Southern Oklahoma Trailblazers for Black History

Leo Baker | June 12, 1908 - October 4, 1974
 
In 1958, Mr. Baker made history as the first Black police officer in Ardmore. His appointment was not only a personal milestone but a defining moment for the city itself. During an era marked by segregation and systemic barriers, he met every challenge with integrity, professionalism, strength and a commitment to doing what was right.
 
Mr. Baker’s presence in law enforcement brought reassurance and hope to the Black community. He represented possibility to Black youth, protection to the families around him and progress to the city of Ardmore. His life demonstrated that inclusion strengthens communities, and his legacy of fairness, representation and unity lives on today.

Rev. Dr. E.C. Beatty | July 31, 1909 - October 22, 1989
 
For 33 faithful years, Rev. E.C. Beatty led Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church through the power of the Holy Spirit—preaching, teaching and reaching souls for Christ. He was a pastor who visited the sick, comforted families, listened without judgment and showed his faith through action. In 1975, Rev. Beatty helped establish the Mt. Zion Apartments providing housing for low-income residents and extending the church’s mission beyond its walls.

Though Rev. Beatty is no longer with us, his work continues to speak. His life and ministry were marked by strong faith, steady leadership, and a deep love for God’s people. His legacy lives on in Mt. Zion, in our community and in the hearts of all who were touched by his life.

Coach T.M. “Tim” Crisp | August 13, 1907 – April 22, 2005

T.M. Crisp was born in Ardmore and attended Ardmore Douglass High School, where he played on the school’s first football team in 1923. He continued his football career at Langston University from 1927–1930, graduating in 1931. Crisp became the head football coach at Douglass in 1932, a position he held until 1941 and again from 1945–1957. In 1958, he was hired as the head football coach and athletic director at Langston University. He led Langston’s football program through 1969, winning three Oklahoma Collegiate Conference championships.
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Coach Crisp was a trailblazer in Oklahoma football during segregation and the integration era and served as role model and mentor for his players, guiding them to achieve their own success.

Buck Colbert Franklin | May 6, 1879 – September 24, 1960

Born in southern Oklahoma, Buck Colbert Franklin completed two secondary education degrees before completing a law correspondence program. He was admitted to the Oklahoma Bar in 1907 and first practiced in Ardmore before moving to Rentiesville. In early 1921 he moved to Tulsa and with two partners set up a law practice in the prosperous Greenwood District.
 
During the Tulsa Race Massacre, Franklin survived the violence but was detained for several days and his office was destroyed. After the disaster, he provided legal services to survivors, working out of a tent as his office. Franklin and his partners challenged and defeated the city of Tulsa’s new construction requirements that would have prevented Black residents from rebuilding in the Greenwood District. His other victories include challenging all-white juries in criminal cases and defending civil rights issues.

Mazola McKerson | January 10, 1921 – October 18, 2014
 
In 1977, Mazola McKerson was elected to the Ardmore City Council, becoming the first woman and the first African American to serve in that role. In 1979, she was elected by council members to serve as Mayor of Ardmore, the first African American female mayor in the city’s history. She later served as Chairperson of the Oklahoma Governor’s Commission on the Status of Women.
 
McKerson was named the 1976 YMCA Woman of the Year and inducted into the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame in 1997. She served as a delegate to the White House Conference on Family Living in 1980 and a board member and chairman of the Oklahoma Higher Education Board from 1986 to 1988. She also served on many boards and advisory committees of local organizations.

Willie E. Mitchell | February 4, 1872 – July 16, 1951

Born in Alabama, Willie E. Mitchell travelled to Tatums, Oklahoma, in 1902 to build a better life for his family. From a sharecropper, he became a pioneer of Carter County as a rancher, landowner and businessman. After moving to Ardmore, he became invested and active in his local community. Mitchell was one of the four founders of the HFV Wilson Center, a community hub that provides recreational, educational, cultural, social and civic opportunities to the residents of Southern Oklahoma.

Mitchell was a proud family man and raised 10 successful children. His vision for the future made a significant impact on the Black community of Ardmore, and he worked until his death to create that vision.

Dr. Lincoln Ragsdale | July 27, 1926 – June 9, 1995

Raised in Ardmore and a Douglass High School graduate, Lincoln Ragsdale became a successful business owner and a Civil Rights activist. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1945 and was an original Tuskegee Airman. After the war he settled in Phoenix, Arizona, and became a leader for Civil Rights. He was a founding member of the Greater Phoenix Council for Civic Unity, which fought for integration in cemeteries, schools and residential areas.

Ragsdale was the vice president of the Maricopa County NAACP chapter in the 1960s and organized protests against segregated public facilities and accommodations. His work led to the city of Phoenix and the state of Arizona adopting civil rights laws similar to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Mentha Mitchell Varner | April 16, 1914 – April 19, 2014

Mentha Mitchell Varner was a lifelong Ardmoreite, educator and nationally recognized community leader. She was the first Black teacher at Ardmore City Schools after integration and taught there for 40 years. In 1965 she spearheaded the head start program in Ardmore, serving as the chair of the Ardmore Head Start Drive Committee and raising $70,000 to renovate the location for the program. As a teacher she helped revise the Oklahoma State Curriculum Guides, advised students on how to get scholarships, encouraged students to attend college, helped students get jobs and at times provided financial support to students in need.

Varner was recognized by several Congressmen and two Presidents. She has been inducted into many halls of fame, served on local boards and was a member of many, many humanitarian and civic organizations.

Henry Franklin Vincent (HFV) Wilson

HFV Wilson earned a master’s degree in education from Michigan University and came to Ardmore in 1927 to teach at Douglass High School. After leaving in 1944 to teach at Hominy, he returned to Douglass as the principal in 1951 and served until federally mandated integration in 1969. On August 25, 1970, he was elected as the Carter County Superintendent of schools, the first African American elected to a county office in state history.

Wilson also contributed to the Ardmore community through various local organizations including the Southern Oklahoma Development Association. He served on the local and state commission on alcoholism for the Oklahoma Department of Health.