Tulsa: Education and Research

Elementary and Secondary Schools

The largest public school system in the state of Oklahoma, the Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) system has received national acclaim for its voluntary desegregation plan, which includes magnet schools and open-transfer. Tulsa Public Schools offers a wide range of curriculum to students living in a 172.78 square mile radius, spread throughout Tulsa, Wagoner, Osage and Creek counties. More than 80 percent of students reside inside Tulsa city limits. Approximately 39 percent of TPS teachers have advanced degrees and 47 percent have more than 10 years of experience. Overall the state of Oklahoma teachers rank in the top 10 in certification and top 5 in No Child Left Behind requirements; the state ranks 4th in classroom internet connectivity. TPS owns its own fiber optic network. In addition to the district's 81 schools, a number of special and alternative programs are also in operation, such as the Street School, Project 12, Margaret Hudson and Franklin Youth Academy. Tulsa County Area Vocational-Technical Schools, recognized as one of the leading model programs in the nation, offers more than 200 subject areas for approximately 3,000 high school students and more than 15,000 adults.

The following is a summary of data regarding the Tulsa Public Schools as of the 2004–2005 school year.

Total enrollment: 43,029

Number of facilities

elementary schools: 57

junior high/middle schools: 15

senior high schools: 9

Student/teacher ratio: 16:1

Teacher salaries

average: $43,810

Funding per pupil: $7,322 (2003)

There are more than 20 private religious schools or secular secondary and elementary schools in greater Tulsa.

Public Schools Information: Tulsa Public Schools, PO Box 470208, Tulsa, OK 74147; telephone (918)746-6298

Colleges and Universities

Metropolitan Tulsa has five major state and several private institutions of higher learning. Public institutions include Oklahoma State University at Tulsa (enrollment 2,600), the University of Oklahoma at Tulsa, Oklahoma City University at Tulsa, Rogers State University (enrollment 3,600), and Tulsa Community College (enrollment 22,866).

Tulsa's three private universities are the University of Tulsa (enrollment 4,072), Oral Roberts University (enrollment 5,700), and Oklahoma Wesleyan University (enrollment 799). The University of Tulsa, the state's oldest private university, was founded as a school for Indian girls. Today it offers programs through the doctoral level to its more than 4,200 students. The most popular recent majors are liberal arts/general studies, elementary education, and nursing. Oral Roberts University is a Christian-centered liberal arts college, education students from 50 states and more than 50 countries in 138 areas of study, including business administration/commerce/management, telecommunications, and elementary education. Southern Nazarene is another private institution that offers undergraduate and graduate programs for business people who can only attend classes in the evening.

The renowned Spartan School of Aeronautics, one of the oldest continually operating aviation schools in the world, has graduated more than 80,000 in its 75 years of education in the fields of aviation maintenance technology, avionics technology, communications technology, quality control, and aviation. Other kinds of specialized education and training are available at the Tulsa Technology Center, which trains high school juniors and seniors as well as adults. Students in Tulsa also attend several business and trade schools.

Libraries and Research Centers

The Tulsa City-County Library has a Central Library, four regional libraries, and 19 branches. Approximately 308,000 cardholders check out more than 3.7 million volumes annually. In addition to its permanent collection of 1.7 million volumes and 2,600 periodical subscriptions, the library houses government documents, maps, art reproductions, and audio/videotapes, plus talking and large-print books. Special collections include the Land Office Survey Map Collection and the Shakespeare Collection. The Library's American Indian Resource Center provides cultural, educational, and informational resources, and activities and services honoring American Indian heritage, arts, and achievements. The center provides access to more than 7,000 books and media for adults and children by and about American Indians, including historical and rare materials, new releases, videos and music compact discs. Subjects include American Indian languages, art, culture, fiction, genealogy, history, and religion. In 2005 the Center held its American Indian Festival of Words. Among the special collections at the Thomas Gilgrease Institute of American History and Art Library are Hispanic documents from the period 1500–1800 and the papers of Cherokee Chief John Ross and Choctaw Chief Peter Pitchlynn. Tulsa has 27 other libraries offering reference materials on a wide range of topics, many having to do with petroleum. Research centers affiliated with the University of Tulsa conduct projects in such fields as women's literature and petroleum engineering, while a center affiliated with Oral Roberts University researches the Holy Spirit, among other topics.

