Five to be inducted into Chickasaw Hall of Fame on April 23
This article appeared in the March 2019 edition of the Chickasaw Times
NORMAN, Okla. – Five Chickasaw citizens will be honored with induction into the Chickasaw Hall of Fame April 23 in a special ceremony at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Norman. Inclusion in the Hall of Fame is the highest honor bestowed on Chickasaw citizens.
Two honorees will be inducted posthumously.
They are Reford Bond, a longtime tribal attorney, statehood proponent and Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner, and Hiawatha Estes, nephew of famed Chickasaw storyteller Te Ata Thompson Fisher and a nationally known home architect and proponent of providing scholarships for students at his beloved University of Oklahoma.
Three inductees continue to blaze trails globally in business, science and art.
They are Love’s Country Store founder and chief executive officer Tom Love; internationally renowned artist and 2017 Chickasaw Nation Dynamic Woman of the Year Brenda Kingery; and Dr. Jonathan Treat, famed oncologist forging new scientific discoveries and techniques to treat and cure cancer patients.
Reford Bond
(1877-1954)
Born Aug. 10, 1877 in Johnsonville, Indian Territory, Mr. Bond served as National Attorney for the Chickasaw Nation from 1913-1921. He was admitted to the Indian Territory Bar Association in 1899 and opened shop in Chickasha. His law firm was considered the oldest operating practice in the state at the time of his death.
A proponent of “single statehood,” (a two-state option – one for Oklahoma Territory and “Sequoyah” Indian Territory – was opposed by then-President Theodore Roosevelt), he was appointed committeeman-at-large for both constitutional conventions. Following statehood in November 1907, Mr. Bond served as president of the state election board and as a special justice on the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
He was elected to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission in 1934 and served as chairman of the energy-regulating body. He remained on the commission until his death in 1954.
A strong advocate of Oklahoma education, Mr. Bond served as a trustee on the William H. Murray Education Foundation and was active in many Oklahoma civic and benevolent organizations.
He successfully represented Chickasaw and Choctaw tribal interests in federal court that resulted in judgments or settlements of more than $50 million to the tribes.
Hiawatha Estes
(1918 – 2003)
Hiawatha Estes was an architect and founder of the Nationwide House Plan Book Company, later known as Hiawatha Estes and Associates.
A nephew of Mary “Te Ata” Thompson Fisher, Mr. Estes was born in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, and formed a close relationship with his famous aunt. He attended the University of Oklahoma and played in the Pride of Oklahoma marching band until he graduated in 1940.
He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps 37th Fighter Squadron during World War II, attaining the rank of captain.
Following the war, he moved to California and started his business in designing modern homes. Mr. Estes’ inexpensive, practical designs were featured in newspapers across the country, showcasing to millions of Americans the newest trends in home building. His designs incorporated the rapid changes occurring in U.S. households, including the increased use of air conditioning, homes centered on privacy and watching television instead of hosting guests.
Mr. Estes was known for continuously working toward his goals, earning him the nickname, “roadrunner” from his aunt, Te Ata. While his home designs resonated with modern Americans, he focused on giving back to his alma mater, becoming a founding member of OU’s President’s Associates. He financially supported more than 75 university scholarships, including establishing the Hiawatha Estes Pride of Oklahoma Scholarship to aid music students.
He was awarded the OU Regents Alumni Award in 2002 for outstanding service and contributions to the university. A courtyard at OU’s Catlett Music Center named in Mr. Estes’ honor was landscaped with his assistance to provide a quiet place for students.
Mr. Estes passed away in 2003, leaving an enduring legacy at the University of Oklahoma and in neighborhoods around the country.
Brenda Kingery
A contemporary artist and champion of women’s empowerment globally, Ms. Kingery was born in Oklahoma City. She earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and history from the University of Oklahoma. She attended graduate school at Ryukyus University in Okinawa and completed a master’s in arts from the University of Oklahoma.
She returned to Okinawa where she taught drawing, painting and Okinawan cultural history for the University of Maryland’s Far East Division. She later settled in San Antonio, Texas where she taught at San Antonio College. Her artwork has been displayed in many private, corporate and public collections around the world and is part of numerous permanent collections.
She is the founding member of Threads of Blessing International, an organization that teaches textile and design to women in developing countries to use their indigenous artistic skills. Her efforts to empower women around the world led to her being named the 2017 Chickasaw Nation Dynamic Woman of the Year.
In 2007, Ms. Kingery was appointed by the President of the United States to the board of trustees of the Institute of American Indian and Native Alaskans in Art and Culture of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Thomas Love
Mr. Love is founder and CEO of the family-owned company Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores. Born in Oklahoma City, Mr. Love, the descendant of two different Chickasaw families bearing the name, attended St. John’s University but dropped out to join the U.S. Marine Corps. During his service, he rose to the rank of corporal. Following his service, he attended the University of Oklahoma, but dropped out again.
Mr. Love and his wife, Judy, opened their first service station in 1964. With a $5,000 investment from Mrs. Love’s parents, the Loves opened a filling station in Watonga, Oklahoma and quickly found success.
When the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) announced an oil embargo in 1973, it threatened the Loves’ businesses, which relied almost entirely on gasoline sales. He pioneered combining the gas station with the 24-hour convenience store as well as self-service pumps. Mr. Love and his family grew the company to more than 480 locations across the United States.
Mr. and Mrs. Love have also been leaders in philanthropy. Between personal donations and corporate giving, the Love family has supported institutions of higher education as well as local charities across the country. Since 1999, the Loves have partnered with the Children’s Miracle Network, raising more than $28 million for children’s medical research.
Jonathan Trent, M.D.
Dr. Trent is a board-certified oncologist and associate director of clinical research at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center in Florida. He is a professor of medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
Dr. Trent combines research, teaching and treatment of cancer patients. His work is precision cancer medicine focusing on development of “targeted therapies” matched to specific cancers and genetic mutations.
Since joining Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center in September 2011, Dr. Trent has led an awarding-winning team that has made breakthroughs in gene discovery and leads one of the first human trials for drug treatments for specific cancers.
He earned his undergraduate degree in chemistry at Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant. His medical degree and doctorate in cancer biology were earned from the University of Texas Health Science Center.
Dr. Trent completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at the center, located in Houston. He was chief fellow while completing his medical oncology fellowship at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, also in Houston.
Chickasaw Hall of Fame
The 2019 Chickasaw Hall of Fame ceremony marks the 32nd anniversary of the Chickasaw Hall of Fame.
The ceremony is open to the public free of charge. However, reservations are required.
Reservations will be accepted until April 5 by calling Chickasaw Nation Special Events at (580) 332-1165 or email reservations to Randi.Payne@Chickasaw.net.
The ceremony will stream live from the Chickasaw Hall of Fame website at HOF.Chickasaw.net and on Facebook Live at Facebook.com/TheChickasawNation. The livestream will be available for viewing on all devices.
For more information, visit HOF.Chickasaw.net.