Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin this week signed her first bill of the 2016 state legislative session, which was to transfer the Will Rogers Memorial Commission into the Oklahoma Historical Society.
It was a move that was sought for years and supported by both organizations.
Tad Jones, director of the Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore, Oklahoma, explained a few weeks ago to the Claremore Daily Progress what would happen with the merger:
Jones said the daily operations of the Will Rogers Memorial and Will Rogers Birthplace would remain the same. By working with the Oklahoma Historical Society, the Will Rogers Memorial would have access to additional resources to help with promotions, protect and preserve collections and the create new exhibits.
“The historical society has professional exhibit-makers on staff, and people who can help with preserving pictures and video resources,” Jones said.
Jones said the merger would help with promotion of the upcoming Route 66 project. “The historical society has a lot of Route 66 connections. The Route 66 museum is in their museum family and the resources will help us,” he said.
The Will Rogers family has voiced support for the merger.
The newly signed law also requires the governor to appoint a surviving lineal descendant of Rogers to the Oklahoma Historical Society board.
The merger also was supported by the Legislature because the state is facing a massive budget crunch due to plummeting oil and natural gas prices. Lawmakers see it as a way to streamline operations.
The Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore often is side trip for many Route 66 travelers, as it sits only a mile or so north of the Mother Road.
The witty Rogers, often cited as Oklahoma’s most famous son, was the No. 1 star in Hollywood, on radio commentator and in newspapers at the time of his death during a plane crash in Alaska in 1935. He was so popular, if he’d run for president, he probably would have won in a landslide.
Rogers touted U.S. 66, including at the Bunion Derby footrace in 1928. U.S. 66 began to be called the Will Rogers Highway during the 1940s. A well-known monument dedicating the Will Rogers Highway was installed in Santa Monica, California, near the Santa Monica Pier, in 1952.
(Image of the Will Rogers Memorial Museum by J. Stephen Conn via Flickr)