Lee Roy Chapman
Lee Roy Chapman | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 31, 1969 San Angelo, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | October 8, 2015 (aged 46) Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.[1] |
| Occupation | Historian of Tulsa, Oklahoma |
| Known for |
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Lee Roy Chapman (March 31, 1969 – October 8, 2015) was an American public historian, citizen journalist, activist, and artist whose research reshaped contemporary understanding of Tulsa, Oklahoma's racial history.[2]
Early life
Chapman was born in San Angelo, Texas, to Lee Roy Chapman Jr. and Susan Lee (Smith) Chapman and moved to Tulsa when he was about four years old.[2] Largely self-taught, he honed screen printing skills and developed a passion for locating obscure artifacts that documented Oklahoma's counter-histories.[1]
Career
Investigative writing
As a contributing editor to This Land Press, Chapman published The Nightmare of Dreamland: Tate Brady and the Battle for Greenwood in 2011, revealing Tulsa founder W. Tate Brady's affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan and role in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.[3] The article prompted the Tulsa City Council's 2013 decision to rename Brady Street, as well as the Brady Arts District's decision to rebrand as the Tulsa Arts District.[2] On the District he wrote:
"Today, the Brady Arts District is the focal point of multi-million dollar developments involving local organizations such as the George Kaiser Family Foundation, the Oklahoma Museum of Music and Popular Culture, the University of Tulsa, Gilcrease Museum, Philbrook Museum, and the Arts and Humanities Council of Tulsa. Local businesses also thrive in the district: numerous bars and restaurants, the family-owned Cain’s Ballroom (which once served as Brady’s garage), and the Tulsa Violin Shop, to name a few. A large new ballpark separates the Brady district and the Greenwood area."[4]
Center for Public Secrets
Chapman began assembling what would later become the Center for Public Secrets (CfPS) in the late 1990s,[1] formally launching it in 2008 as a repository for "hidden, neglected and misunderstood" Oklahoma history.[3] CfPS curates exhibitions, podcasts and a digital library of artifacts; items Chapman located now reside in institutions such as the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture and Yale University.[3]
Other projects
Beyond archival work, Chapman produced documentaries and guerrilla art installations. He also appeared in public forums.[5] Chapman was involved in the antiquarian book trade and managed Oak Tree Books in Tulsa. After his death, the bookstore closed in 2016, but it was reopened in 2024.[6][7]
Death and legacy
Chapman died at his Tulsa residence on October 8, 2015; he was 46.[1] A memorial service at Cain's Ballroom drew hundreds of admirers. The Center for Public Secrets opened a physical space in 2020, continuing his mission to train "history-recovery specialists" and challenge dominant narratives about Tulsa.[2] He is the inspiration for the main character in the FX series The Lowdown.[8]
References
- ^ a b c d Branstetter, Ziva (13 October 2015). "Lee Roy Chapman remembered as 'tenacious' truth teller". The Frontier. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
- ^ a b c d Eaton, Kristi (22 January 2021). "A citizen journalist's legacy lives on: Telling Tulsa's hidden secrets". International Journalists’ Network. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
- ^ a b c "About the Center". Center for Public Secrets. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
- ^ Chapman, Lee Roy (2023-08-23). "The Nightmare of Dreamland: Tate Brady and The Tulsa Outrage". CfPS. Retrieved 2025-06-05.
- ^ Bates, Michael (2015-10-20). "Lee Roy Chapman curriculum vitae". CfPS. Retrieved 2025-06-06.
- ^ "Oak Tree Books History". Oak Tree Books Tulsa. 6 August 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Reeves, Z.B (9 April 2025). "The Resurrection Of Oak Tree Books". The Pickup. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Carney, Mark; Chesser, Alicia (15 May 2025). "After He Was Chicago Pope, And Before He Was Pope-Pope, He Was Tulsa Pope". The Pickup. Retrieved 24 May 2025.