OUR HISTORY

Historical Perspective
 A native of Oklahoma City, John Kirkpatrick married Eleanor Blake in 1932. Following a distinguished military career, John founded Kirkpatrick Oil Company in 1950. During their life together, Eleanor’s passion for the arts and culture greatly influenced their devotion of time and resources to the development of Oklahoma charities.

In the early 1950s, a fortunate conversation with a fellow board member from Liberty National Bank led John Kirkpatrick to follow his example and establish a private charitable foundation. Thus, the Kirkpatrick Foundation was established in May 1955 by John E. and Eleanor B. Kirkpatrick with a contribution of $10,000. During the first forty years, the Kirkpatrick Foundation broadly funded charitable, cultural and civic causes across all community sectors in the Oklahoma City area.

Today, family leadership continues through the work of their daughter, Joan Kirkpatrick, and her son, Christian K. Keesee. Joan has guided the Kirkpatrick Foundation since May 1976, and her shared interest with Chris in animal welfare and conservation have resulted in key support in matters of research, preservation, and education. Under Joan’s leadership, the Kirkpatrick Foundation’s priorities have become further targeted to funding within specific areas of priority. The mission of the Kirkpatrick Foundation is to provide and leverage resources to support systemic change in how the arts, arts and cultural education, animal concerns and the environment are valued in Oklahoma.


Continuing Leadership & Support
Contributions, both personally and through Kirkpatrick Foundation, have made a momentous impact on almost every cultural organization in Oklahoma City. Significant contributions were made to early interests that continue today, through the following organizations:

Oklahoma City Museum of Art. In 1958, $250,000 was granted to the Oklahoma Art Center to build a museum on the State Fair Grounds. Now known as the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, the Kirkpatrick Foundation helped identify the new site of the museum in its relocation to the heart of the cultural district in downtown Oklahoma City. Under Joan’s direction, the Kirkpatrick Foundation provided the funding necessary to conserve the art collection and followed up with the lead gift in the museum’s $40 million capital campaign to construct its new facility. Over $1.5 million in cash funding has been awarded to the museum over the years.

Kirkpatrick Center and Omniplex. In 1962, the Kirkpatrick family provided a permanent dome structure for the popular Kirkpatrick Planetarium at the State Fairgrounds, the same year the Omniplex was founded as the Oklahoma Science and Arts Foundation. After receiving a significant capital grant from the Kirkpatrick family and Kirkpatrick Foundation, the Kirkpatrick Center museum complex relocated to its present location in 1978. Approximately $1,227,579 has been donated to the Kirkpatrick Center and Omniplex over the years.

Ballet Oklahoma. John and Eleanor were primary benefactors to the Oklahoma City Civic Ballet (the forerunner of Ballet Oklahoma), formed by the Oklahoma Science and Arts Foundation in 1963. Grant funding has continued to sustain its performances and educational programs. The Kirkpatrick Foundation has awarded nearly $712,000 over the years.

Oklahoma City Zoological Park. John served as a founding member of Friends of the Zoo (now known as the Oklahoma Zoological Society) and was the driving force behind most of the development of the Zoo, from a small-town menagerie into a world-class zoological park. Joan’s continuing interest in the Zoo has resulted in grants to fund the collaborative zoological residency program. The Kirkpatrick’s, singly and together, have contributed to living exhibits, education and conservation projects, monumental sculpture, medical equipment, and animal behavioral training. More than $454,715 has been contributed over the past 40 years.

Oklahoma City University. A $400,000 grant was made in 1965 toward the development of The Kirkpatrick Auditorium for the fine arts, which became known as the home for Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma for many years. More than $896,500 has been contributed to strengthen arts education at this private university.

National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. In 1967, John became a member of the Board of Directors, and in that year donated $230,000 toward the construction of the Payne-Kirkpatrick Wing housing the original plaster cast of James Earl Fraser’s “End of the Trail.” The legacy of both John and Eleanor’s leadership and support continues today through contributed support from the Kirkpatrick Foundation.


Creation of Kirkpatrick Family Fund
In 1994, the Kirkpatrick Foundation supported the creation of the Kirkpatrick Family Fund at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation with a gift of $10 million. The Kirkpatrick Family Fund is an Affiliated Fund of the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, which is a public foundation. The Fund was the recipient of Eleanor Kirkpatrick’s estate and has a value of approximately $170 million. It is governed by the Oklahoma City Community Foundation’s Board of Directors and the Kirkpatrick Family Fund’s Affiliated Fund Advisory Board that is chaired by Christian K. Keesee. The Fund continues the original mission of the Kirkpatrick Foundation to broadly fund charitable causes across all community sectors.


Kirkpatrick Foundation’s Growth and Impact
With wise investment counsel, the Kirkpatrick Foundation has grown through additional gifts, income, and appreciation of the principal. During the first 50 years, the Kirkpatrick Foundation granted over $48,000,000 for the benefit of arts and culture, education, animal research and conservation, and other charitable endeavors. By the end of 2004, the market value of assets totaled $35,450,445, and $1,347,630 was distributed in grants and charitable expenses that year.

Governed by a volunteer board and operated by a small staff, Kirkpatrick Foundation continues to contribute funds, direction, and encouragement to many organizations, with particular emphasis placed on programs and services directly benefiting citizens of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.