Lunchbox Series Ends with Full House and a Glimpse at Broken Arrow's Past 100 Years

The Broken Arrow Arts and llumanities Council's annual Lunchbox Series ended the way it began - with a full house at the Broken Arrow Library.

Dr. Clarence G. Oliver, Jr., a retired educator but full-time  citizen of Broken Arrow, was the featured speaker. Oliver was a school administrator for 32 years, the last 18 as superintendent of Broken Arrow Schools. Clarence G. Oliver Middle School was named in his honor. He was honored twice by Executive Educator magazine as one of the top 100 Outstanding Educator of North America, and was inducted into the Oklahoma Educators Hall of Fame in 1989.

He saw military service during the Korean War, and is a retired Army infantry major with a specialty in military intelligence. He is also a gradu­ate qt.' the U.S. Army's Infantry School in Fort Benning, Ga.

His first career was in journalism. He served in a variety of positions, including reporter, photographer, news editor and managing editor. After he retired as a educator, he returned to journalism in 1992 as managing editor-publisher of the Broken Arrow Scout. When he accepted the role of associate dean and later dean of the school of education at Oral Roberts University, he remained with the Ledger as contributing editor and editorial writer.

Oliver has twice been named "Outstanding Citizen of the Year" by the Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce. He and his wife Vinita have been married 52 years, most of which have been spent as residents of Broken Arrow. As he described to the Lunchbox Series audience how he came to be a true Broken Arrowan, Oliver said his adopted city invited him and his family to put down roots and be part of the community, and they did.

Oliver was asked to take a major role in the development of a centennial book for the city's 100-year celebration. Steven L. Stapleton, J.D., was principal author of "Broken Arrow - The First Hundred Years." Other people were also contributors. Members of the editorial committee were D. C. Anderson, Max Smith, Herb Karner, Jill Edwards Steeley and Karen W. Sturgis. Chairing the photo committee was Mar­garet (Marmie) Apsley. Oliver chaired the editing committee.

It was on a trip to Fort Ben­ning and the Chatahooche River that Oliver ferreted out the real story of how Broken Arrow got its name, along with other cities such as Muskogee.

"This book will form the basis of the book that will be written for Broken Arrow's bicentennial," said Oliver. It is not a decadal book, he said. Instead, it takes topics and tells the story from the beginning - which actually started some 100 to 200 years before 1902. It does not, however, have an ending. Broken Arrow's future has just begun, he said.'