Anna Lee Brosius Korn

Leonard Doyle McMurry, Bust of Anna B. Korn, Bronze, c. 1970s. Courtesy Oklahoma Hall of Fame Archives. 

Inducted: 1961

Hometown: El Reno

Patron of the Oklahoma Historical Society and Oklahoma Hall of Fame

Anna Lee Brosius Korn dedicated her life to celebrating her adopted home state of Oklahoma. In 1921, she authored the bill declaring "Oklahoma Day" to be celebrated on November 16. After this success, Korn founded the Oklahoma Memorial Association in 1927, known today as the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, to commend Oklahomans for their contributions through a "Hall of Fame" gallery at the Oklahoma Historical Society.

Anna B. Korn. Courtesy Oklahoma Historical Society.

The following year the Association inducted its first two members, establishing a legacy to honor future Oklahomans. Korn continued to plan and preside over the annual induction ceremony, contributing many personal details to the affair, such as creating beaded awards or writing song and prose for the ceremony.

Anna B. Korn celebrating her 95th birthday, March 1964. Photo by Don Brown. Courtesy Oklahoma Historical Society.

To date, more than 700 individuals, including all of those featured in this exhibit, have been inducted to the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Korn dearly wanted to see a home constructed for the organization. Shortly after her passing, in 1971, the Association opened its first brick-and-mortar location in Oklahoma City. The organization opened the Gaylord-Pickens Museum in 2007 making it the headquarters for the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.

Mrs. Anna B. Korn and her cousin, J.C. Penney, August 1958. Photo by Mandell Matheson. Courtesy Oklahoma Historical Society.