Story by Darl DeVault, Contributing Editor

Grateful for being able to write for Senior News and Living for almost three years, I am now sharing how my writing began.
I met John Ferguson, 91 at the time, at the June 2019 OKC 50+ Better Living Expo at the Oklahoma State Fair Park, where he was dressed as his “Count Gregore” character from decades of WKY-TV fame.
I first saw him standing in his character’s makeup and black cape, talking to a lady well away from any of the booths.
Playing Count Gregore, he was a favorite local on-air television personality for me while growing up. He is most famous for hosting live the 11:30 p.m. Saturday Nightmare Theater, Sleepwalkers Matinee, Creature Features and Horror Theater. He entertained his sizable TV audience as the host of eight movie series from 1958 to 2002 while on KFOR-TV, KOCO-TV, KOKH-TV, KAUT-TV and KOCB-TV.
I introduced myself, telling Ferguson how much everyone appreciated his talented entertainment in this market. He thanked me for remembering him. We talked about other things he had done in the OKC market.
He told me he made a living in other creative agendas. He wrote, produced and appeared in countless radio and television commercials in sales, sales management. He mentioned other places he lived while employed in different facets of the entertainment industry. He spoke fondly about making commercials from behind the camera.
Our conversation turned to how difficult it was to make a living in a small market like Oklahoma City. I told him I was J-school trained at the University of Oklahoma, writing for The Oklahoma Daily, the student newspaper. We agreed OKC is a small market for creative endeavors.
His characters made him a household name for his many fans playing with local legend Danny Williams during those years. He talked about how he enjoyed starring as “Bazark, The Robot” and “Evil Duke of Mukedeen” opposite his hero character Dan D. Dynamo (Williams), on WKY-TV.
He was amazed I could retire as a writer at 55 in 2010. My explanation was the Oklahoma taxpayers spent a lot of money on us at OU. They funded the school’s printing press and an excellent Journalism Department as a significant investment in my learning to write well. Our conversation soon broke up, as I did not want to take up all his time.
Later, while leaving the Expo, I walked down the last row of booths. There was Ferguson again. He was still in makeup, sitting without his black cape behind a booth all by himself, watching people go by. I thanked him again for his time speaking with me and wished him well.
While speaking to him, a guy came rushing up to the booth. He hurriedly told Ferguson he needed him to get his cape on because he wanted to introduce him to people in another booth.
Ferguson started to look for his cape while pointing at me and saying to the guy seeking his help, “he’s a writer.” He found his cape and stood up to put it on. Again, to the person hurrying him to get ready, he said while pointing at me, “he’s a writer.”
The two of them were about to walk away from the booth. Ferguson pointed at me for the third time and said to the guy, “he’s a writer.” By this time, curious about why he kept saying that, I asked Ferguson, “Why do you keep saying that?”
Ferguson then introduced the guy saying, “this is Steven Eldridge, the publisher of Senior News and Living, who is looking for a writer.” At first focused on Ferguson, I finally looked down to notice what booth he had been sitting behind. It was the Senior News and Living booth, a major Expo sponsor.
Ferguson’s effort to point me out as a potential employee caused Eldridge to ask me where I learned to write. I said, “I was J-school trained at OU in the mid-70s.” Eldridge then asked me what I was writing now, and I replied I was retired.
Eldridge told me I could be a good match for his reader’s demographics at Senior News and Living with my writing background and being retired. He asked if I would write a story for him to evaluate for the publication. He said if he liked my work, he would offer me a job writing feature stories. Eldridge told me my articles could start on the front page. He said he would also pay me for photographs.
He asked me if I had any ideas for an upcoming article he could evaluate. I said I did not have any story ideas in mind. He gave me his business card and the last two Senior News and Living issues.
I saw Bobby Anderson wrote for Eldridge when I looked through the magazines. Anderson was also OU J-school trained, having written for the Norman Bureau of The Daily Oklahoman. In looking over the June issue, Anderson, an excellent journalist, had written a front-page feature article about Ferguson, which explained why he was at the event.
I remembered I had taken photographs of Osage master artist Clancy Gray at the Red Earth Arts Festival earlier that month. Gray was The Honored One for that year at the event in downtown OKC.
