1942: Oklahoma

Area and Population.

The 'Sooner State' got its nickname from the famous land rush of April 22, 1889. Its formal name is a Choctaw word meaning, 'Okla' — people; and, 'homa' — red. It ranks 17th in size among the states, with an area of 69,919 sq. mi. including 636 sq. mi. of inland water surface, according to remeasurements of the United States undertaken for the 16th census in 1940. In population it ranks 22nd, numbering 2,336,434 according to the 1940 census. The largest cities are Oklahoma City, the capital, 204,424; Tulsa, 142,157; Muskogee, 32,332; Enid, 28,081; and Shawnee, 22,053.

The University of Oklahoma claims an unusually complete collection of vertebrate fossils and dinosaurs. The state is proud of its Indian history and Indian relics, and also of the largest Indian hospital in the nation. The state produces almost unlimited oil and natural gas; one small district, the Seminole district, produced in 1927 a fifth of the world's crude oil. Fort Sill has the largest artillery school in the country; Guthrie boasts the largest Masonic Scottish Rite Temple in the world. The famous tri-state Ozark region occupies the northeastern corner of the state, where Grand Lake has been formed by the longest multiple-arch dam in the world, the Pensacola Dam.

Education.

The total enrollment in the public schools for 1941-42 consisted of 528,293 students, and 19,391 teachers. The secondary schools had an enrollment of 128,603 in 854 public high schools, showing a decrease of a little more than 7 per cent under the 1940-41 enrollment. The expenditures for public education during the fiscal year amounted to $32,625,955.

Agriculture.

In spite of the spectacular development of its mineral resources, Oklahoma remains primarily an agricultural state. Cotton and wheat are in the lead, with corn a close third; hay, oats, and grain sorghums follow in production value. Livestock and poultry are major agricultural interests; the climate is favorable to turkey-raising, which is extensively carried on. Production of wheat rose in 1942 to 61,792,000 bu., from 48,610,000 bu. in 1941. In the same year corn increased from 31,202,000 bu. in 1941, to 36,594,000 bu. The 1942 peanut crop amounted to 183,000,000 lb. or almost four times the size of the 1941 crop.

Lumber.

Soft pine is cut in large quantities in the hilly eastern section; also hard pine, oak, red gum, and elm.

Mineral Products.

Oklahoma's total mineral wealth in 1940 was $235,494,159. The authority for this figure and those to follow were furnished by the Bureau of Mines in Washington and the Oklahoma Geological Survey at Norman, Oklahoma. In 1940 the state produced 156,164,000 bbl. of petroleum valued at $162,500,000; it also produced 399,369,000 gal. of natural gasoline worth $8,926,000; 257,626,000 cu. ft. of natural gas, which sold for $31,603,000. In the same year, the state produced 162,935 short tons of zinc worth $20,529,810; 21,240 short tons of lead brought $2,124,000. Coal produced amounted to 1,645,981 short tons valued at $4,021,760.

Tulsa is commonly known as 'the oil capital of the world'; it has one of the largest refineries in the nation operated exclusively on high gravity 100 per cent paraffine-base oils; more than 300 manufacturers and dealers in oil-field supplies and equipment are established there; and the University of Oklahoma at Norman has a complete oil-field sample display, with more than 15,000 items.

Finance.

In the fiscal year ending June 30, 1942, total state collections amounted to $71,112,027.21. The major collection items were the gasoline excise tax, $20,258,790.19; the sales tax, $14,440,843.11; the income tax, $8,178,844.98; the motor vehicle license tax, $8,478,240.88; the cigarette license and tax, $3,440,581.74; the gross production tax, $9,306,144.09; and the tobacco license and tax, $1,359,380.27.

Banking.

On June 30, 1942, 207 Oklahoma national banks were reported to have a total of $503,104,000 in deposits. On the same date 182 state banks were reported to have total deposits of $74,540,000; a grand total of $577,644,000.

Loans and discounts reported as of the same date, were as follows: 182 state banks, $28,970,000; 207 national banks, $148,351,000, total of $177,321,000.

Events of the Year.

In the special election of July 14, 1942, the people adopted a constitutional amendment 'providing that the Legislature may enact laws authorizing the state, state institutions, and school districts, collectively or severally to provide retirement benefits for teachers and other employees in the public schools, colleges, and universities in the state supported wholly or in part by public funds.' This amendment was adopted by a vote of 257,740 yes and 151,451 no. The Governor declared the amendment a part of the Constitution on July 28, 1942.

During 1942 there was a marked growth of national defense projects in Oklahoma. A civilian pilot-training program was started at Altus; Ardmore has a glider school; Frederick a bomber base and McAlester aNavy ammunition depot. An airport and cantonment are located at Woodward just a few miles from the site of old Camp Supply. Camp Gruber was organized just out of Muskogee, Borden Hospital (Navy) at Chickasha, and a Naval base hospital at Norman. El Reno has an auxiliary air base for Cimarron field, and at Norman are the Naval Training School (aviation maintenance), the Naval aviation base, and under the same command, the Naval Gunnery school. These have all been constructed since July 1942, and are now in operation.

State Officers.

Governor, Robert S. Kerr; Lieutenant Governor, James E. Berry; Secretary of State, Frank C. Carter; Treasurer, A. S. J. Shaw; Auditor, C. C. Childers; Attorney General, Mac Q. Williamson; Superintendent of Public Instruction, A. L. Crable.

United States Senators:

J. Elmer Thomas, Edward H. Moore.