Hidden History in Plain Sight with W. Jacob Cornwell
April 3, 2025 at 7 p.m.
101 Archer, North Gallery
W. Jacob Cornwell, the creator of the Oklahoma Baseball Archive and curator of “Black Gold in Oil Town,” will join us at 101 Archer on April 3rd to talk more about the 15 years of work that went into this exhibit.
“Black Gold in Oil Town” details the rich history of Negro league baseball in Oklahoma, specifically Tulsa. The exhibit follows paid-to-play Black baseball games in Oklahoma that preceded statehood and examines the 100-plus year history that follows, including the game’s tie to the Tulsa Race Massacre, the history behind teams like the T-Town Clowns and the Tulsa Black Oilers, biographies on popular players like Satchel Paige, and legacy that the league has left behind.
In this talk about the exhibit, Cornwell will discuss the history of Negro league baseball in Tulsa and the work he has done to preserve this story. This event is great for any history or sports fan!
Cornwell is a twentieth-century popular cultural historian who focuses on subcultures and countercultures. With an interest in documenting unique American stories, Cornwell has research interests in automotive culture through hot rods, customs, and lowriders; music; film; Route 66; and other fringe histories as well as that of African American and Native American baseball in Oklahoma.
If you would like to see the exhibit before the talk, OCH is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 12 to 5 p.m. The exhibit will be on view until April 26th. 
For more information about OCH exhibits and events, bookmark our homepage at humanities.utulsa.edu or follow us on social media.