Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum Unveils New 'Oklahoma Standard' Brand

For years, leaders at the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum have been making plans to honor the 25^th anniversary. While COVID-19 has changed many aspects of this year’s remembrance, the museum made a special announcement Thursday, unveiling a new look for the “Oklahoma Standard.”

“It is the time to step up and show up and rise up, and to do that in a way that brings service, honor and kindness back to our community,” Memorial and Museum Executive Director Kari Watkins said.

The new initiative includes a museum exhibit opening next month, a new website, and resources for businesses, schools and communities.

“If you’re not intentional about teaching and expressing these types of values, and the tradition of these values, and most importantly where they stem from,” Thunder general manager Sam Presti said. “You have a chance of merely diluting that.”

Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt said trying times like these brings out the best of us. 

“When you think about service, honor, kindness, when you think about the Oklahoma standard, this was a brand and a value, and a set of values that came out of a crisis 25 years ago, and today’s COVID-19 crisis is one we’ll remember just as long,” Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt said.

Along with the Oklahoma Standard reintroduction, the memorial museum also announced runners who complete both the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon and the Tulsa Route 66 marathon, or full or half marathon, will receive a special Oklahoma Standard medal. 

The Memorial Museum announced last month, the OKC Marathon has been pushed to October 4.

Instead of a ceremony on the memorial grounds, this year’s anniversary will be honored though a one hour television special on April 19.

It’s not how we would have chosen,” Watkins said. “But, given the circumstances we are going to rise up and honor it, just in a different way.”