The Finch Formerly Known As Gold

28 April 2003

Gaylord is gone

A mere ten days ago, I reported on the transfer of power at the Oklahoma Publishing Company, prompted by the upcoming retirement of longtime editor/publisher Edward L. Gaylord.

Gaylord's health had been deteriorating, but few outside the family knew how much. Now we know: he died last night, one month short of his 84th birthday. Cancer, that damnable stuff.

Services are Wednesday at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, a facility that benefited greatly from Gaylord's largesse over the years.

I've spent much of my life sniping at Gaylord and his paper and his politics, but I'm not about to deny that his impact on this part of the world has been genuinely profound, his influence keenly felt, his generosity gratefully received.

Posted at 7:40 AM to Soonerland


TrackBack: 9:05 AM, 28 April 2003
» Rest in Peace, Mr. Gaylord from Dan and Angi have something to say
Mr. Gaylord is gone. Edward L. Gaylord was an advocate for Oklahoma and a generous philathropist. He gave generously to......[read more]

Very graciously said. I know there are lots of folks around here who make a sport of demonizing the Gaylords but as you point out they have done a tremendous amount of good in Oklahoma, not just with their charitable contributions, which have been considerable, but also by volunteering their very valuable time and talents. Was E.K. a megalomaniac? Perhaps, depending on your definition. Did his particular form of rigid political thinking run contrary to that of many in this state? Absolutely. But I think the largest part of the bitterness felt by his detractors could be written off to envy and 'sour grapes'.

If I can only have one one-thousandth of the positive influence on my home state as E.K. or any of his siblings did, I'll die a very happy man.

Posted by: Wylie at 8:56 AM on 28 April 2003

I think I'd replace "megalomaniac" with "autocrat", which is just as descriptive and has fewer connotations of legal insanity. ;)

Posted by: CGHill at 7:23 AM on 29 April 2003