Public Library Information: Tulsa City-County Library, 400 Civic Center, Tulsa, OK 74103; telephone (918)596-7977

Tulsa: History

City's Native American Roots

French traders and plains-culture Osage tribes occupied the region now surrounding Tulsa when the United States bought the land from France as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Soon the federal government sought to remove communities of the Five Civilized Tribes—Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole—from their traditional lands in the southeastern United States to Indian Territory in what is now Oklahoma. After violent protest, in 1826 the Osages ceded their land in the Tulsa area to the U.S. government, which in turn gave it to exiled Creeks and Cherokees. Many of the Native Americans who were forced to resettle in Oklahoma brought black slaves with them. In 1836 Archie Yahola, a full-blood Creek, presided over the region's first council meeting, held under an oak tree that came to be known as the Council Oak. The tree still stands in Tulsa's Creek Nation Council Oak Park.

The settlement convened at the Council Oak was first named Tallassee-Lochapoka, for the Alabama regions the Creeks had left behind; eventually it became known as Tulsey—or Tulsee—Town. The name Tulsa became official for the settlement in 1879 with the establishment of the post office, which also marked the beginning of Tulsa as an economic force in the area. When a railroad connection reached Tulsa in 1882, the town began to supply beef and other staples to the East, South, and Midwest. Ranching and farming—mostly by Creeks or Cherokees—flourished. Tulsa grew steadily and became incorporated as a municipality on January 18, 1898.

Oil Spurs White Settlement; Racial Uneasiness Surfaces

In 1901 oil reserves were discovered in Red Fork, across the Arkansas River from Tulsa. Enterprising Tulsans built a toll bridge to connect their city with the oil country, and oil men crossed the river to make Tulsa their home. Despite Indian Territory laws that discouraged white settlement, the region became increasingly open to whites, and Tulsa grew into a business and residential center. Oil gushed again in 1905, this time from the Glenn Pool well. Oil companies built headquarters in Tulsa, bringing families of corporate executives, urban tastes, and money. In 1906 the U.S. Congress passed the Enabling Act, which merged Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory, achieving statehood for Oklahoma and bringing down the last barriers to settlement of the region. The decade of the 1920s was a tumultuous period for Oklahoma as a whole, with oil wells gushing, whites and Native Americans becoming fabulously wealthy, and the Ku Klux Klan boasting close to 100,000 members statewide. A race riot erupted in Tulsa in 1921 that has been described as one of this country's worst incidents of racial violence. Some 300 people died and 35 city blocks of Tulsa's Greenwood section, known as "the Black Wall Street," were destroyed after a black man was arrested for allegedly assaulting a white woman. In 1997 the Oklahoma state legislature named an 11-member Tulsa Race Riot Commission to unearth the facts behind the incident. In early 2000 the commission recommended direct payments to survivors and victims' descendants, scholarships, a tax checkoff program to fund economic development in the mostly black Greenwood district, and a memorial to the dead.

Modern Economy Diversified

Between 1907 and 1930, Tulsa's population grew by 1,900 percent. By the 1920s Tulsa was being called the Oil Capital of the World. But not content to be an oil capital only, Tulsa continued its expansion into other commercial and industrial areas as well. In fact, several of Tulsa's firms had a part in the U.S. moon-thrust endeavor, Project Apollo. Today, oil retains importance but Tulsa primarily relies on aerospace, telecommunications, energy, and environmental engineering/manufacturing for its industrial base. In 1996 Nation's Cities Weekly described Tulsa as "a unique social, cultural and corporate melting pot that somehow maintains a 'downhome' feeling."

