Thomas Gilcrease

Larry Pendleton, Portrait of Thomas Gilcrease, Oil on canvas, 1950. Courtesy Oklahoma Hall of Fame Archives.

Inducted: 1952

Hometown: Tulsa

Patron of Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art

Thomas Gilcrease began collecting art in 1913 when he purchased his first oil painting. The oilman was inspired by his world travels to conserve American culture. Though Waite Phillips, also featured in this exhibit, had recently donated his family home to function as the Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, Gilcrease was not deterred from making his mark on Oklahoma's museum culture. Gilcrease, a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, focused his collecting efforts on United States history with specific emphasis on Native American cultural artifacts and art.

Charles Banks Wilson, Thomas Gilcrease portrait, 1958, copy transparency. Courtesy National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

During the 1930s, art created by American Indians began to be acknowledged as fine art, transitioning from its consignment as folk art. Gilcrease, recognizing the anthropological and aesthetic value of Native American art, worked with Woody Crumbo, also featured in this exhibit, in the 1940s to bolster the collection for the planned museum. The two procured works from well-known American artists like Charles Banks Wilson, and they acquired art from American Indian artists like Willard Stone and Acee Blue Eagle.  

Thomas Gilcrease trimming trees outside of the Gilcrease Museum. Courtesy Tulsa Historical Society and Museum.

The Thomas Gilcrease Museum opened in Tulsa in 1949 as an institution dedicated to preserving American history, while including Native American art and culture as an integral part of that history. Further, by building his museum, Gilcrease continued the tradition of Oklahoma's oil and gas industry's contributing to the state's cultural community. 

Thomas Gilcrease within the gallery. Courtesy Oklahoma Historical Society.