Larry Nichols Park

[Just the facts]

Or a street named Gaylord? Or Lake Hefner? Or.....?

Check, check, check ...

I guess that makes me consistent.

[Rover]

If Bicentennial actually honored those Oklahoma Citians who were instrumental in the independence of the US I guess it would be more sacred. Given that OKC didn't exist then, I can't think of any that come to mind. However, as an intimate park that is very city centric and considering the area it resides in, honoring a specific OKCityian who has been very influential in a positive way for the improvement of the specific and immediate area actually seems more appropriate.

[Pete]

All of these parks are on the City's website. This is just a sampling of parks that have been named after people, either historical, or named after those who have contributed significantly to the parks department or City as a whole.

If this park was renamed for Nichols, it would be in keeping with a long-standing tradition.


Bob Akers Park
Diggs Park
Dolese Youth Park
Douglass Park
Draper Park
Dulaney Park
E.B. Jeffrey Park
EW Perry Park
Jack W. Cornett Park
J.B. Black Park
John F. Kennedy Park
Kerr Park
Lipper Park
Lorraine Thomas Park
Mark Twain Park
Pat Murphy Park
Pitts Park
Red Andrews Park
Washington Park
Wiley Post Park
Will Rogers Park
Zach D. Taylor Park

[dankrutka]

It seems OKC loves to name parks after (white?) dudes.

[Bellaboo]

It seems OKC loves to name parks after (white?) dudes.

What are you talking about ?

[krisb]

Sorry for the bad link, everyone. I will do better next time.

I don't mind renaming the park, it just seems symbolic of the rapid pace efforts to redesign the park without respect to its history and without a public input process.

[Rover]

OK - if people keep directing questions at me I guess I need to answer them.

No I don't hate Larry Nichols and I am not envious of him. I guess what rubs me the wrong way about is the elitism inherent in it. Nearly 600,000 people go to work in OKC every day, pay their taxes, work hard, volunteer countless hours, hold doors open for people, assist strangers with flat tires, and do their part to make OKC better. 2,500 of these people even work at Devon Energy. Bicentennial Park was constructed and maintained by the fine people of Oklahoma City - I just don't like naming public buildings, roads, or parks after people. If L.N. wants a park named after him he should by a lot, put some grass on it, and put up a sign. Public infrastructure should not be for sale.

BTW – I feel the same way about Norick Library, so it isn’t just L.N. Now, if 50 years after L.N. dies they want to name something after him I probably wouldn’t oppose it.

How would everyone feel about the new iconic boulevard being called Larry Nichols Boulevard?

It would be arrogant of me to presume to know for sure who is or isn't deserving of having a park named after them. However, it seems to me that the name Bicentennial Park is a federal honor and this park is between two core municipal buildings. The current park seemingly does nothing to honor the actions leading up to the freedom of our country, nothing significant happened at that site regarding our country's freedom, and no Oklahoma City forefathers were involved in bringing freedom to the states (1776-1907 is a long gap). I don't believe there are displays or monuments to the actual events that led to our freedom, are there?

Therefore, it seems a lot more appropriate that it honor an important person in the development of our city - someone alive now or who lived earlier that impacted OKC....and given where the park is, someone who impacted downtown OKC. If that is Larry Nichols, so be it. He is probably as worthy as others. If it isn't named for him, I doubt he will shed a tear or lose a minute of sleep as he didn't do any of the things he has done for this city for the purpose of earning a name on a slab of grass.

I am sorry some see the respect and thanks given to people who were exceptionally generous with their time and money as being "elitist". If so, I sure hope we foster a huge "elite" class in this city. To do so does nothing to disrespect the thousands who toil without acclaim and will never have a park named for them. But to honor those who have made outstanding contributions does show that our society respects and admires those that go above and beyond.

[Rover]

Check, check, check ...

I guess that makes me consistent.

Ahh...but consistently WHAT?

[jungmuny]

devon instead requested that money to be used on entire CBD project 180 .. and that was a huge huge unpresidented deal

Of course it was unpresidented. Nichols is the CEO, not president. But seriously, its a shame Ralph Ellison doesn't have a park named after him. He is a Pulitzer prize winner and was fond of Oklahoma City, as this poem called Deep Second shows:http://www.nathanielturner.com/oklah...cdeepdeuce.htm I guess we should pretend its not racism though.

[Pete]

Ellison has a library named after him and just a few days ago they installed a sculpture there as well:

http://newsok.com/northeast-oklahoma...rticle/3647624

[foodiefan]

afternoon musings. . . .wonder what it was called before "Bicentennial Park"? Or was it just a vacant lot? A lot of town and cities did various commemorations and parks for the Bicentennial. If it was previously a park, wonder if there was a naming flap then as well. . .'spose whatever the decision, it might end up being re-named again in 64 years (anyone for "Tricentennial Park"??)

