the first Latin American to play for Major League Baseball.  He played only one season with the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1902 season, as a second baseman and a right-handed batter.  The Athletics went on to win the American League championship.

Castro passed away in New York City at 64 in September 1941.

Margaret Hamilton, aka the Wicked Witch of the West, born 1902

Margaret Hamilton, born December 9, 1902 in Cleveland, Ohio, is fondly remembered for her role as the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz.  Although she played a mean witch, Hamilton was known to love children, an advocate for animal rights, and generally loved by casts and crews.  

Her role as the Wicked Witch of the West was ranked as #4 on the American Film Institute's list of 100 years of the Greatest Screen Heroes and Villains.

She passed away in May 1985 of a heart attack. 

Happy birthday, Mrs. Frankenstein!

Elsa Lanchester, born October 28, 1902, was best known for her portrayal of the bride of Frankenstein.  She went on to star in "Mary Poppins", one of the most beloved movies of all time and got a Supporting Actress Golden Globe award for "Witness for the Prosecution", based on the work by Agatha Christie.  Ironically, she spoofed Christie's sleuth Jane Marple in "Murder by Death" with her role as Jessica Marbles.  This talented and versatile actress died in December 1986.