New! Here is a page devoted to the first home of our theatre organ!

Here is the current issue of our monthly newsletter The Windline.

Welcome to the website of the Sooner State Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society. We are headquarted in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and have our monthly meetings at the Broken Arrow Campus of the Tulsa Technology Center, 129th E. Ave (Olive) and 111th St. Our meetings are at 7:00 on the third Friday of the month, (unless circumstances dictate another date).

Videographer James Plumlee of the Tulsa World made a nine-minute video of our presentation. You can view it here.

In December 2008 we elected our officers for the next two years. They are:   Phil Judkins, President   Bill Rowland, First Vice President   Phil Gray, Second Vice President   Lynda Ramsey, Secretary   Joyce Hatchett, Treasurer   Carolyn Craft, Program Chairman (At left: Judkins, Gray, Ramsey, Craft, Hatchett, Rowland)

Our chapter owns a 1927 Robert-Morton 3-manual theatre pipe organ (see picture top of page) that we use for our programs. It was originally installed in the Capitol theatre in Steubenville, Ohio, then by a circuitous route found its way to Tulsa, where we acquired it and got it installed in the new campus at TTC in the 1980s.

We also have a rebuilt 1903 Kimball grand piano donated to us by Don and Dee Miller that used to preside in the Mayo Hotel in downtown Tulsa.

Our members have also restored the 1927 four manual, forty-five rank Kilgen pipe organ at the Performing Arts Center of Tulsa Central High School. We promote the school's organ teaching program and concerts, which are open to the public. Our educational outreach includes bringing school children to Central High or TTC for a theatre organ experience. At right is the Central High School console.

Our programs feature some artists from out of the Tulsa area as well as local organists and usually give time for "Open Console" where members and non-members alike can try out the organ.

Please feel free to come by and enjoy our programs, there is no admission charge but donations for organ maintenance and program expenses are appreciated! And, if you would like to receive our monthly mailed newsletter, the Windline just let us know.

Click here to visit the national website for the American Theatre Organ Society.

Click here to see what we did in 2008!

2009 Sooner State ATOS Events

Our first program for 2009 was on January 16, when we featured another in our series of silver screen classics, "The Sheik" from 1921 with Rudolph Valentino. The movie accompaniment was played on our mighty theatre pipe organ by Bill Rowland, and an audience of about 300 enjoyed the film and sing-a-long.

Gospel Music Night was February 20, with our talented local artists participating, and a crowd of over 200 in attendance.

The "Rev. Larry meets Ragtime Bill" program was back to entertain on March 27, with Rev. Larry Mitchell and "Ragtime Bill" Rowland on piano and organ with some surprises, including banjo player Joel Burkhart.

Our April program was a joint meeting with our local AGO chapter April 17 featuring organist Cristoph Bull and painter Norton Wisdom at the First Baptist Church in Tulsa.

And, we got to enjoy another visit from one of our favorite organists, the very talented Brett Valliant from Wichita, Kansas on May 15.

June's program returned to the Silent Screen on the 19th as we viewed three "two-reelers" with our local organists Lynda Ramsey, Phil Judkins, and Jeanette Maxfield.

July will be special, too, with performances provided by our local organists featuring the music of Irving Berlin.

Later this year we will be featuring the 1925 silent movie The Phantom of the Opera with Lon Chaney in October, don't miss it!

Email us at SoonerStateATOS@gmail.com

Contents Copyright 2009 by Sooner State Chapter ATOS