Oklahoma
State Senate
Communications Division
State Capitol
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105
For Immediate Release: May 19, 2009
Sen. Harry Coates
Legislature Celebrates the Heritage of the Oklahoma Cowboy
The state Legislature approved legislation Tuesday
recognizing the many contributions of cowboys to Oklahoma’s
culture and economy. House Concurrent Resolution 1025, by Rep.
Danny Morgan and Sen. Harry
Coates, proclaims July 2009 as Oklahoma Cowboy Heritage Month
and designates July 25, 2009 as Oklahoma Day of the Cowboy.
“Cowboy traditions have been part of the
Oklahoma culture since the pioneers first headed west. Many of
the major cattle trails established in the late 1800s ran through
Oklahoma and helped usher in the era of the cowboy,” said
Morgan, D-Prague. “The cowboy culture in Oklahoma has inspired
artists, conservationists, farmers, ranchers, and agricultural
scientists for generations. The cowboy is also a central figure
in American literature, film and music, and continues to capture
the public imagination.”
Oklahoma is the home of many famous cowboys such
as Gene Autry, Will Rogers, William “Hopalong Cassidy”
Boyd, Gordon William “Pawnee Bill” Lillie, and Tom
Mix.
“Millions from around the world have been
able to experience the cowboy culture at the National Cowboy and
Western Heritage Museum for nearly forty years,” said Coates,
R-Seminole. “And that culture continues to live on in livestock
shows and rodeos as well as through our ranchers and others who
live off the land; and it’s them that we want to celebrate
and recognize for their ongoing contributions to their communities
and our state.”
For more information contact:
Sen. Coates' Office - 405-521-5547