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The OU Institute for Quality Communities (IQC) 2024 collaboration with the Historic Threatt Filling Station has been recognized in the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's newly released Byways Report: The Scenic Route to Rural Prosperity – a story-driven publication exploring how road trip culture and place-based tourism can fuel economic growth in rural communities.
Built in 1915, the Threatt Filling Station outside Luther, Oklahoma, holds a singular place in American history as the only known Black-owned and –operated gas station along Route 66 during the Jim Crow era. Situated between two sundown towns, the station served as a safe haven for Black travelers who faced discrimination and danger on the road, and as a vibrant community gathering place, hosting dances, baseball games, and weekend events that drew hundreds of people.
IQC's Interim Director at the time and current OU Professor of Practice, Vanessa Morrison, brought the project in and students to the site in 2024, where they met with Threatt family members and heard firsthand accounts of the station's legacy. As part of a broader collective retreat experience the IQC curated, the collaboration supported the Threatt family and two additional Oklahoma towns through technical assistance and placemaking support as they prepared their communities for the Route 66 Centennial. Morrison was interviewed for the report, offering insight into the design and placemaking strategies that shaped the partnership.
The Byways Report also recognizes IQC Program Manager Molly O’Connor, formerly Director of Rural and Community Outreach at the Oklahoma Arts Council, whose deep knowledge of Oklahoma towns and people is credited with helping make the publication possible.
Gibbs College is pleased to present the exhibition 200 Digital Drawings by Professor Tiziana Proietti, currently on display in the Gould Hall Living Room.
Gibbs College of Architecture Professors Amber Brown and Amy Leveno led 29 students to Dallas, Texas, in September for a learning experience as part of their Design 7 Studio course.
Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture professor and Institute for Quality Communities Director Dr. Amber N. Wiley’s book, Model Schools in the Model City: Race, Planning, and Education in the Nation’s Capital, has received two major honors from the Urban History Association.
