July

2024
The OU Center for studies in democracy and culture
Example of modern Brazilian art from the 30´s.
From the Center's collection of documentary photography in the series on art in Rio de Janeiro.
"We believe that informed and engaged citizens are the foundation of a healthy and enduring democracy."
July
2
"A Long Distance Call to Great Britain" will be the theme of a special Zoom conference with the Rt. Hon. Henry McLeish for a special report on the British elections. (Minister McLeish will return in Tulsa on September 26 for an in-person analysis with the situation in Europe.)
10:00 AM. The report will be live on Zoom. Please request entry code from the Center Director, Rodger Randle.
July
3
"American Unhappiness" will be a luncheon program in Founders Hall featuring OU-Tulsa faculty member Linda Barnum, Ph.D. in psychology. The program will explore the roots of the declining levels of happiness in our country. (A recent global Gallup poll showed that for the first time America had fallen out of the list of the 20 happiest countries.)
open registration. Lunch will be available for purchase for $10. Advance registration required.
July
4
Election night watch party for results from the United Kingdom.
This is an open event, but attendance is limited because of space. Contact the Center Director for more information.
Jul
12
The Center is hosting a program at OU-Tulsa in the Reconciliation in America National Symposium series commemorating the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
Open attendance. Contact the John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation for program details.
Sept
16
Fomrer Oklahoma Congressman (and professor at Harvard and Princeton and Yale) Mickey Edwards will talk about the health of American politics.
Luncheon. Details to be announced.
Sept
26
"Europe 2024", an analysis by the Rt. Hon. Henry McLeish, former First Minister of Scotland.
Open attendance. Details to be announced.
Oct
26
The Center will host the annual dinner of the Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice.
Ticket information is available from the OCCJ.
Don't miss out! To be added to our invitation list,
simply send an email to the Center's Director, Prof. Rodger Randle .
Tulsa Studies

Every city is different. Each is a product of the experiences of history that formed its culture and character, but cities are always dynamically changing. New forces from within, as well as broader societal influences from outside, are producing constant transformations.

Tulsa, however, is a city with a striking stoy to tell. In these studies we look at Tulsa from various different perspectives. Looking backwards, we review examples of how we became the Tulsa we are today. Looking at today's Tulsa, we search for new trends and directions that are shaping our city now …and that are shaping the Tulsa we will become in the future. For each of these objectives we are using multi-media formats.

Tulsa Studies
Ethno-Photography
Photography Page
My time in other countries has taught me how urgently we in Oklahoma need to broaden our horizons and to learn about other peoples, and how to see beyond what separates us to what we share in common. My photographic documentation of other cultures (“ethno-photography”) is a contribution towards stimulating greater interest in the world beyond America’s borders and beyond the daily news headlines. My contribution is small but the purpose is large, and I’m deeply appreciative of the University of Oklahoma , and the financial supporters of my Center, for allowing me to continue this work. Building bridges of understanding is the only way to escape our constant cycle in the worlds of wasrs and conflicts.
Oklahoma Studies

We have launched a new project to preserve a selected record of details of Oklahoma legislative processes and politics from several periods of modern Oklahoma history. This collection will be a sampling of permanent historic value.

Understanding our roots is the key to understanding modern Oklahoma. Our projected is two parts: (1) preserve records that are being lost, and (2) make these records accessible to the general public through the Center’s website.

This history is difficult to preserve because it is currently mostly oral. Our collection is designed for the general public, but it is also designed to create a record that iwill be of long lasting value to researchers as well.

