Women inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Oklahoma Federation of Democratic Women’s Clubs will be honored during the 57th annual state convention of the organization, which is to be held this month.
March is Women’s History Month.
A reception, “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories,” will be held to honor the women.
Among those expected to attend (their county and the year of their induction) are:
- Debbe Leftwich (Oklahoma County, 1998);
- Anita Norman (Noble County, 2003);
- Modina Allen (Carter County, 2009);
- Ruby Moore (Oklahoma County, 2010);
- Ann Weaver (Sequoyah County , 2010);
- Kitti Asberry (Oklahoma County, 2011);
- Jana Lewis Harkins (Oklahoma County, 2013);
- Christie Breedlove (Tulsa County, 2014);
- Marilyn Alexander (Bryan County, 2018) and
- Debbie Hogue Downing (Oklahoma County, 2019).
To be featured at the convention will be Loretta Y. Jackson of Chickasha, who has been described as the most decorated African-American woman in Oklahoma.
She was inducted into the federation’s Hall of Fame in 1996.
A native of Chickasha, she served as president of the federation from 1999 through 2001.
She was a member of the Oklahoma Democratic Party Presidential Electoral College for the 1980 and 1988 presidential elections.
In 2000, Mrs. Jackson was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma Alumni Association.
She became the first woman to be appointed to the Oklahoma State Banking Board and served from 1980-1994.
Another special honor will be presented to Wyota Hannan of Colbert.
She was inducted into the federation’s Hall of Fame in 1999.
A native of Colbert, she served as president of the state federation from 1997 until 1999.
Mrs. Hannan was inducted into the Oklahoma Democratic Party’s Activist Hall of Fame in 2005.
She and her husband, James Hannan, owned multiple businesses in southeast Oklahoma before retiring in the 1980’s. Mr. Hannan died in 2020.
She served on the City Council of Colbert from 1995 until 2007, and she and her husband were charter members of the Colbert Historical Society.
“Planning this event has been an emotional undertaking,” said Janna Lewis Harkins, thee state president of the federation.
“Learning of the deaths of so many our past leaders takes a lot out of you.
“However, having the opportunity to reminisce with Loretta Y. Jackson (Grady County, 1996) and receiving assurances that Wyota Hannan (Bryan County, 1999) is still “the lovely lady she has always been makes this a worthy endeavor.”
Additional information about the federation is available by e-mail. The e-mail address is [email protected]
