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From YouTube: Viewpoints - Dannie Bea Hightower
Description
Viewpoints is a City of Oklahoma City/City Channel 20 program which will give viewers a unique, firsthand, in-depth conversation with city leaders past and present. Viewpoints will explore their lives; from life as a child to their roles in making Oklahoma City what it is today.
This profile features Dannie Bea Hightower, civic volunteer and leader.
A
A
Well,
my
father
was
all
of
about
25
or
26
years
old
and
he
told
my
father
who's
dan
james.
He
wanted
him
to
go
to
oklahoma
city,
which
they
didn't
even
know
which
direction
oklahoma
was
at
that
point
and
he
wanted
him
to
go
and
run
the
black
hotel.
When
dad
said,
I
don't
know
anything
about
running
a
hotel
and
my
grandfather
says:
well,
you
will
know
after
you've
done
it
a
while,
so
we
took
the
two
little
children.
A
I
think
I
was
all
of
three
and
we
moved
to
oklahoma
city
and
we
moved
into
the
black
hotel
and
after
a
few
months
after
it
all
been
done,
we
lived
in
the
penthouse,
the
very
top
of
the
black
hotel,
and
if
you
think
that
wasn't
fun,
I
went
to
wilson's
school,
which
is
close.
I
was
on
about
22nd
street
and
all
my
friends
loved
to
visit,
because
at
the
penthouse
of
the
black
up
on
the
top,
we
had
a
play
yard.
A
Also,
whenever
I
wanted
anything,
all
I
had
to
do
was
pick
up
the
phone
and
order
something
and
one
time
when
I
was
I
was
pretty
little,
but
I
said
I
would
like,
as
if
whatever
and
I
said,
to
the
person
on
the
other
end
and
step
on
it,
I
guess
I'd
seen
it
in
the
movie.
I
don't
know,
I
think,
that's
the
only
spanking
I
ever
got
in
my
entire
life.
You
don't
talk
like
that.
A
You
never
you
say
please,
so
I
have
fun
memories
of
the
black
and
living
in
the
penthouse
and
then
when
I
was
oh,
I
don't
know
maybe
seven
or
eight
we
moved
to
17th
street,
so
I
grew
up
in
heritage
hills,
so
I've
never
really
been
very
far
away
from
downtown,
because
when
I
married
I
lived
in
heritage
hills
on
15th
street,
but
that
was
my
experience
at
the
black
and
my
father
was
a
born
hotel
man.
He,
it
was
just
in
his
jeans.
A
A
A
I
was
probably
maybe
19
or
20
and
when
he
bought
the
skirvin
and
skirving
was
in
pretty
bad
shape
when
he
bought
it.
So
dad
went
in,
as
I
said,
it's
just
incredible
hotel
man
and
he
did
all
the
air
conditioning
did
all
the
rooms
over
and
the
bathrooms
and
turned
it
into
a
really
really
lovely
hotel
and
it
just
kept
making
it
better
and
better
and
added
a
big
ballroom.
A
So
my
wedding,
I
was
married
to
saint
paul's
cathedral
and
our
big
reception
was
at
the
skirvin,
and
so
I
have
great
memories
of
the
skirvin
too.
But
I
was
I
was
older
then,
but
dad
was
he
he
just.
He
just
knew
the
right
things
to
do
to
make
his
whatever
hotel.
He
was
involved
in
to
turn
it
into
the
best
possible,
and
I
liked
watching
him
do
that.
A
A
I
had
known
him:
he
was
a
couple
of
years
older,
but
he
went
to
exeter
prep
school
in
new
hampshire
from
the
time
he
was
13.
Then
he
went
on
to
yale.
So
he
really
hadn't
been
around
oklahoma
city
very
much
and
I
think
he'd
graduated
almost
by
the
time
I
went
to
smith,
but
during
the
war
he
was
a
cryptographer,
a
code
clerk
code
code,
whatever
breaking
codes.
All
I
know
is
he
was
the
best
crossword
process
like
possibly
imagine
he
could.
A
He
could
work
the
daily
one
in
the
oklahoma
on
the
first
cup
of
coffee
and
he
could
do
the
new
york
times
when
it's
short
order
and
he
said
well,
I
should
be
able
to
that-
was
my
job
during
the
war.