oklahoma studies
Past Events 2024
June 15
The Center hosted Tulsa commemorations of the King's Official Birthday, the national day of the United Kingdom.
June 7
The Center hosted a limited attendance luncheon event with stars of the cast of Tulsa's 2024 Chatauqua series.
June 4
Program on federalism in the USA for a large group of internation visitors sponsored by Tulsa Global Alliance from Serbia, Kyrgyzstan, and the Gambia.
May 20-24
The Center hosted Dr. Zidane Zeraoui, note Mexican professor of international relations for a series of activities in Tulsa and OKC.
May 13
Oklahoma Historian Bob Burke entertained a luncheon crowd of 250 on the OU-Tulsa campus with stories of Oklahoma political history.
March 29
The Center hosted a luncheon discussion of China with OSU Dean of Global Studies, Dr. Randy Kluver
March 26
The Center hosted a meeting of the Circle of Honor, and association sponsored by the Center that meets in Oklahoma City.
March 26
A reception was co-hosted by the Center at the Summit Club honoring Urs Broennimann, Consul General of Switzerland (Atlanta)
March 13
Dr. Ebony Johnson spoke to a crowd of over 200 at a community luncheon on the OU-Tulsa campus about public schools in Tulsa.
March 4
Dr. James Armstead spoke to a limited attendance luncheon on Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.
February 26
Dr. Ebony Johnson spoke at a small luncheon of community leaders. The luncheon organized and hosted by the Center.
February 21
The Center Director spoke on the formation of Tulsa culture at the Downtoen Rotary Club in Tulsa.
February 9
The Center's Cercle d'Honneur met in Oklahoma City for a program on current political trends.
February 5
Charles Garrett, CEO of Cherokee Nation Businesses, and Bryan Warner, Deputy Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, spoke at a large luncheon on the OU-Tulsa campus.
january 26
The Center hosted a Robert Burns Supper, one of the most traditional annual celebrations of Scottish culture.
january 21
The Center provided the kickoff lecture in the 2024 Great Decisions series sponsored by the Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries.
january 12
The Center hosted a forum on polarization in American politics featuring Oklahoma Labor Commissioner Leslie Osborn (Republican) and State Rep. Melissa Provenzano (D-Tulsa)
What's New at the Center...
The Center Hosts Nearly Two Dozen
for Lunch with Chautauqua Stars
Supporters of the Center shared lunch with presenters in the 2024 Tulsa Chautauqua series in early June. Pictured above are Rebecca Marks-Jimerson (Coretta Scott King) and Dr. Leslie Goddard (Lady Bird Johnson) from the Chatauqua cast and former District Judge Martha Rupp Carter, luncheon guest.
Students from Kyrgyzstan and Serbia
Participate in Briefing on American Government at the Center
The Center frequently receives international guests for cultural events or briefings. The most recent group, in early June, was a State Department visitors learning about adaptive sports programs in the United States.
A Gala Brunch Was the Centerpiece of the Center's Celebration of the Official Birthday of King Charles III
Home of the British Honorary Consulate in Oklahoma, the Center hosted a celebration of the the King's Official Birthday, the national day of the United Kingdom. Pictured above on the left is Iris Lebeck who was born in Great Britain. In the middle is Dr. Dyal Meshri, born in what then was British India, and Candace Frates who is a native born American.
About You, About Us
You are at the center
of all we do.
We are based on the American ideal that citizens are the foundation of our democracy, and we create opportunities for people of all types and backgrounds to come together, to learn together, and to share together.

In addition to organizing events and activities for you, we publish on the web. In our “Tulsa Studies” section you will find a variety of articles and reflections about our city. In our “Ethno-Photography” section you will find illustrated articles about other peoples and cultures. These articles are part of our efforts to connect Oklahoma and the world.

OU-Tulsa was created as an urban campus with a special mission of bridging the university and the community. The activities of our Center are in furtherance of this mission.

Here is how you can participate with us:

JOIN OUR INVITATION LIST AND ATTEND OUR EVENTS.
All of our large luncheons on the OU-Tulsa campus are free if you bring your own lunch, but a nominally priced lunch will also be available for purchase.

BIRNG A FIREND WITH YOU.
We will always have space for one more. Don't forget to add your friend to your reservation.

VOLUNTEER TO HELP AT LUNCHEONS.
There is always a lot of work to be done on the day of an event. If you can come early or stay late, we'll put you to work. Tell the Center Director of your interest by sending an email to Prof. Rodger Randle

MAKE A FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION.
OU does not cover all the expenses of the Center and we are dependent on the generosity of friends. If you are willing to consider making a donation, please contact the Center Director, Prof. Rodger Randle . Contribution are made through the OU Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization.


The Center is the Home of the
BRITISH HONORARY CONSULATE
in Oklahoma.
We organize community events
for you, and much more.
Our events on the OU Tulsa campus regularly draw over 150 guests. These are held more or less monthly, and we sponsor smaller events with greater frequency.

The center has existed for a couple of decades, but in recent years our activities and audience have expanded greatly.

Over the years our events have attracted noted academics, national and international journalist including the New York Times and the Financial Times of London, ambassadors and other diplomats, writers and historians, and public officials at the local state and national levels.

We often partner with other organizations for projects and activities, including internationally. We are currently launching a new project with the Instituto Maria Quitéria in Rio de Janeiro. Past activities have included partnership activities in South America, central America, Africa, and Europe.

Prof. Rodger Randle
photo: Tulsa World
The Director of the Center is Prof. Rodger A. Randle. His public service began with the Peace Corps in Brazil and continued later as a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives and then to the State Senate where he was twice elected to its top leadership post. Following his legislative service he was twice elected mayor of Tulsa.

Prof. Randle has served in may civic posts, including as nation Chair and President of Sister Cities. He has received recognitions and awards for his public service from Brazil. Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Venezuela (pre-Chávez), and Pakistan.

Currently he serves as British Honorary Consul for Oklahoma.

The seal of the Center depicts the island of Rokovoco at sunset. The red and white in the sky are the colors of OU.
Cercle
d'Or
The generosity of our supporters allows us to do all we do,
and we are deeply grateful to each of them.
O conteúdo de class "wreathSubHead" é inserido aqui

(names to be added)
We are proud to have a distinguished Council of Advisors.
O conteúdo de class "wreathSubHead" é inserido aqui

(names to be added)
Our partners are an important source of our support.
O conteúdo de class "wreathSubHead" é inserido aqui

(names to be added)

OU Center for Studies in Democracy and Culture

Prof. Rodger A. Randle, Director
The University of Oklahoma Tulsa
4502 East 41st Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74135
E-mail: randle@ou.edu

Click here to visit our homepage.