Tulsa History: April 2025 Archives

Some time in the last couple of years, Newspapers.com, which provides paid access to scanned images of newspapers, added access to the Tulsa World throughout its run and the Tulsa Tribune through 1964. (I'm hopeful that the Tribune scanning will continue until its entire run is available.)

You've seen some of the fruits of that development here at BatesLine, as these archives allow pinpointing of dates and details that previously relied on personal memories. The subscription is not cheap, and the Tulsa and Oklahoma City papers are only available with the premium subscription, but your contributions to this site allow me to keep subscribing.

I also use that subscription to enrich older BatesLine entries. Recently someone posted a screenshot of my 2005 entry about Bates Elementary School to a Facebook group. That led me to change some dead links to point to the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine and then to pursue some unanswered questions about the building, which served a number of purposes after it closed as a Tulsa Public School site in 1983, just 10 years after it opened. Bates was one of three new schools to open in 1973 (along with Mayo and Thoreau), as Tulsa Public Schools enrollment had already declined from a peak of over 80,000 in 1968 to about 67,000 just five years later. I found out the origin of the school's name, in memory of the 8-year-old son of the head of Reading & Bates drilling company, who died in 1960 when his bike slid under a moving car. The school was one of several given names in 1970, including several sites in east Tulsa that were never built because the anticipated development never came. (You'll find all the links at that 2005 article; I won't duplicate them here.)

While looking up an eastside school that was built, Sandburg Elementary, I found a page with several interesting articles on different topics. It was the front page of Section B of the July 2, 1972, World.

• Tulsa Public Schools New Design curriculum at Sandburg Elementary School -- open classrooms, self-paced curriculum, individual attention
• Progress on Tulsa expressways; IDL SE interchange blocked by Riverside Expressway lawsuit: The I-244 Arkansas River bridges, completed in 1969, would finally be connected to the Red Fork Expressway and Okmulgee Bee Line; I-244 Crosstown Expressway had opened in May to the 7th/8th Street exit on the east leg of the Inner Dispersal Loop; the Cherokee Expressway was complete to 56th Street North; the Southeast IDL interchange was being held up by a federal lawsuit over environmental and other issues
• Tulsa County officials want a bigger share of the 10-mill local support property tax levy, asking for a hike from 8.1 mills to 9.5 mills as cities hike sales taxes
• County Assessor Wilson Glass has microfilmed historical assessor records and destroyed the originals, plans automated retrieval system. I'd love to know if those microfilms survive, and if so, where.

That's four articles on a single page, all of which any of which could be the start of a deeper dive and an extensive article about how Tulsa got to be what it is today. And that happens to me all the time: I find one article on a page from a search, but find other articles on the same page that fill in details on something I vaguely remember from my childhood, reveal the roots of a later important development in Tulsa history, or otherwise pique my curiosity.

Here, in the August 11, 1972, paper, is a concept drawing of Bates Elementary School explaining how much it cost, who designed it, and who is building it, and just to the right is an item about a proposal from City Finance Commissioner William Morris, Jr., to elect six city commissioners by district, and the mayor would assign each commissioners specific areas of city government to direct and oversee.

A March 1988 map showing the 43 Tulsa Public Schools sites that had closed since 1922 was accompanied by articles about 11 more elementary schools that would close at the end of the year and three junior highs that would be converted to elementaries and about the fates and ongoing maintenance needs of other closed buildings. That could be a jumping-off point for a plethora of stories about the history of each individual school and why it was closed, and about the long-term decline of Tulsa Public Schools. This page mentions that parents were reluctant to have their children moved to Sandburg because of the very same open plan that was touted in the July 1972 article linked above.

So much to write about, and so much more I find with each search through the archives.

The Benedictine Sisters of Saint Joseph Monastery, who founded and operate Monte Cassino Catholic School in Tulsa, are handing the school to a board of trustees and also leaving 21st and Lewis to continue their monastic life at another location.

Tulsa, OK -- April 2, 2025 -- -- After more than a century of unwavering dedication and leadership, the Benedictine Sisters of Saint Joseph Monastery are embarking on an exciting new chapter. The Sisters have announced that they will be transitioning the governance of Monte Cassino Catholic School to its Board of Directors--a decision made after thoughtful prayer, discernment, and consultation with the Monastic Council, Bishop David Konderla, and Monte Cassino leadership.

Founded with a deep commitment to faith, education, and service, Monte Cassino Catholic School has flourished under the Benedictine Sisters' stewardship, instilling values of prayer, work, and hospitality in generations of students. With the school thriving and well-positioned for the future, the Sisters are confident that the time is right to entrust its continued success to the Board of Directors.

