History
Jasmine Moran Children's Museum
August, 1988 |
Melvin and Jasmine Moran visit the Flint Michigan Children’s Museum |
October, 1988 |
Melvin’s surprise lunch; 15 invited and attended; Marci Donaho named president of board |
Oct. 25, 1988 |
The five-member executive committee met in the offices of the Chamber of Commerce, temporarily established as headquarters for the museum. At that time, the JMCM was established as a non-profit, nonreligious, tax-exempt corporation. |
Nov. 3, 1988 |
A 36-member volunteer governing board of directors was elected to set administrative policy for the museum. Twenty-two prominent leaders around the state were appointed to the museum’s Advisory Board. |
Nov. 22, 1988 |
The museum received its Certificate of Incorporation signed by the Secretary of State of Oklahoma. |
Dec. 3, 1988 |
The foundation accepted a logo designed by local illustrator Teri Hooten and adopted a formal statement of purpose for the museum. |
Jan. 10, 1989 |
The board appointed Tommy Mills part-time executive director to oversee the daily business of the museum. |
February, 1989 |
A 20,000 square-foot facility located on a 10-acre site at 1714 State Highway 9 West (formerly the Power Transmission Building) was selected to house the museum. |
Feb. 16, 1989 |
Seventeen exhibit committees were organized to research potential exhibits, and when possible, begin construction. |
March 1989 |
The foundation hired Carol Morrisseau Holmes and Associates as fundraising consultants to locate and identify possible funding sources for the museum. |
April 14, 1989 |
The foundation received notification of tax-exemption from the Internal Revenue Service. |
November, 1989 |
The museum’s sign was erected at the site chosen for the museum. Cost was $6,235. |
March, 1992 |
Construction was begun |
December, 1992 |
The museum’s volunteer program initiated |
Jan. 23, 1993 |
Museum opens with core exhibits: courtroom, Bubble Room, Video Magic, Shadow Box Room, Infunity Mirror Room, Handi-Capable, aquarium, Homeland, Kid Town Fire Station, Creativity Central, hospital, Kermie, classroom, hand puppet theater, 1921 Model T, Tot Spot, Convair cockpit, Gentle Dental, model train, doll house, domino and magnet tables, kaleidoscope and piano keyboard on the floor. Guest speakers were Sandy Garrett and David Boren. Later exhibits include dinosaur exhibit, agriculture, oil and gas. |
1995 to 2007 |
Dr. Carmen Notaro hired as grants writer |
1995 |
First egg hunt |
Jan 1996 |
Tommy Mills leaves position of museum director; Zora Fowler begins six months as part-time director |
June, 1996 |
Marci Donaho ends presidency on board; had been president since March 1988. She is hired as executive director |
1997 |
Museum purchased additional seven and one-half acres northwest of building |
1998 |
First golf tournament fundraiser |
1999 |
First Jasmine Award presented to First Lady Cathy Keating. First Foundation Benefactor awards went to the Mabee Foundation, Ronald McDonald House Charities and the Sarkeys Foundation. Corporate Benefactor award recipients were Koch Industries and Southwestern Bell. |
2000 |
Additional parking lot paid for by Noble Foundation of Ardmore. Sarkeys added 250,000 to endowment. |
2001 |
Purchased adjoining acreages; now have 23 acres. St. Crispin’s retreat, started endowment fund. |
2003 |
10th anniversary in Haney Center at Seminole State College, with George Nigh as featured speaker. Brad Henry’s inaugural events held at the museum in January. Honored Gene Rainbolt with Jasmine Award in Tulsa. Installed elaborate new playground equipment. |
2004 |
Betty Smith hired as education coordinator. |
2005 |
OG&E donated land to expand parking lot to the east. Betty Smith retires. |
2006 |
Parking lot expanded. |
2007 |
Welcomed 800,000th visitor. Selected for Oklahoma Museum Network. Doyle Morris retires, having worked there 18 years, 14 years as head of maintenance. |
2009 |
Now have 38,000 square feet inside and 12 acres outside. New Norick Service Center opens. |
2012 |
Museum’s front expanded to make room of cast of Acrocanthosaurus, donated by Reggie Whitten. |
Expansions
1993 |
Lunch room |
1999 |
Roesler Hall (6,000 square feet added with seed money from Dennis and Leilani Roesler) |
1999 |
Climbing Maze, (purchased with funding by Ronald McDonald House Charities) and Waterworks. |
2000 |
Small train and Jasmine’s Ark |
2001 |
New train, SuperSonic Express and Safety Town (completed in 2002). The town and tracks were funded by a Department of Transportation T-21 grant and the train was funded by Sonic Restaurants. Also part of this expansion was Henderson Nature Park, completed in 2003. |
2006 |
Castle Maze (ribbon cut July 2) was funded by the Paula Timmerman Estate and the Oklahoma Centennial Commission – 12,000 square feet. |
2007 |
Kim Henry Science Works Wing (8,400 square-foot construction completed in 2008), which includes the Heath Care exhibit, spearheaded by Kim Henry and Stan Hupfeld, who challenged other hospitals to be part of the expansion. The Whitten Newman Foundation was the single largest funder of the Kim Henry Science Works Wing. The wing also includes the audio-kinetic exhibit (built in 2007) with half the funding by the Roeslers. |
2012 |
Expansion of the lobby and introduction of the Acrocanthosaurus dinosaur cast. |
2014 |
Organ and Tissue Donation Exhibit |