Due in large part to planning and intelligent growth, as well as a general demographic shift that has seen continued growth in the southern and southwestern states, Tulsa joins a number of other mid-sized cities enjoying revitalization in the early 21st century. In 2004, based on Tulsa's strides in preparing itself for the new global economy and its opportunities for tourism, business investment, relocation, education, retirement, and better quality of life, the city was selected as one of America's Most Livable Communities by the Partners for Livable Communities in Washington, D.C.

Historical Information: Tulsa Historical Society, 2445 South Peoria, Tulsa, OK 74114; telephone (918)712-9484

Tulsa: Population Profile

Metropolitan Area Residents

1980: 657,000

1990: 708,954

2000: 803,235

Percent change, 1990–2000: 13.3%

U.S. rank in 1980: 52nd

U.S. rank in 1990: 56th

U.S. rank in 2000: 58th

City Residents

1980: 360,919

1990: 367,302

2000: 393,049

2003 estimate: 387,807

Percent change, 1990–2000: 7.03%

U.S. rank in 1980: 38th

U.S. rank in 1990: 43rd (State rank: 2nd)

U.S. rank in 2000: 52nd (State rank: 2nd)

Density: 2,103.4 people per square mile (2000)

Racial and ethnic characteristics (2000)

White: 275,488

Black or African American: 60,794

American Indian and Alaska Native: 18,551

Asian: 7,150

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 202

Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 28,111

Other: 13,564

Percent of residents born in state: 56.2% (2000)

Age characteristics (2000)

Poplation under 5 years old: 28,318

Poplation 5 to 9 years old: 27,606

Poplation 10 to 14 years old: 25,980

Poplation 15 to 19 years old: 27,180

Poplation 20 to 24 years old: 31,286

Poplation 25 to 34 years old: 58,659

Poplation 35 to 44 years old: 58,916

Poplation 45 to 54 years old: 52,383

Poplation 55 to 59 years old: 18,179

Poplation 60 to 64 years old: 14,034

Poplation 65 to 74 years old: 25,982

Poplation 75 to 84 years old: 18,256

Population 85 years and older: 6,270

Median age: 34.5 years

Births (2002, Tulsa County)

Total number: 9,288

Deaths (2002, Tulsa County)

Total number: 5,225

Money income (2000)

Per capita income: $21,534

Median household income: $35,401

Total households: 165,881

Number of households with income of . . .

less than $10,000: 17,625

$10,000 to $14,999: 13,268

$15,000 to $24,999: 26,886

$25,000 to $34,999: 24,407

$35,000 to $49,999: 28,203

$50,000 to $74,999: 26,638

$75,000 to $99,999: 12,766

$100,000 to $149,999: 9,249

$150,000 to $199,999: 2,977

$200,000 or more: 3,862

Percent of families below poverty level: 10.9% (51.9% of which were female householder families with related children under 5 years)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 30,199

Tulsa: Communications

Newspapers and Magazines

Tulsa's morning and Sunday newspaper is the Tulsa World. In addition, an African American community newspaper, The Oklahoma Eagle, two business newspapers, and several suburban and metro area weeklies serve the city. Tulsa also publishes a wide variety of periodicals, including Geophysics: The Leading Edge of Exploration, James Joyce Quarterly, and others covering such topics as science, petroleum, dentistry, and medicine.

Television and Radio

Seven television stations broadcast from Tulsa—affiliates of NBC, PBS, CBS, ABC, and Fox, plus two independents. Other stations operate in the area from nearby towns. In addition, Tulsa radio provides listeners with a choice of 23 AM and FM stations broadcasting religious programs, country music, oldies and contemporary hits, talk, and sports.

