Dr Bob Blackburn Hall of Fame

Dr. Bob L. Blackburn is Oklahoma’s most noted historian. He is a graduate of Southwest Oklahoma State University and earned both his master’s degree and a Ph.D. in history from Oklahoma State University. In 1980, Blackburn joined the Oklahoma Historical Society, earning the title of deputy director in 1990. He served as the Executive Director from 1999 to 2021. Thanks to Blackburn’s strong leadership and fundraising skills, the 215,000 square foot Oklahoma History Center Museum and Research Center was built in 2015 in Oklahoma City. Blackburn was also instrumental in the planning of the OK Pops Museum in Tulsa. Blackburn’s roots are deep in Claremore and Rogers County. His father, Bob Blackburn, Sr., was an instructor at Oklahoma Military Academy and an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper. His grandparents owned and operated businesses in Claremore, and several uncles worked in the coal mining industry in Rogers County. Blackburn has written 25 books, journal entries, and screenplays. He has served on numerous national and regional boards and committees, including Oklahoma Association of Professional Historians and the Will Rogers Memorial Commission.