Anyway,
I
knew
him,
but
not
that
not
that
well
and
then,
after
he
he
was
assigned
in
the
state
department
to
go
to
moscow
and
he
was
there
over
a
year
which
he
loved
the
experience
and
he
was
a
cryptographer
with
with
the
state
department,
but
we'd
become
sort
of
friends.
A
A
It
goes
by
that
someone
doesn't
say
to
me:
oh,
I
miss
that
beautiful
building
a
beautiful
store
and
then
he
had
a
great
knowledge
of
food,
so
he
put
in
a
restaurant,
called
the
cellar
and
once
again
it
was
just
at
the
top.
As
far
as
beauty,
wonderful
food
people
remember,
it
was
such
devotion
and
actually
I
think
it
was
open
for
about
32
years.
So
it
wasn't
as
if
it
was
a.
A
It
was
a
fast
thing,
so
that
added
a
great
deal
and
one
reason
this
was
during
the
time
of
urban
renewal,
which
bad
word
to
a
lot
of
people,
but
look
look
how
renewed
we
are,
but
the
hightower
building
was
about
the
only
building
that
was
secure,
downtown
the
others
were
going
down
pretty
fast
to
make
room
for
the
things
that
are
there
today.
But
a
lot
of
people
have
a
very
hard
time
letting
go
of
the
past
and
seeing
the
future
anyway.
A
He
wanted
to
make
that
building
a
destination
to
give
people
a
reason
to
come
downtown,
and
that's
that
had
a
lot
to
do
with
well
had
everything
to
do
with
the
fact
that
he
established
a
store
and
that
lovely
restaurant
and
now,
of
course,
just
look
at
look
at.
What's
all
around
it
and
the
art
museum
across
the
street
and
so
on.
So
he
was
well.
A
A
He
called
me
out
to
the
capitol
and
he
said,
there's
something
going
on
around
the
country
and
they're
establishing
these
arts
councils
and
humanities
council
that
are
part
of
the
state
and
henry
said
I
don't.
I
don't
know
anything
about
it,
but
he
said
I
think
you
do,
and
at
that
point
I
think
there
were
only
two
or
three
michigan
had
a
state
arts
council
and
maybe
one
or
two
other
states,
but
we
we
were
in
on
the
beginning.
A
A
So
I
did
certainly
help
establish
that
and
I
I
I
learned
a
lot
and
one
of
the
best
things
I
ever
did
I
hired
this
bright
young
man.
I
think
he
was
with
a
city
council
here
or
something
anyway.
He
was
in
public
relations
and
his
name
was
curt
schwartz
and
he
was
just
a
young
person.
He
said.
Well,
I
don't
know
anything
about
art,
but
I
hired
him
to
be
the
acting
whatever.
A
I
called
him,
the
director
or
something,
but
he
went
all
around
the
state
and-
and
he
was
incredible
and
then
he
was
killed
in
a
plane
crash
after
a
few
years,
and
but
he
was
one
of
the
the
smartest
things
I
ever
did
and
I
can't
even
remember
how
I
knew,
but
anyway
he
turned
into
quite.
He
was
the
first
director
and
I
attribute
this-
the
early
success
of
our
arts
council
to
curt
schwartz.
I
just
mainly
sat
around
and
clapped.
A
I
had
a
a
little
thing
that
I
tried
to
pay
attention
to:
don't
ever
go
to
lunch
with
john
kirkpatrick
because
he
got
me
in
trouble
more
than
once.
Well,
he
called
one
day
he
wanted
to
go
to
lunch
and
I
thought
oh
well.
I
was
actually
curious.
He
said
it's
very
important,
so
I
go
to
lunch
with
john
and
he
said:
have
you
ever
heard?
Have
you
ever
been
on
the
harn
property?
A
I
said
I
don't
even
know
what
you're
talking
about
he
said.
Well
there
there
is
some
acreage,
that's
still
left
and
near
downtown
oklahoma
city
right
around
16th
street,
and
has
this
wonderful
old
house
built
by
a
man
who
was
involved
in
the
settling
of
the
claims
when
we
had
the
land
run
and
it's
wonderful
land
around
it,
and
he
said
I
I'm
afraid
that
the
city
or
somebody's
going
to
try
to
take
that
over
and
we're
going
to
lose
it.
