Patrol history

History of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol

Published: April 8, 2012

Timeline

April 20, 1937

Gov. E.W. Marland signed legislation establishing a state police force, which would come to be known as the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

photo - Above: The first group of Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers stand in rows at the state Capitol on July 14, 1937, less than three months after the agency was created. OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVES PHOTO

Above: The first group of Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers stand in rows at the state Capitol on July 14, 1937, less than three months after the agency was created. OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVES PHOTO

Multimedia

Videoview all videos

Oklahoma Highway Patrol bomb squad history addressed

Apr 6OHP bomb squad Capt David Moffitt talks about the history...

NewsOK Related Articles

Thirty four Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers have died in the line of duty
04/08/2012 Oklahoma Highway Patrol has had 34 troopers killed in the line of duty since 1941.
Oklahoma Highway Patrol bomb squad has many duties
04/08/2012 The Oklahoma Highway Patrol has had a bomb squad since 1972. Robots and tools help secure explosives.
Oklahoma Highway Patrol recruits start 20-week academy
04/08/2012 The Oklahoma Highway Patrol academy that started March 30, 2012, is the first trooper academy since 2009 because of state budget constraints. A decrease of...
Oklahoma Highway Patrol turns 75, but traffic safety remains primary objective
04/08/2012 The Oklahoma Highway Patrol was formed 75 years ago in part to battle notorious criminals such as Pretty Boy Floyd and Bonnie and Clyde. Troopers still are...

May 7, 1941

Trooper Sam R. Henderson became the first Oklahoma Highway patrolman to die in the line of duty. Henderson was hit by a passing car while talking to the driver of a vehicle he had stopped near Lawton. A drunken soldier from Fort Sill was driving the car that hit him.

1943

World War II depletes the patrol's manpower, with a force of 150 troopers cut to less than 50 as many were either drafted or enlisted in the armed forces. An auxiliary force of civilians helped fill the gap during the war by investigating accidents and serving as dispatchers for the few troopers who remained.

1949

The patrol becomes the first law enforcement agency in the country to use aircraft for traffic control.

1966

Page 1 of 2

1 2 Next