BLAST FROM THE PAST: OCT. 1964 - BARTLESVILLE, COPAN, DEWEY, NOWATA
By Mike Tupa
Oct. 14, 2025
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
It was a memorable October 1964 in Bartlesville.
Elizabeth Taylor, James Bond and Oscar Hammerstein II all came to town — in movie offerings at local theaters — and a five-alarm fire in downtown Bartlesville devoured several businesses — causing more than $350,000 in damages. Devoured in the inferno were Gunter’s Pharmacy, Mathis and Gifford optometrists, Phillips 66 Credit Union, Perkins’ News Stand and Bob’s Grill.
Firemen bravely saved other buildings — including Cliff’s Sporting Goods and the Rex Billiard Parlor.
Meanwhile, the Bartlesville College High School football team was fighting its own flames.
On the same day as the downtown inferno, nearly 5,000 fans squeezed into Custer Stadium for the Homecoming showdown against Muskogee.
Bartlesville won in shutout fashion. Tom Friedman and Jon Axton both intercepted passes that set up Bartlesville’s two touchdowns while Axton’s deep punt led to a Bartlesville safety.
Spencer Kissell smacked the Muskogee defense for a 22-yard touchdown run to open the scoring. A little later, linebacker Steve Adams brought down the Muskogee quarterback for a safety.
Jim Jeter caught a pass from Axton for the second touchdown. Larry Hamon kicked the extra points.
Bartlesville outgained Muskogee, 185-to-97.
Three Bruin seniors suffered game injuries — David Dillingham, Tommy Moreland and Jeter. Moreland suffered a deep gash across his nose but would return later.
Ann Kane wore the Homecoming Queen’s crown.
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BUD BIDS BYE-BYE
Also in October 1964 Bud Browning stepped down as the Phillips 66ers basketball head coach. He had guided the team a total of 27 years split up into separate stints.
The Enid native had first come to Phillips as a 66ers’ player prior to becoming the head coach. In 1948, he had guided the 66ers to the U.S. Olympic Trials basketball championship and had been the coach of the gold-medal winning U.S. Olympic team in the 1948 games in London.
Phillips had captured an unprecedented five-straight A.A.U. national titles from 1943-48 — but when company-sponsored A.A.U. teams equaled the NBA in talent and quality of play.
Gary Thompson would replace Browning as 66ers’ head coach and lead the team through its final season (1967-68).
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KIDDIE GRIDDERS
Also in October 1964, Oak Park student Kenneth Burgess won the nine-year-old division in the locally-held Punt, Pass and Kick Contest. He scored 187 points.
Robert Vernon, McKinley School, captured the eight-year-old division title with 139.5 points.
In the 10-year-old division, Will Rogers School’s Stanley Day compiled 195.5 points to reign in the 10-year-old group.
Tommy Preston ripped the longest punt (64-feet-2-inches) among eight year olds, and Ricky Jackson amassed 82 points for the best punt and pass results in the 10-year-old division.
Davey Snyder recorded the best place-kick of the day for the 10-year-olds.
The Bartlesville-area boys competed to try to qualify for the state and regional competitions.
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DEWEY DOES IT
Dewey High School’s football team crushed Chilocco, 34-0, in a 1964 showdown. George Ramsey rammed in three touchdowns — two on the ground and one on a reception — while Steve Due delivered a seven-yard scoring run. Tony Ramsey dove one yard for the final touchdown.
Ralph Jones nailed 4-of-5 extra points for the game.
George Ramsey scored on runs of 45 and 13 yards and hauled in a pass from David Cole for a 40-yard score.
In another October game, Dewey nipped Cleveland, 8-6. Cole lasered the ball to Jones for a 19-yard touchdown strike. Steve Jones scored the two-point conversion.
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HORNET POWER
Despite missing starting quarterback Bruce Hinkle and a handful of other players (Richard Beams, Don Mackey and Dan Edwards) due to injury, Copan shuttered Shidler, 28-6.
Dean Price found Eddie Curtis for a 45-yard touchdown play. Curtis caught the short out and rumbled 35 yards to the end zone. Price scored three touchdowns, including a pick-six.
Copan improved to 4-0.
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NOWATA UNLEASHES FIRESTORM
On the first Friday in October 1964, the Ironmen scorched Vinita, 42-10, fueled by Phillip Nash’s three touchdowns. He rushed 29 yards for one and caught two scoring strikes from Larry Fishpaw.
Vinita leapt out to a 10-0 lead before Nowata caught fire.
Fishpaw’s interception and return set up one of the touchdowns. Roy Miller and Emery Hicks also helped spark the comeback.
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NOT EVERYTHING IS SPORTS
Some other news items from October 1964:
— Nearly 10 Washington County women had been nominated as the Oklahoma Homemaker of the Year, to be named at the Tulsa State Fair. The list included Mrs. Lou Davidson, Mrs. Bill Calvin, Mrs. Mildred Mulder, Mrs. Ruth Lucas, Mrs. Henry Beeler, Mrs. Leon Robinson, Mrs. Ray Dunlap, Mrs. John E. Burleigh and Mrs. Emmalu Manuel.
— An editorial in the Oct. 2 issue — of what was a presidential election year — in the Examiner-Enterprise ”explained” the differences between Republicans and Democrats: “The people you see with fishing poles slipping out of town on Sunday mornings during church are Democrats; the people you see coming out of little white churches are Republicans. They went fishing before church. Republicans are likely to owe a lot to a few people; Democrats owe less but to more people. Republicans worry about being able to pay their debts; Democrats worry about how to buy more on credit. Democrats play on the offensive team in football; Republicans are on the defense until they get the ball, then hand it to the Democrats. ....Republican boys shuck off their clothing and go swimming in the creek; Democrat boys shuck off their clothing and walk up and down the creek bank. ....Republicans worry about the national debt; Democrats don’t care about how big it is. They know the Republicans will have to pay most of it anyway. ....Many Republicans sleep in twin beds; Democrats never. That’s the reason there are more Democrats.”
— College High yearbook sales reached a record high of 1,783 — seniors (629), juniors (620) and sophomores (534).