Teamwork, shared vision on long road to centennial

By Bryan Painter

Published: November 11, 2007

Let me toss three facts your way linked to the Oklahoma Centennial.

Fact: Leaders from the next two states to have centennials — New Mexico and Arizona — have visited Oklahoma because they can't believe the effort put forth by this state to commemorate its 100th birthday.

Fact: The Oklahoma Centennial Commission booked the Ford Center for the two weeks leading up to Nov. 16 before it was called the Ford Center, even before construction was finished. Now we're just days from the Centennial Spectacular at that very arena.

Fact: The two men who provided me these facts, J. Blake Wade, executive director of the Oklahoma Centennial Commission, and Lee Allan Smith, chairman of projects and events, have talked with each other on the phone every day for the last five years — yes, weekends too.

And think about all the days they've been at events together.

But fortunately I found just a bit of time when each was in his own office. And that's the way I needed it because I wanted them to talk about each other openly.

They did.

"Lee Allan has been preparing for this centennial his whole life,” Wade said. "The Diamond Jubilee celebrating 75 years, the U.S. Olympic Festival and the Civic Center and the Capitol dome to start this off, all of these monstrous events in Oklahoma history, Lee Allan has been a part of.”

Less than 24 hours later I was sitting in Smith's office.

"Statewide, Blake has done just one remarkable job,” Smith said.

Now why focus on Wade and Smith as a duo rather than solo acts?

First, both will say that no one person has made this centennial a success but instead it's been a sweat-on-the-brow, smile-on-the-face effort of volunteers, corporate and individual sponsors, famous sons and daughters of the state, and others all across and some outside Oklahoma that has made the commemoration a mighty success.

Second, when you look at Wade and Smith's experience individually, it's very impressive. But when you focus on it as a whole, it's astounding.

So we'll go with astounding.

When you start talking about what these two men bring to the table, you better make sure the table is clear because you'll need all the room you can get.

For example, the same Wade who earned two Bronze Stars, three Vietnam Service medals and retired with the rank of Army major and pushed for pari-mutuel horse racing as president of the Central Oklahoma Racing Association and Gold Valley Thoroughbred Corp. was also a long-time administrator for the Oklahoma Historical Society, including about nine years as executive director. He brought all that and more to the table on Aug. 1, 1999, his first day as executive director of the Oklahoma Capitol Complex and Centennial Commemoration Commission.

With the Capitol dome finished a few years back and an incredible parade in October in Oklahoma City having taken its place in history, Wade paused long enough recently to say that although he grew up in Oklahoma it was through the other roles that he came to truly treasure this state.

Wade grew up in Lawton. But he said it wasn't until he was in the Army that he learned to appreciate what he had taken for granted.

During the summer, he and friends would leave their Lawton neighborhood and drive out to the Wichita Mountains, where they'd leave the car and then walk about four miles back into a somewhat hidden treasure called a 40-foot hole.

"It was a private little place we found that had waterfalls that came into it,” he said. "It was so fantastic. But we just accepted that was the way life was.”

Then he went into the military and listened to others brag about his hometown.

"Those that were stationed in Europe would explain to me how important Fort Sill was, the history of it, and talk about the Wichita Mountains,” Wade said. "Then I started gaining an appreciation for being an Oklahoman.”

Appreciation joined forces with education during his years at the Oklahoma Historical Society.

"Every day I was at the Historical Society I was learning about Oklahoma history, from the staff and from all the places I traveled to,” he said.

Wade said when he was named executive director of the centennial effort, it didn't take him 10 minutes to realize that he was going to go back to the leaders he'd met in communities across the state.

But first he went out and secured a person he knew would be a crucial teammate — Smith. One thing he needed that teammate to help him do was raise money — millions. And he considers Smith the greatest fundraiser in the state.

"But let me tell you, these people believe in him and know that he is going to do the right thing and get the job done,” Wade said.

I asked Smith how his experience as vice chairman of Ackerman McQueen since 1987 and president of Oklahoma Events Inc., a full service event production and marketing firm, has helped him in his centennial role.

I hadn't even gotten to his years with Gaylord Broadcasting and later with KTVY Channel 4.

Those things were important, but the story was much broader than that, he explained. And I was glad he did explain.

Before we were done he'd taken me about 55 years back and 100 years into the future.

Smith first waded into the waters of planning as a student at the University of Oklahoma, where he served as Phi Gamma Delta's Rush, social and intramural chairman before graduating with a business degree in 1952. Then the passion really took hold while serving in the U.S. Air Force. Take for example, the Ghibli Bowl on Thanksgiving Day in 1954.

Never heard of it? Smith, a special services officer, was among those in charge of securing teams comprised of players from two Air Force bases in Europe to play American-style football in downtown Tripoli, North Africa.

"It was fun to hear somebody say it can't be done,” he said.

But Smith spoke to the United States Armed Forces Europe office of a general who happened to be from Oklahoma and that general saw to it that the teams were there to play in the bowl.

He doesn't think in terms of "can't be done.” In fact, when he talks about the present, he's already thinking ahead to Oklahoma's events for its 125th and 150th birthdays.

"I want very much for young people to see what is being done, so they can carry on in 2032 or 2057. I want them to remember this so they will be active like the volunteers are today. I saw the children at the parade with those eyes beaming.”

That pride should get yet another boost this week during statehood events not only at the Ford Center and AT&T Bricktown Ballpark, but in Guthrie and across the state. This duo, along with their staffs, those volunteers and Oklahomans state line to state line and living beyond have worked so hard that I believe Smith's next comment will prove to be a fact as well.

"It's about pride today, but it's building for tomorrow too,” he said. "Because it's very important that we don't just commemorate this now but we carry it on.”

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