A
I
said
well
tell
me
where
in
the
world
it
is,
and
what
do
you
want
me
to
do?
He
said
well,
just
go.
Take
a
look,
so
I
found
this
this
place.
There
was
a
padlock
on
the
drive
even
and
they
closed
it
off,
and
here
was
this
charming
house
in
the
middle
of
it
and
some
beautiful
trees,
and
I
think
10
or
9
or
10
acres
still
left
on
about
16th
street,
and
so
I
said
well
what
to
john
kirkpatrick.
What
do
you
want
to
do?
He
said?
A
Well,
I
became
really
engaged
in
the
whole
thing
in
this
wonderful
house,
it
was
a
sears
roebuck
house
had
been
ordered
from
a
catalog
of
all
things
and
the
history
of
mr
harn
living
there
with
his
nice
niece
and
a
brother
had
a
little
house
on
the
same
property,
and
so
I
call
my
best
friends.
They
always
had
to
get
a
call
from
me
because
I
wouldn't
let
them
off
the
hook.
A
I
called
some
good
friends
and
I
said:
there's
I
think
we're
going
to
have
to
start
something
around
this
old
horn
house
and
make
it
a
museum
house
and
there's
a
barn
there
and
so
on.
I
said
I
can
just
see
great
things
happening
close
to
town.
Well,
they
all
said:
okay.
Well,
it
turned
out.
We
all
enjoyed
it
being
on
the
first
board
and
establishing
it
and
we
we
brought
a
little
schoolhouse
in.
We
looked
all
over
the
state
to
find
one
that
they'd.
A
We
said
we
saved
a
lot
of
schoolhouses,
because
when
we'd
walk
in
and
say
we
could,
we
buy
your
schoolhouse
and
move
it
to
some
property
in
oklahoma
city.
Well,
they
hadn't
cared
a
thing
in
the
world
about
the
old
thing.
Until
we
wanted
it
well,
then
they
said:
oh
no,
so
they
fixed
it.
I
think
we
probably
saved
four
or
five
school
houses
just
because
we
they
thought
we
might
take
it
away
from
anyway.
A
A
A
Well,
those
of
us
who
lived
in
the
neighborhood.
We
lived
just
two
blocks
away.
We
just
stood
there.
We
were
stunned,
absolutely
stunned.
Well
that
forced
us
into
action-
and
I
think,
was
two
nights
later
there
was
a
meeting
of
some
leaders
in
in
the
neighborhood
and
every
we
met
and
we
said:
we've
got
to
start.
What
do
we
do?
We've
got
to
stop
this
in
its
tracks.
A
Well,
we
drew
a
line
in
the
sand
and
the
line
was
at
14th
street
and
fortunately,
george
shirk
was
mayor
and
he
led
us
through
all
of
the
complications
of
starting
a
historic
preservation
neighborhood
with
all
kinds
of
rules.
Therefore,
you
couldn't
turn
the
big
houses
into
boarding
houses
and
you
couldn't
do
the
oh.
A
A
It
was
a
long
time
coming
and
a
long
time
investigating
the
the
things
that
we
could
do
and
make
a
park
in
the
center
of
town
or
an
open
space
for
people
to
enjoy
and
people
a
lot
of
them
thought.
It
was
just
awful
that
we
were
going
to
just
dig
a
lake
and
they
said
well,
it's
just
going
to
be
a
place
for
the
bums
to
swim
and
so
on.
A
So
many
people
did
not
believe
in
the
fact
that
we
thought
we
would
put
in
a
botanical
gardens
in
the
middle
of
town
in
a
park-like
setting
and
build
it
over
a
lake,
because
we
have
this
very
high
water
table
at
downtown
which
a
lot
of
people
know,
and
I
I
cannot
tell
you
the
people
who
didn't
believe
it.
I
still
have
people
come
up
to
me
and
said
I
I
didn't
believe
in
it.
I
I
just
thought
it
was
terrible
and
tearing
down
all-
and
I
said
well,
it's
now.