Knowing how to contact Gray through the Red Earth organizers, I started to craft an excellent front-page feature story about him with good photos. I had taken a compelling photo of the Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, an Osage, and his family with Gray because they bought a painting from him at the event.
A few days later, I finished the article after interviewing Gray. I emailed the article to Eldridge along with the photographs. True to his word, he ran it on the front page. I have now written every month since.
I am grateful to Ferguson for providing me with a meaningful life experience by prompting my interaction with Eldridge. That gratitude also extends to Eldridge for allowing me to write for him during these last two years of COVID-19. The timing could not have been any better for my mental health during the isolation of being careful about the pandemic.
For Count Gregore fans like me, there is a 2008 YouTube video worth watching wherein the Count introduces his top 10 horror movies worth watching at Count Gregore’s top ten (2008-10-23) – YouTube.
Ferguson explains how Danny Williams motivated him to create so many characters in a 24-minute Vimeo video narrative in 2011 of his WKY-TV career at https://vimeo.com/458860008.

Since 1951 the cannon used by William “Buffalo Bill” Cody and Gordon W. “Pawnee Bill” Lillie in their Wild West Show has been on display at the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) headquarters in Oklahoma City. It was first displayed outside the original OHS building at 2100 N. Lincoln Blvd., and then at the new Oklahoma History Center at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive. After more than 70 years in Oklahoma City, the cannon will return to the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum in Pawnee.
According to Ronny Brown, the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum director, the Model 1861, 3-inch ordnance rifle was cast in 1863 at the Phoenix Iron Company in Phoenixville, Penn. The gun reportedly saw service in several Civil War battles, including Missionary Ridge, before Pawnee Bill acquired it for use in the Wild West Show. After the Wild West Show, the gun found a home on the front lawn of Pawnee Bill and May Lillie’s mansion. Shortly before Pawnee Bill died in 1942, he gifted the gun to his longtime friend and publicist Frank Stuart. The carriage was in bad shape and continued to deteriorate as the gun sat in Stuart’s backyard in Oklahoma City for many years. Stuart died in 1950, and under his will the cannon was gifted to the OHS in 1951. The OHS had a new carriage built for the cannon, and has displayed it in Oklahoma City ever since. Now the gun is set to return home to the front lawn at the Pawnee mansion.
The OHS is providing $15,000 in matching funds toward the $30,000 needed to restore the carriage, build a suitable exhibit space, and move the cannon to Pawnee. “This has been a dream of the local community for many years, and we are so excited to be working on plans to make it happen,” said Mona Denney, president of the Pawnee Bill Ranch Association. “We are launching a fundraising drive to raise the $15,000 needed to complete the project. This will be a big attraction for the ranch, and we can’t wait to see it back home on the mansion lawn.”
“We are very pleased to be working with the community of Pawnee to bring the cannon back to the ranch,” said Trait Thompson, executive director of the OHS. “The project includes placing a flagpole near the cannon and lighting the front of the mansion and the cannon display. The cannon will be placed on a concrete pad with exhibit panels to tell the cannon’s story. Also included in the project is a new sidewalk to ensure the display is accessible to everyone,” continued Thompson.
“Come by for a visit and make a donation to the project to be a part of this opportunity,” said Denney. “If you can’t make it for a visit, give the ranch a call to make a donation at 918-762-2513.”
For more information about the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum or directions to the site, please visit www.okhistory.org/pawneebill or call the ranch at 918-762-2513. The Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum is located at 1141 Pawnee Bill Road in Pawnee.

Story and photos by Darl Devault, Feature Writer

Sports photographer Richard T. Clifton, 65, has become a generational legend for his prolific body of work in Oklahoma City since first chronicling future Olympic gold medalist Shannon Miller’s gymnastic performance at the 1989 Olympic Festival. His latest website, created in 2010, features 1.9 million photos from his efforts.