Media Information: Tulsa World, 315 S. Boulder Avenue, PO Box 1770, Tulsa, OK 74102; telephone (918)582-0921; toll-free (800)444-6552

Tulsa Online

City of Tulsa. Available www.cityoftulsa.org

Metropolitan Tulsa Chamber of Commerce. Available www.tulsachamber.com

Oklahoma Community Links. Available www.state.ok.us/osfdocs/county.html

Oklahoma Department of Commerce. Available www.odoc.state.ok.us

Tulsa City-County Library. Available www.tulsalibrary.org

Tulsa Oklahoma Convention & Visitors Bureau. Available www.tulsachamber.com/cvb.htm

Tulsa Public Schools. Available www.tulsaschools.org

Tulsa World. Available www.tulsaworld.com

Selected Bibliography

Bernhardt, William, Dark Justice (New York: Ballantine Books, 1999)

Johnson, Hannibal B. Black Wall Street: From Riot to Renaissance in Tulsa's Historic Greenwood District (Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum, 1998)

Tulsa: Convention Facilities

A moderate climate, abundant hotel space—approximately 9,000 rooms in Tulsa and the metropolitan area—and a wide range of leisure, cultural, and recreational opportunities make Tulsa attractive to large and small groups of convention-goers.

In 2005 ground was broken on the city's most exciting development project in many years, the 18,000 seat Regional Convention and Events Center, featuring a stunning, futuristic design by world-renowned architect Cesar Pelli. The Tulsa Convention Center, in the heart of the business district and only six blocks from the Performing Arts Center (which is also available for meetings), offers facilities for sports, banquets, concerts, exhibitions, trade shows, and stage performances. The facility provides 102,000 square feet of exhibit space, a banquet area seating up to 5,100 people, an arena seating 8,992 people plus additional arena floor space, and 25 conference rooms for break-out sessions seating 45 to 275 people. The Tulsa Exposition Center contains four meeting centers providing an exhibit area with a total of 548,798 square feet, a banquet area seating 1,700 to 20,000+ people, 7,523 arena seats, and a race track with 8,900 covered seats.

Among the city's other convention facilities are the Downtown Doubletree Hotel, the Doubletree Hotel at Warren Place, Adam's Mark Tulsa, Tulsa Marriott Southern Hills, Tulsa Sheraton, and Grandview.

Convention Information: Tulsa Convention & Visitors Bureau, 616 S. Boston Ave. #100, Tulsa, OK 74119-1298; telephone (918)585-1201; toll-free (800)558-3311; fax (918)592-6244; email TulsaCVB@tulsachamber.com

TULSA

TULSA, city in northeastern Oklahoma located on the Arkansas River. Sitting in the middle of some of the richest oil fields in the United States, Tulsa grew in conjunction with the rise of the railroad and oil industries in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Settled by the Creek tribe after the Trail of Tears in 1836, it was originally named Tulsee Town from the word Tullahassee or "old town." As more whites began to settle, the town changed its name to Tulsa in 1879 and incorporated as a city in 1898. The discovery of oil in the early 1900s expanded the city's economy. In 1921 racial tensions led to one of the most violent riots of the twentieth century, resulting in the deaths of an official number of thirty-six people, primarily African Americans, though unofficial estimates run as high as 250 to 400 people. The city's economy further benefited as electronics and aircraft manufacturing jobs arrived in the region during World War II. Though no longer the "oil capital of the world," Tulsa continues to have a very close relationship with the energy industry. The city has a total land area of 182.7 square miles and a 2000 Census population of 393,049 persons, up from 367,302 in 1990.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ellsworth, Scott. Death in a Promised Land: The Tulsa Race Riot of 1921. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1982.

Halliburton, R., Jr. The Tulsa Race War of 1921. San Francisco: R and E Research Associates, 1975.

Matthew L.Daley

See alsoCreeks .

