Inaugural Impressions
This exhibit has closed.
Inaugural Impressions explored the lives and contributions of Oklahoma’s first ladies and gentleman while their spouses served as governor. The exhibit featured an array of gowns worn by first ladies from the Oklahoma Historical Society collections.
Many of Oklahoma’s first ladies have taken a leading role in our state’s history as dedicated homemakers and mothers, political activists, or by raising money and awareness for social causes. This exhibit will highlight how our first ladies developed civic responsibility while navigating the social conventions of past eras. The exhibit follows the evolution of their roles, forged in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and beyond. After 1979, Oklahoma’s first ladies took on more active and vocal roles in response to the state’s social fabric.
Inaugural Impressions was on exhibit in the Sam Noble Gallery of the Oklahoma History Center Museum from June 2024 through May 31, 2025.
Rhonda Walters’s gown (1991.025.001, Rhonda Smith Walters Collection)
