Kathy LaFortune

Continuing the Vision

In a fitting close to a productive summit, Dr. Kathy LaFortune, wife of the mayor, urged Tulsans to continue their good work and to realize a revitalized city and region.

“A thousand things have gone through my mind this week as I’ve watched Bill get ready for this, as his staff put all their energy into this, and all the volunteers put everything into this,” she said. “It is almost like when you’re about ready to have a baby. What’s the baby going to look like?”

Dr. LaFortune was reminded of an admonition from her son’s Boy Scout camping experiences: After you have camped somewhere, always leave the land better off than when you found it. “I was born in Tulsa 44 years ago, and when I leave Tulsa someday, I want it to be better off than when I found it,” she said.

While growing up in Tulsa, she found that “it was a great place to live, and it still is a great place to live. We saw Cher. We saw the Carpenters — my daughter doesn’t even know who these people are — at the new Civic Center, where we are today, and it was wonderful.”

Even when confronted with controversy, such as the 1970s discussion that surrounded the Amity sculpture than adorns the Civic Center Plaza near City Hall, she said Tulsans continue to raise the cultural bar.

“Some people look at it and say it’s this beautiful piece of art, and other people look at it and wonder why we spent money on this thing. But that’s Tulsa. And we’ve always had a higher level of debate about our culture, about our art. That is what is so rewarding to me about living here for 44 years.”

She said that Tulsans have historically imported a high level of cultural amenity, “and that’s the best part about Tulsa.” They chose to live here not only for the culture, but because they were able to “live in a beautiful area with affordable housing, free from major crime found in other big cities. Now it is no different. I think we are in a cyclical wave, where we are beginning to think about major change in our city. We did it in the 70s; we had a new civic center, and we got to listen to bands. We are moving into a new cycle. What else can we do for Tulsa?” she asked.

She said that in listening to her daughter’s peers, she realizes that most have a strong, positive identity with the cultural richness that is Tulsa.

“They always talk about how they love Tulsa, how they love the arts. They love culture. That is what we are so good at as a city. And, that is what we are going to continue to cultivate and bring together. The arts and culture bring us together as a community. If you look across this room, there is so much diversity in art and culture and all kinds of different things that each one of you has brought to this event today. Once again, I am most appreciative, because I want my daughter, Olivia, to stay here some day and to raise her children.

“You are part of the reason that this will happen.”

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Contents

Introduction

The Mayor’s Objectives

Small Group Discussions & Questions

Glen Heimstra
The Shape of Things to Come

William Hudnut III
A Vision for Urban America

Q&A: Hudnut and Heimstra

Clayton Vaughn
You Said We Couldn’t Do It, But...

Rodger Randle
The Demographics of Today’s Tulsa

The Branding of Tulsa

Robert LaFortune
Investing in the Future Generations of our City

Mollie Williford
Volunteerism and the Arts

James Goodwin
Leaving No One Behind

Kathy LaFortune «
Continuing the Vision

Credits