These photos emphasize high school sports and other events around the state, and the nearly two million photos is not a misprint. You can find the photo count and these images at his online site: https://rtcdigitalimages.zenfolio.com
If it has been of public interest in the Oklahoma City area from 1980 onward, chances are Clifton photographed it. In 1980 he started shooting for the Chickasha Daily Express newspaper covering high school sports and the University of Oklahoma. He was the only photographer covering women’s basketball, volleyball, and men’s and women’s gymnastics for OU for many years.
In thousands of pictures, he captured the moment of almost anything that was an annual event in Oklahoma City, including a surprising array of one-time events in the evenings and weekends. He compiled his prodigious record all the while teaching physical education for 29 years at Lincoln Elementary School in Chickasha. He retired from teaching in 2008.
To become a legend like Clifton, photographers must start at a higher level than most and persistently expand their market and expertise. He has excelled as a photographer with varying images: sports events, retirements, dating, portraiture, commercial applications, media use, weddings, graduations, family events, fashion, parties, engagements, religious ceremonies, teams, and office settings.
A devout Christian, he now takes photos of the children of some of his photography subjects of three decades ago. Looking back through decades of experience, he fondly remembers his early years gaining acceptance as a photographer.
“As a volunteer photographer for the 1989 Olympic Festival here in Oklahoma City, we were assigned certain events to cover and told not to deviate from that schedule,” Clifton said in a recent interview. “After turning in my first rolls of film, the organizers could determine the quality of my work. Suddenly they gave me many rolls of film, upgraded my credential to all-access, and told me I could photograph any event I wanted to shoot.”
Encouraged by his early successes, he took on photographic challenges at a higher level. He was soon the chief photographer for the two Olympic coaches, Steve Nunno and Peggy Liddick, who trained Shannon Miller at Dynamo Gymnastics.
Because area news outlets have published his work as a photojournalist over the years, his images have been interwoven into the fabric of the state. He has shot the professional sports of baseball, bowling, basketball, football, tennis and golf in Oklahoma. He has donated a sizable part of his time to help local nonprofits document special events at several points in his career, often creating their most prized images.
His striving to get the best photograph has had immediate and long-lasting benefits for several nonprofits over the decades. These groups include the Oklahoma Sports Museum, Sooner State Games (now State Games of Oklahoma), and the now-defunct Oklahoma City All Sports Association from 2003 to 2018.
He has worked for national sports governing bodies such as the Big 12 conference while covering Division I softball, baseball and basketball, including the Women’s College World Series and NAIA Women’s National Golf Tournament. He has shot for the Oklahoma Soccer Coaches Association and served as the OSSAA podium photographer for state wrestling tournaments.
Clifton is one of the most easily recognized photographers in the metro area, where he and his sports action shots are well known. He has achieved an unparalleled level of consistency, adept at taking action shots during high school and college games over three decades.
Clifton’s photos in high-pressure situations during the Women’s College World Series have been featured in their programs and website and in the only definitive book written about the event. “Clifton’s photos are highlights in my narrative of this great event,” said Larry Floyd, co-author of “A Series of Their Own.” “His capturing some of the great moments in women’s collegiate softball has been duplicated for other sports over decades. Only his love for and dedication to his craft could produce such a body of quality work.”
His photos can be found on the pages of many other books. He says he is proudest of his image of former world No. 1 tennis star Monica Seles for her book.
Clifton has developed a following of other photographers who look to his expertise in finding where the most compelling action shots can be taken at sports venues. Local photographers also learn of the essential tools of their trade by observing Clifton’s expensive cameras and special lenses.
His early black and white prints, color slides, and negatives since 1989 showcase late 20th century Oklahoma City life. His eight years shooting Dynamo Gymnastics’ 1992 and 1996 Olympians and Olympic coaches Steve Nunno and Peggy Liddick provide an invaluable record of that historical period. He documented the Warren Spahn Award for decades while donating his time to the Oklahoma Sports Museum in Guthrie.
Outside the sports world, Clifton created iconic photos of many local, national and international celebrities, such as Dr. Nazih Zuhdi’s retirement in 1989. His pictures tell an easily understood story in various settings, making him one of the best portrait photographers available.
Clifton has shot weddings in almost every area venue. He ensures the wedding party, decor, dress, flowers, and cake are treated in skillful shooting, with professional studio lighting and thoughtful composition.
