William Thomas Gilcrease (February 8, 1890 – May 6, 1962) was an Muscogee-American oilman, art collector, and philanthropist. During his lifetime, Gilcrease collected more than 10,000 artworks, 250,000 Native American artifacts and 100,000 rare books and documents, including the only surviving certified copy of the Declaration of Independence. He was the founder of Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 1971, he was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.
Biography
Early life
Gilcrease was born in Robeline, Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, on February 8, 1890. He was the son of William Lee Gilcrease and Mary "Elizabeth" [nee Vowell] Gilcrease, a Muscogee Creek. Mary "Elizabeth" was an enrolled member of the Muscogee Nation, and shortly after his birth, the family moved to Indian Territory to take advantage of the allotments in the Creek Nation. The family lived on tribal lands near Eufaula, Oklahoma. After the move, Gilcrease's father ran a cotton gin in the nearby community of Mounds, Oklahoma.
Gilcrease's early education was limited, and took place in one-room schools in Indian Territory. As a boy, he was often called "Indian Tom". Gilcrease attended Bacone College, where his most influential teacher was Alexander Posey, who taught his students the arts, sciences, writing, and about their American Indian heritage. The latter included learning of the Trail of Tears and important American Indian leaders, such as Sequoyah and Sitting Bull. Also, instruction on how to make bows and arrows and to hunt, and about the operations of the Creek National Council at Okmulgee. After Bacone College, Gilcrease enrolled in the Kansas State Teacher's College (renamed in 1974 to Emporia State University) at Emporia, Kansas.
Thomas Gilcrease Sr. and Norma (Smallwood) Gilcrease were the parents of one daughter, Des Cygne Lamour Gilcrease. The Gilcrease-Smallwood marriage ended in divorce on May 2, 1934. holds what is considered among the world's largest and most comprehensive collections of fine art, artifacts, and archives dealing with the American West. Located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Institute grounds display of thematic gardens showcasing the gardening styles of different time periods in the American West. The grounds also include Thomas Gilcrease's home in Tulsa, as well as his mausoleum. Demolition of the old building and the start of the new began in 2022, with completion projected by Spring 2027.