Sooner State Chapter ATOS Home Page

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

Read the current issue of our monthly newsletter
The Windline.

In 2007 Videographer James Plumlee of the Tulsa World made a nine-minute video tour of our organ. You can view it here.

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).

In December 2010 we elected our officers for the next two years. They are:
Phil Gray, President
Bill Rowland, First Vice President
Phil Judkins, 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.

Sooner State ATOS Events

On April 15, 2011 we did something different: Once each year we like to invite anyone who is interested to play our pipe organ. So this program was a night of ‘open console’ which gave a chance to those who would like to play anything they choose. There is no theme. We were kind of disappointed in the crowd, but those who came enjoyed the event!

On May 20 Brett Valliant, professional theatre organist from Wichita, KS returned to play for us again. He’s one of our ‘favorites’ and his programs was fantastic (as all of his are)!

June was Silent Movie Time once again! Friday night, June 17. We showed three two-reel comedies, accompanied on the vintage theatre pipe organ by three of our local organists: Jeanette Maxfield, Phil Judkins, and Bill Rowland. Featured this time was the film projected by real film projectors provided by Jim Reid who came up from Texas for the event.

We screened "Pass the Gravy" (1928) starring Max Davidson, "Fluttering Hearts" (1927) starring Charley Chase with Oliver Hardy, and "The Sun Down Limited" (1924) starring Our Gang (Hal Roach's Little Rascals).

Friday - July 15, 2011 - 7:00 p.m. Carolyn Craft entertained at the console of our Robert-Morton Pipe Organ with guest piano artist Dr. Joyce Bridgman. Carolyn has always presented a wide variety of music in her programs. Dr. Bridgman is head of the piano/organ department at ORU.

August 19 - Once each year we go to the German American Society for a program which includes, organ, piano, Blaskapelle (German wind band) and vocalists. As always it turned out to be good music and a fun time.

September 16 - Ted Hager, a very accomplished organist from Rogers, AR played for us. Ted was the staff organist for the Masonic Temple in Rockford, IL for many years. We heard him play our Robert-Morton theatre pipe organ and vintage grand piano.

October was a special program with our great theatre pipe organ providing an accompaniment to a player piano and some vintage rolls! Old time music at its best!

November 18 was our Organ Workshop for anyone interested in learning more about the Theatre Pipe Organ - its history as an American Art form - what makes those sounds - how it works. Demonstrations by members of the tech crew and players made this a most useful and enjoyable program.

The first program of 2012 was a Silent Movie Night on January 20. We screened Speedy with Harold Lloyd and the theatre pipe organ accompanying it and a capacity crowd loved it!

Our February 17 program promises to be quite a treat, also, as we prepare for our annual Gospel Music Night, with renditions of your favorite Gospel music performed by some of our local performers on the organ, piano, and other instruments. Free admission as always, 7:00 PM.

March 16 is a program called "Spring is in the Air" with our locals. Gonna be fun, come join us!

April 20 brings us to an observance of an historic occasion: the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the great ship Titanic. We will be presenting our local performers with music that was actually played on the ship, a very special program indeed! 7:00, free admission.

Email us at SoonerStateATOS@gmail.com

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