Learning his trade with film in the 1980s, Clifton’s photography equipment evolved into digital as he learned image-enhancing software such as Adobe’s Photoshop to enhance his work. This may explain why his website is approaching two million photos while he works independently as one of the market’s most respected freelancers.
Clifton has built his reputation with a blend of artistry, computer enhancement skills, and business professionalism. “My interest in photography was sparked during the photography portion of journalism class my senior year at Lawton Eisenhower high school in 1974,” Clifton said. “Just two years ago, I reconnected with my high school journalism teacher, Betty Tumlinson, and was able to tell her of the impact she had on my life.”

Connect with wildlife and friends during these one-of-a-kind events occurring every third Thursday, April through September. Sip and Stroll tickets on sale now.

Plan your Thursday nights around spectacular sunsets, cool cocktails and wondrous wildlife with the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden’s third annual, adult-only evening event series, Sip and Stroll. Presented by COOP Ale Works, Sip and Stroll occurs every third Thursday beginning April 21 and continuing through September 15, from 6-10 p.m. Revelers 21 and older are invited to explore the majority of the Zoo to discover amazing animals and exclusive experiences while savoring delicious drinks inspired by exotic wildlife and wild places throughout the night.
Sip and Stoll features six watering holes with three brand-new locations that highlight the OKC Zoo’s conservation projects both locally and globally. Guests will discover custom cocktails such as The Long Neck and Spotted In Namibia at these wildly themed drink locations that focus on destinations including Madagascar, Tanzania and Namibia. While visiting each watering hole, guests will have an opportunity to learn more about what the Zoo is doing to protect and preserve the natural world through global conservation partnerships with the Wildlife Trafficking Alliance, Cheetah Conservation Fund and others.
“Sip and Stroll continues to grow in popularity and is becoming an event favorite among our adult patrons,” said Jenna Dodson, OKC Zoo’s events manager.
There are more things to see and do while sipping and strolling through the Zoo! Sip and Stroll admission provides attendees with access to a variety of exclusive Zoo attractions including a sea lion presentation, Stingray Bay, the Endangered Species Carousel, an elephant presentation, karaoke, lawn games and more. With each Sip and Stroll event, guests can also get up-close to the Zoo’s gentle giants and partake in the giraffe feeding experience for an additional $5/person. Capacity is limited for these attractions so guests are encouraged to plan accordingly.
The Zoo also has specially scheduled entertainment for select Sip and Stroll evenings with dueling pianos on April 21 and August 18; a drag show for PRIDE Night on June 16; a DJ on May 19 and July 21, and a special live entertainment set on September 15.
2022 Sip and Stroll dates: Thursday, April 21, Thursday, May 19, Thursday, June 16 (PRIDE night with special drag show), Thursday, July 21, Thursday, August 18 and Thursday, September 15.
Event admission to Sip and Stroll is $32/person for non-members or $27/person for ZOOfriends members and online reservations are required. Tickets are available now at www.okczoo.org/sipandstroll. Sip and Stroll Drink Passports will be available for purchase for an additional $27 per person, allowing pass holders to enjoy a 5 oz. sample of all 6 specialty drinks. Drinks will also be available a la carte. Additional beverages and food will be available for purchase during Sip and Stroll from Zoo restaurants and local food trucks. Sip and Stroll tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable. This event will occur rain or shine. To purchase tickets or learn more visit www.okczoo.org/sipandstroll.

by Dot Liles, Contributor

John Ferguson turned 94 in February and is still counting. Yes, Oklahoma has counted on him many times. He has lent his talent, not only professionally, but to a host of charitable and fundraising events. This year the Oklahoma Senior Follies are counting on him to be our “King” and “Count.” He will be helping us raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association.
John will be surrounded by a bevy of beauties with elaborate show costumes and hats. Also, joining him on stage will be Jackie Short as “Elvira.” He has just one thing to laughingly say about this to all Oklahoma’s senior men, “Eat your heart out!” You will see him on stage as “John Ferguson,” the King, and as his most-remembered character, “Count Gregore.”