A
You
know
and
you're
forgiven,
but
we
we
did
raise
the
money
and
then
we
came
onto
hard
times
in
oklahoma
city,
but
that
was
so.
We
a
lot
of
that
money
didn't
come
through,
but
nevertheless
we
we
managed
to
build
that
the
wonderful
crystal
bridge
as
we
call
it,
some
call
it
the
tube,
and
now
I
mean
the
growth
of
that
is.
You
could
write
tomes
and
thanks
to
larry
nichols
who
gave
us
all
of
the
tiff
money
which
would
have
gone
to
his
project.
A
He
he
gave
it
all
to
the
mary
gardens,
and
so
we
had
about
30
million
dollars
to
spend
on
enlarging
it
and
getting
in
bigger
staff
and
now
anyone
who
hasn't
been
down
there.
Lately,
you
better
go
fast
because
now
there's
the
marvelous
restaurant,
we
have
the
ice
skating,
rink
activities
that
are
fabulous.
The
children's
area
is
just
swarming
with
children
it's
and
we
even
have
a
dog
park
and
and
the
great
lawn
where
people
who
live
downtown
can
come
and
and
check
out
equipment
for
badminton
and
bulls
and
and
all
the
games.
A
We
are
oklahoma,
city's
play
yard
and
the
downtown
people
are
just
using
it
more
and
more.
You
can
go
by
and
see
pick
up,
basketball
games
or,
oh,
it's
such
a
joy,
but
it
it
it
had
and
it's
dean
mcgee
that
as
most
people
do
know,
who
was
one
of
the
great
backers
of
establishing
the
gardens
downtown.
A
A
It's
directly
across
the
street,
from
the
hightower
building
and
frank
hightower
lived
long
enough
to
see
the
downtown
art
museum
being
developed,
a
matter
of
fact,
the
architect
alan
brown
was
in
the
hightower
building.
So
I
think
that's
one
of
the
best
things
that
ever
happened
is
to
get
the
art
museum
there
and
then,
of
course,
it's
just
almost
redundant
and
everybody
knows
what
kicked
off
the
whole
downtown
revival
was
maps
one.
A
A
Everything
about
it
was
just
heaven
sent,
and
then
along
comes
a
really.
I
mean
the
mayors
that
we've
been
blessed
with
and
have
believed
in
in
the
in
maps
and
the
growth
of
the
city.
We've
just
been
so
fortunate,
but
these
things
don't
just
happen.
I
mean
smart
people
began
to
become
involved
in
downtown
and
people
who
really
cared
about
the
future.
I
always
have
to
laugh
at
these
people
say:
oh,
I
miss.
I
miss
the
old
main
street.
Well
now
come
on
they.
They
were
not
pretty
buildings
on
main
street.
A
They
were
pretty
fronts.
Maybe
I
think
of
kerrs,
which
was
one
of
the
lovely
stores
downtown,
but
it
had
a
nice
front,
but
the
backs
of
the
buildings
were.
They
were
just
big
old
brick
boxes
and
then,
of
course,
the
street
car
came
down.
That
was
fun,
but
if
you
live
long
enough,
the
circle
will
go
around
and
looks
like
we're
going
to
have
street
cars
again.
But
when
I
was
a
little
girl,
I
rode
the
streetcar
so
much
fun.
A
So
that's
that's
the
nice
thing
about
living
a
long
time
and
and
watching
the
growth,
but
I
I
never.
I've
never
had
much
patience
with
people
who
are
always
trying
to
look
back
and
think
it
was
better
than
than
now.
Instead
of
my
goodness
we're
going
to
have
a
miniature
golf
course,
breakdown
come
on,
isn't
isn't
that
fun?
A
A
A
I
usually
would
say:
well,
if
you
think
I
can
help
and-
and
it
would
turn
out
to
be
another
adventure
down
another
street,
and
then
I
always
tried
to
take
advantage
of
what
came
my
way
and
the
children
they've
picked
up
these
things
that
I
say,
and
they
call
them
bb-isms,
and
one
of
them
has
always
been
always
take
the
cookies
when
they're
passed
that
that
adventure
might
not
come
around
again
or
that
experience
might
well
anyway,
so
they've
always
laughed
about,
they
said.
Well,
you
better
do
it.
You
know
what
baby
says.