[Just the facts]

See what happens when you start naming things after people - no one is happy.

I am not fond of the name Bicentennial Park either as it doesn't describe the location, function, or origin. I think place names should mean something. I would prefer Civic Park.

[Urbanized]

Ralph Ellison also has a street named after him.

[jungmuny]

All I'm saying is if a white guy from Oklahoma City won the pulitzer prize for fiction, wouldn't he have a major area named after him downtown? The library and street are far away from the area he grew up. And I'm not black so I'm not bitter about this, but I think it would heal some racial wounds. Didn't mean to hijack

EDIT: This is one of the many sources that claims he won a Pulitzer:http://digital.library.okstate.edu/e...s/S/SE004.html It appears there is a lot of misinformation out there, to use Steve's term. But I stand by my point. I suspect he was a Pulitzer finalist, but they only keep record of that award on their website going back to 1980.

[Urbanized]

Ellison won a National Book Award, not a Pulitzer. Sorry to nitpick.

[Just the facts]

All I'm saying is if a white guy from Oklahoma City won the pulitzer prize for fiction, wouldn't he have a major area named after him downtown? The library and street are far away from the area he grew up. And I'm not black so I'm not bitter about this, but I think it would heal some racial wounds. Didn't mean to hijack

I guess all you need to do is fill out a form to have Bicentennial Park renamed Ralph Ellison Park. LOL - that would be interesting to watch.

[FritterGirl]

afternoon musings. . . .wonder what it was called before "Bicentennial Park"? Or was it just a vacant lot? A lot of town and cities did various commemorations and parks for the Bicentennial. If it was previously a park, wonder if there was a naming flap then as well. . .'spose whatever the decision, it might end up being re-named again in 64 years (anyone for "Tricentennial Park"??)

It was originally called Civic Center Park.

[Just the facts]

It was originally called Civic Center Park.

I vote for changing it back to that.

[Rover]

So, we should have no problems with the name Okahoma City Boulevard, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Just name things just what they are. Requires no imagination and no one gets their feelings hurt. That will convey a sense of history and accomplishments....oh no, just location. LOL.

[jungmuny]

I guess all you need to do is fill out a form to have Bicentennial Park renamed Ralph Ellison Park. LOL - that would be interesting to watch.

Regardless of the name, it should be called plaza, pavilion or garden. Too small for a park.

[dankrutka]

Ralph Ellison is arguably the coolest historical OKC homegrown product... and he grew up near downtown! That statue thing for him at the library is horendously bad. Maybe the worst I've ever seen. I know their is a street with his name, but naming the new Boulevard - Ellison BLVD - would be awesome. It just has a nice sound IMHO.

[Just the facts]

So, we should have no problems with the name Okahoma City Boulevard, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Just name things just what they are. Requires no imagination and no one gets their feelings hurt. That will convey a sense of history and accomplishments....oh no, just location. LOL.

Oklahoma City Boulevard sucks no doubt - but it is better than Larry Nichols Boulevard. Somewhere there is a whole thread on names for OKC Boulevard that either describe its location, it function, or it origin. No need rehashing that here.

[foodiefan]

It was originally called Civic Center Park.

Thanks FritterGirl. . . do you know if it was/became an "issue" when it was renamed Bicentennial Park?

[LuccaBrasi]

Naming a park, plaza, pavillion, or garden in honor of Larry Nichols would be very fitting for all he has done for this community. It is probably accurate to say that this city would not be as far along as it without his committment to build the tower, not to mention the countless non-profit contributions that go on and on. One would hope that is not in question, nor his character. 50 years from now his name will be in the history books much like the Hefner's, Classen's, and others alike. LN is hardly an elitest. Nichols Park, LN Plaza, LN Park at Civic Center.......all sound fine with me......

[Steve]

All of these parks are on the City's website. This is just a sampling of parks that have been named after people, either historical, or named after those who have contributed significantly to the parks department or City as a whole.

If this park was renamed for Nichols, it would be in keeping with a long-standing tradition.


Bob Akers Park
Diggs Park
Dolese Youth Park
Douglass Park
Draper Park
Dulaney Park
E.B. Jeffrey Park
EW Perry Park
Jack W. Cornett Park
J.B. Black Park
John F. Kennedy Park
Kerr Park
Lipper Park
Lorraine Thomas Park
Mark Twain Park
Pat Murphy Park
Pitts Park
Red Andrews Park
Washington Park
Wiley Post Park
Will Rogers Park
Zach D. Taylor Park

At least one of those names is attached to someone who had quite a bit of shady dealings, not so honorable a history if everything they did were publicly known.