Tulsa

The City in Brief

Founded: 1836 (incorporated 1898)

Head Official: Mayor Bill LaFortune (since 2002)

City Population

1980: 360,919

1990: 367,302

2000: 393,049

2003 estimate: 387,807

Percent change, 1990–2000: 7.03%

U.S. rank in 1980: 38th

U.S. rank in 1990: 43rd (State rank: 2nd)

U.S. rank in 2000: 52nd (State rank: 2nd)

Metropolitan Area Population

1980: 657,000

1990: 709,000

2000: 803,235

Percent change, 1990–2000: 13.3%

U.S. rank in 1980: 52nd

U.S. rank in 1990: 56th

U.S. rank in 2000: 58th

Area: 186.84 square miles (2000)

Elevation: 700 feet above sea level

Average Annual Temperature: 63.0° F

Average Annual Precipitation: 38.77 inches

Major Economic Sectors: aerospace and air transportation, petroleum and natural gas, healthcare, telecommunications, business and financial services, wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing

Unemployment rate: 4.2% (December 2004)

Per Capita Income: $21,534 (1999)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 30,119

Major Colleges and Universities: University of Tulsa, Oral Roberts University

Daily Newspaper: Tulsa World

Tulsa: Health Care

Metropolitan Tulsa has 25 hospitals providing a full range of medical treatment including Tulsa Life Flight, 24-hour emergency helicopter service to and from the region's hospitals. Six general hospitals serve Tulsa: Doctors' Medical Center, Hillcrest Medical Center, St. Francis Hospital, St. John Medical Center, Children's Medical Center, and Tulsa Regional Medical Center and Cancer Treatment Center. Most have medical school affiliation and serve as approved learning centers for medical interns and residents. Treatment and consultation are offered in virtually all fields of medicine, including such specialties as burn care, open-heart surgery, cardiac rehabilitation, genetic counseling, and neonatal intensive care. Hospice and long-term-care facilities are also available.

Tulsa: Geography and Climate

Located 90 miles northeast of Oklahoma City and surrounded by gentle hills stretching toward the Ozark foothills, Tulsa lies along the Arkansas River at a latitude providing a moderate climate. Winters are generally mild with light snowfall, and the high temperatures of mid- to late-summer are often moderated by low relative humidity and southerly breezes. Tornadoes and windstorms characterize spring and early summer, but sunny days and cool nights prevail throughout the fall. Rainfall is heaviest in the spring.

Area: 186.84 square miles (2000)

Elevation: 700 feet above sea level

Average Temperatures: January, 36.7° F; August, 82.0° F; annual average, 63.0° F

Average Annual Precipitation: 38.77 inches

Tulsa: Introduction

Tulsa is the second largest city in Oklahoma. From its earliest ranching and oil boom days to the present, Tulsa has recognized the need for economic diversity and has continually taken appropriate steps. With a history of steady expansion, a unique geographic location as an important shipping port, and wide range of employment opportunities, Tulsa has made itself attractive to new businesses. It is equally enticing to new residents, with its moderate Sun Belt climate, abundant recreational areas, continuing cultivation of the arts, and educational opportunities. Thus prepared for, and anticipating, steady economic growth, Tulsa enters the twenty-first century with confidence.

Tulsa: Municipal Government

Incorporated as a municipality on January 18, 1898, Tulsa operates under a mayor-council form of city government. Nine council members are elected to two-year terms.

Head Official: Mayor Bill LaFortune (since 2002; current term expires 2006)

Total Number of City Employees: 3,862 (2005)

City Information: City of Tulsa, 200 Civic Center, Tulsa, OK 74103; telephone (918)596-7777

Tulsa Port on the Arkansas River, ne Oklahoma, the state's second-largest city. It developed with the 1882 arrival of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad; the 1901 discovery of oil further accelerated development. Industries: oil refining and research, petroleum products, oilfield equipment, mining, metal goods, aerospace. Pop. (2000) 393,049.

Tulsa, Oklahoma/USA Established as a Creek settlement in 1836 after they had come from Tulsa, Alabama. The name is said to be derived from the Creek talwa ‘town’ and hasi ‘old’.

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