Also featured at this year’s show will be Vince Gill via video performance and Emmy and Grammy-nominated David Hooten on trumpet. There will be many new performers as well as a host of your favorites from past years! The OKLAHOMA SENIOR FOLLIES will be at Hudson Performance Hall, 2820 N. May, Oklahoma City, this year. The show dates are May 20 at 7:30 p.m., and May 21 and May 22 at 3:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by visiting the website at www.oklahomaseniorfollies.com or www.TicketStorm.com or by calling Ticket Storm at 866-966-1777. This year we have added a seating chart with $25 seats, $30 seats, and $40 seats. You can also purchase blocks of ten and get a $5.00 discount.
We promise you-it will not be a draining experience! This year will be an overflowing, fun, and exciting show to remember. Count Gregore and the cast of the Senior Follies cannot wait to see you there!

Photography and Text by Terry “Travels with Terry” Zinn t4z@aol.com

There’s an old joke where a preacher is asking his congregation to raise their hands if they want to go to heaven. Many do raise their hands, but one man does not. The preacher asks the man why he didn’t raise his hand. “Don’t you want to go to heaven?” asked the preacher. And the man replied, “I thought you were asking, who wanted to go right now!”
Many of us are not ready to go to heaven right away, but I’d go to Paradise, No April Fools, that is, Florida’s Paradise Coast anytime. It is the area inclusive of the West Coast Florida Cities of Mediterranean style Naples, and the tropical Marco Island
Naples offers upscale and funky shopping at their Fifth Avenue South: Florida’s own version of Rodeo Drive. Shopping in the historic Third Street South area, one might find the perfect piece of art in one of kind shops. I was surprised at the Tommy Bahama store where a restaurant and bar separated the men’s from the women’s clothing sections. That’s the way to shop! T.B. is famous for their drink of the day, often in martini format, with names like, Frost Bite, Kiwi-Tini, Cayman Cooler and Watermelon Splash. I was tempted to sample one, but dining at the award winning Sea Salt was waiting.
Sea Salt is an upscale restaurant known for fine beverages and a sophisticated culinary experience. After tasting a selection from the extensive menu it’s easy to see why Sea Salt received Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for 2009 and 2010, and named one of the Top 20 Best New Restaurants of 2009 by Esquire.
I could have spent the evening at Sea Salt, but then I would have missed a charming musical production by the Naples Players of “I Do, I Do” at the Sugden Community Theatre in the Fifth Avenue South district. (That show is long gone but check out their upcoming shows.) Another diversion is a pleasurable stroll through the Naples Zoo, with their Black Bear Hammock, Tiger, Lion and Giraffe exhibits, along with their Alligator Bay.
For a real break from reality an airboat ride on Lake Trafford gets you up close and vegetation slapping personal, with the folks at Airboats and Alligators. The extended drive north east to Lake Trafford is worth the effort for the natural vegetation and creature viewing on this west coast head water of the Florida Everglades, known as Corkscrew Swamp.
For your headquarters in paradise, The Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club offers a family owned yet expansive hotel complex right on the beach; a Naples novelty. Owned and operated by the Watkins family since 1946, the comfy rooms have an historic old Florida feel about them. With plantation shuttered windows overlooking several pools and ocean views, you feel relaxed and right at home. And as the name describes a fine golf course is adjacent. Also unique to Naples, is the hotels HB’s, which is the only beach front dining restaurant in the City of Naples, and has been awarded a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence 2005-2010.
Once ensconced at a resort I usually like to leave the car parked and do nothing on a schedule, and know that my needs are met at the hotel; whether it is finding snacks and forgotten sundries from the gift shop, dining options, or the comfort of viewing a lazy sunset, or a favorite movie on the flat screen.
A Florida Paradise Coast getaway is a little bit of heaven, with shopping, attractions, fine dining, resort accommodations and relaxing seaside, letting any stress evaporate into the gentle ocean breeze. I can see why AARP named Naples-Marco Island the 10th best place in the country to retire and live.
