Meet The Ladies of the Oil Capitol

This page and the following page are copied from the Tulsa World Newspaper, October 10, 2006

(Used with permission.)

What a doll
By JASON ASHLEY WRIGHT Tulsa World Scene Writer
10/10/2006
Pictures by Stephen Pingry/Tulsa World

Legendary Oklahoma women are represented in porcelain

Paula Unruh isn't the tallest of the women -- just a smidgen shy of 2 feet.

[See her picture on the next page.]

Her dress, however, is nonetheless stunning, with thousands of sequins shimmering under the lights of her glass case, which she shares with Sharon King Davis and one or two other women of note.

Checking their hair and regluing Roxana Lorton's eyelashes is Jaymie Mathena, the maestro behind these dolls -- porcelain replicas, she'd prefer you put it, of legendary Oklahoma women, both past and present.

So far, more than one dozen of these replicas make up the "Ladies of the Oil Capital" exhibit at the Tulsa Historical Society, 2445 S. Peoria Ave. Although it's in this location this month only, some of the ladies will tour the state as part of Oklahoma's centennial celebration.

We'll show you most of the replicas here, but more are on the way, including the five Indian ballerinas, five Miss Americas and five Miss Indian USAs.

'Til then, be a doll, and give this first group of ladies a look-see.

Mollie Williford -- active philanthropist and civic leader, first female president of the Summit Club
Lillian Mayo -- active civic leader and wife of John Mayo
Alice Mary Robertson -- first congresswoman to represent Oklahoma, worked to bring Kendall College to Tulsa, which eventually became University of Tulsa
Kate Barnard -- Oklahoma's first female elected official
Carolyn Taylor -- former member of the Oklahoma Legislature, associate professor of political science at Rogers State University and wife of former Senate President Pro Tempore Stratton Taylor
Lucille Mulhall -- "Oklahoma's Annie Oakley," champion steer roper who performed with Will Rogers
Mary Rogers -- legend Will Rogers' mother
Allene Mayo -- active civic leader for the arts
Rachel Perryman -- astute businesswoman, matriarch of George Perryman family
Angie Debo -- author and historian, one of the first women to earn a history degree from the University of Oklahoma
Roxana Lorton -- chairwoman of the board of the Oklahoma Heritage Association, first female chair of Tulsa Philharmonic, active fundraiser, advocate for the arts and higher education