Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission

2025 Meetings

Agendas for Oklahoma Route 66 Commission meetings will be posted on this page 24 hours before the meeting. Unless otherwise indicated, meetings are at the Oklahoma History Center in the Dr. LeRoy H. Fischer Boardroom. The Oklahoma History Center is located at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, Oklahoma City, 73105.

  • Tuesday, February 18, 2025, 1 p.m. - rescheduled
  • Tuesday, March 4, 2025, 1 p.m. - This meeting will take place in the Chesapeake Event Center at the Oklahoma History Center.
  • Tuesday, May 20, 2025, 1 p.m. - This meeting will take place in the Chesapeake Event Center at the Oklahoma History Center.
  • Tuesday, August 26, 2025, 1 p.m.
  • Tuesday, November 18, 2025, 1 p.m.


AGENDA
Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission
Chesapeake Event Center, Oklahoma History Center
800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73105
Tuesday, May 20, 2025, 1:00 P.M.

  1. Call to order – Trait Thompson
  2. Pledge of Allegiance
  3. Roll call – Dayna Robinson
  4. Possible discussion, revision, and vote to approve the minutes of the November 19, 2024, meeting – Trait Thompson
  5. Update on the Oklahoma Route 66 Commission meeting – Tim Gatz
  6. Update on the National Route 66 Centennial Commission – Trait Thompson
  7. Update on the Route 66 Consortium Summit in Albuquerque, New Mexico – Trait Thompson
  8. Update on the restoration of the Glancy Hotel sign in Clinton – Trait Thompson
  9. Update on the merchandise program and website – Kerry Barrick
  10. Update from subcommittee chairs
    1. Fundraising
    2. Infrastructure & Public Works
      1. Update on the Community Unifier Project – Kerry Barrick
    3. Public Programs
      1. Discussion and possible action on the official Centennial Event submission process – Adam Jewell
    4. Marketing & Communications
      1. Update on possible statewide opportunities for activations during the 20th anniversary of Disney/Pixar’s Cars – Ken Busby
      2. Update on the November 11, Centennial Crawl – Ken Busby
      3. Discussion and possible action to approve a contract with Scissortail Park, not to exceed $30,000, for the Oklahoma City birthday bash event, to be held on May 30, 2026. (Approval should encompass all appropriate authorized signatories and deposit requirements.) – Nikki Lloyd
      4. Update on the Marketing Grant Application – Kerry Barrick
    5. Finance
  11. Discussion and possible action on making the Oklahoma Historical Society’s Oklahoma Route 66 documentary an official Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial project – Trait Thompson
  12. Discussion and possible action on making Oklahoma Today magazine the official magazine of the Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial – Nathan Gunter, editor-in chief of Oklahoma Today
  13. Discussion and possible action on making ARPath an official Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial program – Sheila Harding
  14. New business
  15. Announcements
  16. Adjournment – Trait Thompson


The Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission was established in 2019. The purpose of the Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission Act is described in 69 OS §4020.2:

Route 66 is one of the original highways within the US Highway System. Officially, the numerical designation 66 was assigned to the Chicago-to-Los Angeles route on November 11, 1926. From the outset, public road planners intended U.S. 66 to connect the main streets of rural and urban communities along its course for the most practical of reasons; most small towns had no prior access to a major national thoroughfare. This was certainly true in Oklahoma. Oklahoma’s stretch of Route 66 runs from Miami through Tulsa and Oklahoma City to Erick, passing through cities and towns of all sizes and vast expanses of rural landscape, before entering Texas and continuing on its way to Santa Monica, California. The Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission is established to plan, coordinate and implement programs and special events to celebrate the historic highway’s centennial in 2026 with the support of the Oklahoma Historical Society.

The centennial is an opportunity to celebrate the important history of Route 66 in Oklahoma through commemorative, educational and community events, including programs and exhibits about the history of how local communities grew and changed with construction of the highway; the development of a modern transportation system; the cultural impact of Route 66 both within the United States and internationally; the portrayal of Route 66 in music, artwork and folklore; and how we maintain the mystique and appeal of Route 66 for future generations.

The study, preservation and maintenance of Route-66-related resources has been a public/private partnership in Oklahoma for decades. Government agencies, private organizations and individual citizens have played critical roles in these efforts, and the Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission shall seek input from these partners and the general public as it develops plans for the celebration and encourages their participation.

The significance of the Oklahoma stretch of Route 66 is demonstrated through its status as both a state and a National Scenic Byway and as a segment of the Route 66 National Historic Trail (legislation for NHT designation is pending in the US Congress). Dozens of Oklahoma properties are related to Route 66, such as roadbed segments, bridges, commercial buildings, service stations and tourist attractions, and are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The significance of the highway is further recognized through the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s selection of the entire length of the highway as one of its National Treasures.