"Our calling has always been to nurture Monte Cassino, ensuring that Benedictine values are woven into the fabric of every student's experience," said Sister Marie Therese, Prioress of Saint Joseph Monastery. "We believe that mission has been fulfilled, and now, with great confidence, we pass the torch to the school's leadership, allowing us to focus more fully on our core monastic mission--prayer, work, and hospitality."

Monte Cassino will remain an independent Catholic institution firmly rooted in its Benedictine foundation. School administrators and the Sisters are working in close collaboration to ensure a smooth and seamless transition.

"The Benedictine Sisters have provided strong, faithful leadership that has positioned Monte Cassino for another century of excellence," said Chris Burke, Head of School for Monte Cassino. "We are honored by the trust they have placed in us to carry their legacy forward. Our commitment remains steadfast--to uphold the traditions, values, and academic excellence that define a Benedictine Catholic education. Future generations of Saints will continue to benefit from this rich heritage."

Echoing this sentiment, Larry Rooney, chairman of the Monte Cassino Board of Directors, emphasized the school's bright future. "The Benedictine legacy will endure, and we are deeply grateful for the Sisters' lasting impact on our school and the broader community. Their influence will forever be at the heart of Monte Cassino."

In addition to this transition, the Benedictine Sisters will be relocating from their current monastery to a new site in the Tulsa area. While the exact location is still being finalized, the move will enable the Sisters to continue their monastic way of life in an environment that supports their mission of prayer and service. Updates on the relocation will be shared as plans progress.

Reflecting on the broader significance of this transition, Bishop David Konderla of the Diocese of Tulsa expressed his appreciation for the Sisters' enduring contributions. "St. Benedict is often called the Father of Western Monasticism, and the movement he inspired has profoundly shaped our culture, faith, and learning. The Catholic and Benedictine heritage is deeply embedded in Monte Cassino and will continue to bear fruit for generations to come. I am proud of all the Sisters have accomplished, both at the school and within our diocese, and I look forward to supporting them as they embark on this new chapter."

As Monte Cassino Catholic School moves forward, it does so with a strong foundation, a dedicated leadership team, and a vibrant community of students, families, and alumni. The Benedictine Sisters extend their heartfelt gratitude for the continued support and prayers of all those who have been part of this remarkable journey.

Monte Cassino is a Roman Catholic K-8 school founded in 1926 by the Benedictine Sisters of St. Joseph's College in Guthrie. It also housed a girls' high school until 1986, when neighboring Cascia Hall became co-educational. Monte Cassino had a girls' junior college from 1931 until 1947. The Benedictine Sisters had previously operated Sacred Heart Academy on the NE corner of 16th and Rockford, beginning in 1921. That same year the sisters purchased 60 acres on the NW corner of 51st and Yale (roughly 46th St to 51st Street, Richmond to Yale) for a future seminary, which was never built as far as I am able to tell. That property was sold on in 1948. The location at 21st and Lewis was purchased in 1925 from Herbert Woodward.

Benedictine Heights College, a four-year college founded as the Catholic College of Oklahoma for Women in 1916 and renamed and made co-ed in 1949, moved from Guthrie to the Monte Cassino campus in Tulsa in 1955, along with the sisters, who moved into the Parriott Mansion on the NW corner of 31st and Lewis.

The college closed in 1961. Monte Cassino High School moved into the college's building. Land owned by the sisters on the SE corner of 21st and Lewis was used for dormitory space, but was rezoned for commercial use that year. The sisters moved back to 21st and Lewis, taking over space that had been used for boarding Monte Cassino students. The college continued to offer limited courses for the sisters only through 1966, when it was shuttered completely.

Some reactions on social media worried that the nuns were being eliminated from the governance of the school in order to turn Monte Cassino into a charter school or to become eligible for the Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit. In fact, Monte Cassino is already eligible for the OPCTC, one of 200 schools statewide which accept students receiving the tax credit. A school does not have to be secular or to submit to accreditation by the State Department of Education in order to be eligible. Any school that is accredited by one of the 14 accrediting associations registered with the Oklahoma Private School Accreditation Commission. These associations cover a wide range of educational philosophies and religious affiliations. Monte Cassino is accredited by Cognia, successor to the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

MORE:

Freese Architecture has photos of their renovation of the Saint Joseph Monastery.

Postcard of Benedictine Heights College administration and classroom building, circa 1955