______________________________________________
For more information before you go check out: www.paradisecoast.com
Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club: http://www.naplesbeachhotel.com/
Sea Salt Restaurant, Naples: http://www.seasaltnaples.com/
Naples Zoo and Caribbean Gardens: www.napleszoo.org
Airboats & Alligators: www.laketrafford.com/tours.html 1-239-657-2214
Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort and Spa: www.hiltonmarcoisland.com or 1-800-445-8667

Mr. Terry Zinn – Travel Editor
Past President: International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association
3110 N.W. 15 Street – Oklahoma City, OK 73107
https://realtraveladventures.com/?s=terry+zinn
https://realtraveladventures.com/?s=zinn
http://new.okveterannews.com/?s=TERRY+ZINN
www.martinitravels.com

For 45 years, Danny Cavett has been a compassionate and supportive presence for hospital patients and their families, helping them navigate difficult circumstances and create meaning from situations that seemed to have none. This month, Cavett officially retires as Director of Pastoral Care for OU Health, where his work as a chaplain has touched an untold number of people.
“I’m going to miss being there every day, but I will stay connected,” Cavett said. “It’s been my life and has helped me feel fulfilled. I love having relationships with families.”
Cavett is retiring from a program that he has significantly strengthened. The pastoral care department now has a staff of eight chaplains and two administrative assistants, along with several other chaplains who fill in as needed. They cover OU Health University of Oklahoma Medical Center, Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health, and OU Health Edmond Medical Center. Cavett also directed OU Health’s nationally certified Clinical Pastoral Education Program, which has four full-time chaplain residents in training.
Their work is often demanding. Last year, there were 6,500 trauma cases at OU Health’s Level 1 Trauma Center; someone from Cavett’s team was present for each one, keeping families updated and comforted. They also respond to all heart attacks and strokes that occur within the hospital, as well as every death. They help families find funeral homes, facilitate autopsies with pathologists, obtain signatures for death certificates, and more. In addition, they aim to visit every new patient within 24 hours of admission.
“We do that to the tune of about 95%. I’m proud of that,” Cavett said. “We know that if a person receives a visit from pastoral care, even if it’s to say, ‘We’re here if you need us,’ then studies show that patient satisfaction goes up quite a bit.”
Although patients may receive visits from their own clergy, the work of a chaplain is a bit different, Cavett said. Chaplains talk about the patient’s medical problems, ask what kind of help they may need, and work with the patient to move toward goals or find meaning in what they’re experiencing. They do so by honoring the patient’s own ideas about spirituality. “Our calling is to work with the patient’s own background instead of me placing my spirituality on them,” Cavett said. “We want to take their story and help them grow with it.”
Cavett and his fellow chaplains have faced additional challenges during the time of COVID-19. When the surge of cases has been at its highest, no family members could come into the hospital; instead, Cavett and his team would go find the patient’s family in their car to deliver news. If a patient was near death, one or two family members could go to the bedside.
“Danny’s dedication to our health system and the patients we serve has been invaluable,” said Jon Hayes, President of Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health. “He has been a kind and comforting presence for our patients as well as our healthcare providers and staff. As we have faced tremendous challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, Danny’s wisdom and compassion have never been more important. It is hard to imagine OU Health without Danny, but he has made us all better at what we do because of the example he has set.”
Since he began his career, Cavett has experienced substantial change in the medical profession and the evolution of hospital facilities. He began working as a chaplain in 1977 at Oklahoma Children’s Memorial Hospital, which was then located in Bielstein Center near the intersection of 13th Street and Stonewall Avenue. Soon, the hospital expanded with the construction of Garrison Tower, which now connects to the original Bielstein building.
When he started, the hospital had room for about 50 children who were in wards instead of private rooms. Cavett saw each patient or family three times a day, and quickly became known at the hospital. Unfortunately, he also conducted many funerals for children who could not be cured by medical treatments available at the time. As medicine advanced, life expectancy lengthened, and Cavett noticed a related phenomenon among young patients.
“It was wonderful that children began living longer, but we were still treating kids like they were going to die,” he said. “Everything was centered around them, and that gave some kids a victim mentality. I decided that we needed to start a camp to teach kids how to cope with their illnesses — to be a thriver and embrace their story.”
