Billionaire publisher Gaylord shaped Oklahoma - Edward L. Gaylord dies at 83

The Dallas Morning News ^ | April 27, 2003 | By ARNOLD HAMILTON / The Dallas Morning News

[MeekOneGOP]

Billionaire publisher Gaylord shaped Oklahoma

04/28/2003

By ARNOLD HAMILTON / The Dallas Morning News

OKLAHOMA CITY – Billionaire publisher Edward L. Gaylord, whose conservative political philosophy helped transform Oklahoma into a largely Republican state, died Sunday night after a lengthy battle with cancer.

He was 83.

Services are scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, where he served as chairman emeritus.

Mr. Gaylord, whose shy and retiring demeanor and modest lifestyle belied his status as Oklahoma's second-wealthiest person, had battled pancreatic cancer for months. He just recently announced he would relinquish his positions as publisher and editor of the Daily Oklahoman because of health concerns.

"I don't believe there is any other person in the state who had a better life than I have in Oklahoma," Mr. Gaylord was quoted as saying in a February special section commemorating the Oklahoma Publishing Co.'s centennial.

"I am a very lucky guy."

Mr. Gaylord took control of the family-owned newspaper in 1974 after the death of his father, E.K. Gaylord, who helped form the Oklahoma Publishing Co. in 1903. He expanded the company's – and the family's – interests to include Nashville's Grand Ole Opry and Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center and Colorado Springs' Broadmoor Hotel and Pikes Peak Railway.

For years, the Gaylords also owned Dallas-Fort Worth's KTVT-TV (Channel 11) when it was an independent television station.

He also twice attempted to purchase the Texas Rangers baseball team but was rebuffed by major league owners who feared Channel 11 would become a "super station," flooding cable systems with even more baseball.

Within Oklahoma, though, Mr. Gaylord was best known as publisher of the Oklahoman, the state's largest newspaper noted for conservative page one political editorials, which on occasion referred to state lawmakers as "crooks" and "clowns."

The paper encouraged voters in 1988 to make Oklahoma the first state to enact term limits; they did. And it reserved some of its strongest scorn for talk of new taxes.

In 1990, angry lawmakers – tired of what they viewed as Mr. Gaylord's strong-arm tactics – threatened to move state agencies out of Oklahoma City in retaliation. And in 1984, Democratic Gov. George Nigh, who considered himself an all-too-frequent Oklahoman target, refused to stay at Mr. Gaylord's Opryland Hotel during a National Governors Association meeting in Nashville, Tenn.

Mr. Gaylord's strong social and political conservatism not only was reflected in newspaper editorials, but in philanthropy, especially gifts to Oklahoma Christian University, a small, Church of Christ-affiliated school in far north Oklahoma City.

More recently, he made huge contributions to the University of Oklahoma and the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.

In April 2000, the family gave $22 million to OU to fund the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, a gift that included $14 million for the construction of Gaylord Hall and $8 million to endow professorships, scholarships and internships.

He is survived by four children and their spouses and a sister, Virginia Neely of Cashiers, N.C.

E-mail ahamilton@dallasnews.com

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Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/latestnews/stories/042803dntexgaylord.3d707.html

[MeekOneGOP]

fyi. . .

[Michael2001]

Is it wrong that all I can think of is that this guy must've gotten hell all through school on account of his last name?

[PhiKapMom]

Thanks for the Ping!

The State of Oklahoma has lost a true friend! Mr. Gaylord will go down in the history of the State of Oklahoma as the #1 benefactor to this Sooner State because he and his entire Family have given so much back to the State in not only money but their time.

His editorial pages are the best in the Country -- always conservative. He stayed a registered Democrat as so many of the older Southern Conservataive Democrats did, but when you look at today's paper, you see pictures of him with President Reagan, President Bush #41, and President George W. Bush. His editorial pages are for smaller Government and less taxes! And since moving here in 1997, the Daily Oklahoman, his first love, have consistently recommended Republicans for offices.

He was a fan of Country music and family entertainment and as they said in our paper as down to earth as they come.

The State of Oklahoma and this Country will miss Mr. Gaylord and here in the Sooner State we are thankful that he has raised four children who all give back to this State just like their Father.

Mr. Gaylord gave $22 million plus several more million from other family members to see that the Jounalism School at the University of Oklahoma became its own College with a new building. When breaking ground the other week, President David Boren assured the family that the right wing of the new College would be much bigger than the left wing. The gifts by Mr. Gaylord and his Family to the University of Oklahoma have been in all areas of the University!

IMHO, the Gaylord Family are the first family of Oklahoma! They have done more for this State than any elected official ever has or ever will. To sum up Mr. Gaylord, he drove an American car every day to work, got his coffee from the coffee machine, and shook the machine when it didn't give back change.

God be with the Family and as a Sooner I thank this wonderful man for giving his time and money to help all the Sooner State and the University of Oklahoma here in Norman be better places for all of us here in Oklahoma.

[PhiKapMom]

You are wrong about Mr. Gaylord. No harder worker than he and his Family in this State to make Oklahoma a better place!

[VOA]

Mr. Gaylord's strong social and political conservatism not only was reflected in newspaper
editorials, but in philanthropy, especially gifts to Oklahoma Christian University,
a small, Church of Christ-affiliated school in far north Oklahoma City.

As a graduate of that school a few decades ago, I'll attest that the Gaylords
did drop some serious change on the place.

I had mixed emotions about the schools close ties to the Gaylords...but at this remove
it seems to have been just about as clearly a benevolent act of
philanthropy by a wealthy businessperson to a college as there could be.

[E.G.C.]

Mr. Gaylord's vast media empire has touched an awful lot of people in one way or another. From shows like "Hee-Haw" to the Glen Campbell show to radio staions like WKY in Oklahoma City to WSM in Nashville. He has done an awful lot more for the great state of Oklahoma than any other rich person

Mr. Gaylord is a lengendary person who has done a lot for Oklahoma and will be very sorely missed.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.
Thanks Mr. Gaylord for all you've done for Oklahoma and it's people.

[MeekOneGOP]

Thanks so much for your post !

IMHO, the Gaylord Family are the first family of Oklahoma! They have done more for this State than any elected official ever has or ever will. To sum up Mr. Gaylord, he drove an American car every day to work, got his coffee from the coffee machine, and shook the machine when it didn't give back change.

God be with the Family and as a Sooner I thank this wonderful man for giving his time and money to help all the Sooner State and the University of Oklahoma here in Norman be better places for all of us here in Oklahoma.

I couldn't find a picture to post with the article. Here is a picture of Edward L. Gaylord II, his son I presume? . . .

National Cowboy Hall of Fame

Edward L. Gaylord II

[PhiKapMom]

Here is the picture of Mr. Gaylord from today's paper here in Oklahoma. I couldn't find the pictures that showed him with President Reagan and both President's Bush!

[MeekOneGOP]

Thank you !!

[Kaslin]

Is it wrong that all I can think of is that this guy must've gotten hell all through school on account of his last name?

I doubt it. Gay used to mean something completely different then it does now