Text Box: Oklahoma, one of the youngest states in the nation, admitted to the Union in 1907, was populated by Indians removed from the southeast in the 1880s, and land-hungry farmers in the land runs and lotteries of the 1890s.  Most of these people were advocates of the principles of the Southern Democrat Party, which dominated Oklahoma politics for sixty years.       A Republican success during this time occurred in the wake of women’s suffrage when, in 1920, Alice M. Robertson became the only Oklahoma woman elected to Congress.  Congresswoman Robertson subsequently founded the first Oklahoma Republican Women’s Club in Oklahoma City in 1921.  There were few successes during the next 20 years, but the faithful few worked hard, served well, and grew with Oklahoma.  In 1941, the Republican Women’s Clubs in Oklahoma were federated.  Since that time the Oklahoma Federation has grown to 31 clubs with almost 1400 members.     In 2003 the OFRW hosted the very successful NFRW Region IX Conference in Oklahoma City, attended by the 2002-3 NFRW President and Executive Committee members.    The OFRW Capitol Dome pin was designed in 2003 to celebrate the completion of the dome on the Oklahoma state capitol building.  OFRW buttons were created to identify our members at county, district and state Republican conventions.  The coveted Betty Heitman State of Excellence Award was presented to the OFRW at the 2003 NFRW Convention.   In 2002 and 2004, in addition to grassroots work in many campaigns, OFRW and 19 of its 30 local units  contributed almost $80,000 to Republican candidates at the local and state level. In January 2005 Republicans took control the House of Representatives with a 55 to 44 majority and elected a Republican speaker 84 years to the day since the only other Republican was elected to the post.  The House also elected OFRW member Rep. Susan Winchester, as the state’s first female speaker pro tempore.  OFRW member Congresswoman Mary Fallin is the 2nd Oklahoma woman in the U S Congress.   At the September 2005 NFRW Biennial Convention, immediate past president of the OFRW, Jeannine Long, was elected to the position of NFRW Member-At-Large.  She was also one of the five finalists for the Ronald Reagan Leadership award for State Presidents, which was created in 2005 to honor outstanding leadership. In addition, Elayne Dennis of the Tri-City RW, was appointed as National Americanism Chairman.     The Oklahoma First Ladies program honors outstanding Oklahoma Republican women at an annual luncheon and provides funding for the OFRW essay contest, programs, and contributions to Republican candidates.      The Oklahoma Federation of Republican Women sponsors an annual essay contest for 7th and 8th grade students. This is a serious endeavor on our part to encourage students to reflect on the importance of government and patriotism in their own lives, as well as how it affected people in the past.         

Text Box: History

Text Box:  Oklahoma Federation of Republican Women     Text Box: Republican Women Care   Through “Caring for America” committees, local units serve their communities by participating in literacy projects, purchasing library books, supporting our troops in combat, helping needy families, providing career clothing for women seeking to re-enter the work force, and helping to build houses for Habitat for Humanity, among others.  They also contribute to the NFRW internship and scholarship programs.