That was the genesis of Cavett Kids, a calling that has run in parallel to Cavett’s career as a chaplain. The first camp he organized was for children with kidney disease; it’s still going strong 44 years later. In 1997, Cavett Kids Foundation became a nonprofit organization, and today it offers seven camps and numerous other programs free of charge for children with chronic and life-threatening illness.
“I remember that first year, we connected all the kids because they didn’t know each other,” he said. “I still do all the teaching at the camps about not being a victim. Our motto is that the illness does not define the child. They get to have fun with other kids who have the same medical condition, and they learn what it means to be a thriver.”
Cavett’s career also has been shaped by communal tragedies. In 1995, when a bomb exploded at the Alfred P. Murrah Building in downtown Oklahoma City, he had just walked into Children’s Hospital. He never went to the bombing site because the need was so great at the hospital.
“We set up a place for the parents who were waiting to hear about their kids (who were in a daycare in the building), and we went into the ER and tried to match kids with their parents,” Cavett said. “By noon that day, it was pretty clear that there would not be many more children who survived. The parents kept coming back to me asking if there was any news. And there wasn’t. That still really haunts me. It’s a memory I have to deal with.”
In the aftermath of the bombing, Cavett helped start a support group for families who lost children. He also helped colleagues in psychiatry conduct research on the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder among survivors. Because of his experience with that tragedy, he was called upon to help after planes hit the World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001. He was assigned to the New York City Fire Department’s medical clinic, where he talked with each firefighter who came in, listened to their experiences, and recommended mental health services if needed. He also traveled to individual fire departments to further visit with firefighters who were working at the site.
Throughout his career, Cavett has given his expertise to two other important entities in the healthcare profession: the Medical Ethics Committee at OU Health and the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the OU Health Sciences Center. Medical Ethics Committee members are on call to provide consultations anytime a healthcare provider, patient or family member has a concern about a treatment regimen. They thoroughly look at each case and make recommendations to physicians overseeing care. As an IRB member, Cavett is part of the group that reviews and monitors research involving human participants. He plans to continue serving on the oncology IRB in his retirement.
Although he is ready to step back from many of his duties, Cavett said he will stay connected to OU Health through committee work and filling in as a chaplain when needed. His decades of experience will no doubt continue influencing others as well.
“I try to teach people about how to handle the stories we see and hear because compassion fatigue, burnout and moral distress are very real,” he said. “Some stories are very dear, so I keep them in my emotional bag around my shoulders. But if I keep every story in that bag, it becomes too heavy to carry. Some stories I have learned to put on a shelf where I can retrieve them if I need to.
“During my career, I’ve seen a progression of myself becoming less stoic and more willing to show my feelings. I still remember a young girl at one of my early camps who loved to play golf. She got to play golf during the camp, and the next week she died. That’s very dear to my heart. The tears come a lot quicker now. I used to hide them, but now I don’t.”

On March 22, 2022, at 10 a.m. the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) opened the Oklahoma State Capitol Museum, a state-of-the-art gallery space in the Oklahoma State Capitol. Created as part of the Oklahoma Capitol Restoration Project and located on the ground floor near the new primary public entrance on the south side of the Capitol, the Oklahoma State Capitol Museum contains 4,400 square feet of exhibit space and 13 exhibit cases, featuring more than 125 artifacts relating to the history of the Oklahoma State Capitol and the work of Oklahoma’s state government.
“The Oklahoma State Capitol Museum is a necessary addition to our Capitol Building,” said Lt. Gov. Pinnell. “No state can match our heritage and history, and these exhibits will provide Oklahomans and out-of-state visitors with a hands-on way to experience that history. I appreciate the hard work Trait Thompson and the rest of the Oklahoma Historical Society have put in to make this dream a reality.”
“The new Oklahoma State Capitol Museum provides a key educational component to our beautiful Capitol for visitors from around the world,” said Thompson. “The Oklahoma Historical Society has worked very hard to install exhibits that showcase the unique story of our Capitol and help people of all ages understand the important work that takes place within its walls. This museum is an integral part in making the Capitol a must-see destination when people come to Oklahoma City.”
Admission to the Oklahoma State Capitol Museum is free to all visitors. The museum will be open from Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In the process of aging, many older adults bear the heavy burden of dementia and vascular cognitive impairment, conditions that can rob them of quality of life and put them at risk for falls and injuries. To explore a promising premise in aging research — that changes to the brain’s tiniest blood vessels may play an outsized role in cognitive decline — an OU College of Medicine researcher recently received a $1.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Shannon Conley, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the college’s Department of Cell Biology and a research member of the Oklahoma Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, earned the five-year grant, which will allow her to further explore how damaged micro-vessels in the brain may contribute to cognitive decline.
“It has become increasingly evident over the past 10 to 15 years that the smallest blood vessels are important in terms of contributing to disease pathology,” Conley said. “In the brain, this is especially important with aging. Because the brain can’t store any extra oxygen, the loss or damage of even a few tiny blood vessels means there’s not enough oxygen being supplied. In this project, we want to understand what is causing the damage or loss of blood vessels in the brain of an older adult.”
Specifically, Conley is focusing on the relationship between IGF-1, a common growth hormone that promotes blood vessel health, and smooth muscle cells, which surround the outside of blood vessels and help regulate blood flow by contracting and dilating. Researchers know that a person’s IGF-1 levels decline with age and that a deficit of the hormone can lead to defects in blood vessels. However, much less is known about the role of smooth muscle cells in that process.
“The research community has not really looked at the role of IGF-1 deficiency on the smooth muscle cells, specifically in the brain and in the context of aging and age-related cognitive impairment,” Conley said.
For this project, Conley has created an animal model that does not have a receptor for IGF-1 in the smooth muscle cells, resulting in a research model that mimics accelerated aging. Her first aim is to chronicle what happens when the smooth muscle cells can’t respond to IGF-1. Potential effects include damage or loss of blood vessels and impairment of the blood-brain barrier. She will also monitor to see whether the smooth muscle cells become impaired in their ability to contract as they normally do.
“One of the things that is important about smooth muscle cells in the brain is that they contract to protect the small blood vessels from the effects of systemic hypertension,” she said. “If you have systemic high blood pressure, you don’t want the tiny blood vessels in the brain to experience that. They’re very fragile and could have small bleeds or hemorrhages. So we’ll be watching to see if the smooth muscle cells lose their ability to protect the small blood vessels.”
Conley’s study will also seek to determine what is happening on a molecular level when smooth muscle cells cannot respond to IGF-1. “For example, do we see changes in the genes that are associated with cell contraction? Do we see early death of smooth muscle cells?” she said.
Ultimately, one of her goals it to identify targets that might be suitable for a therapeutic intervention. Treating an IGF-1 deficiency isn’t as simple of giving someone a supplement of IGF-1; because it is a growth factor, it could promote abnormal growth in other tissues and cells. However, some of the changes that occur because of IGF-1 deficiency could be a target for future treatments, she said.
Conley’s research is a component of the growing discipline of geroscience research, the study of the biology of aging. Aging itself is one of the biggest risk factors for disease, and many of the cellular mechanisms of aging are common across a wide range of pathologies.
“The things that go wrong in the blood vessel cells in the brain that can lead to dementia are some of the same things that can go wrong in the retina and lead to age-related macular degeneration. And some of those same cellular mechanisms can contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease pathologies or Parkinson’s disease pathologies. Among geroscience researchers, there is a lot of interest in what we call the basic cellular mechanisms of aging. We’re not looking specifically at the disease, but how the cells change as we age, and how that increases our risk for a variety of pathologies.”
As people live longer, research like Conley’s is especially important. Medical advancements may be able to keep people alive longer, but many will be diagnosed with conditions that significantly decrease their quality of life.
“As we have longer life spans, it’s really important to identify ways to simultaneously promote increased health spans,” she said. “It’s very challenging when you have loved ones who have severe illness or cognitive impairment, yet they are not dying; they are physically able to keep living. We want to help people stay healthier longer.”
Research reported in this news release is supported by the National Institute on Aging, a component of the National Institutes of Health, under the award number 1R01AG070915-01A1. Federal funds were secured with the help of seed grants from the Presbyterian Health Foundation, the OU College of Medicine Alumni Association, and the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology.