This Week in the West

This Week in the West: Bob Wills

🤠This Week in the West🎙️ Episode 28: BOB WILLS
📢 Episode Summary:On this week’s episode of This Week in The West, we celebrate the life and legacy of Bob Wills, the King of Western Swing. Broadcasting from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, the show takes listeners deep into the roots of a musical style that shook up the 1930s and beyond. Wills and his Texas Playboys blended country, jazz, blues, Dixieland, and even polka to create a sound that was fresh, lively, and irresistible — and they introduced it to the world through the airwaves of Tulsa’s KVOO radio station.
Marking the 50th anniversary of Bob Wills’ passing, the episode traces his journey from a small Texas town to national stardom. You’ll hear how Wills’ childhood in the cotton fields exposed him to a wide range of musical influences, how he developed his signature style as a young performer, and how songs like “New San Antonio Rose” catapulted him to fame. Even after personal struggles and the breakup of the Texas Playboys, Wills’ music continued to inspire generations of artists and earned him places in both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
🔍 What You’ll Learn:
How Bob Wills blended country, jazz, blues, and other styles to invent Western Swing
The story behind the Texas Playboys’ rise to fame on Tulsa’s KVOO radio
Why Bob Wills’ musical legacy still resonates with today’s artists and audiences
👥 Behind the ScenesHost: Seth SpillmanProducer: Chase SpiveyWriter: Mike Koehler
🔗 Further research:
The Bob Wills & Johnnie Lee Wills Photograph Collection at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum: https://images.nationalcowboymuseum.org/islandora/object/ncm%3A226137
Country Music Hall of Fame: Bob Wills: https://www.countrymusichalloffame.org/hall-of-fame/bob-wills
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys
📬 Connect With Us:🌐 Website: www.nationalcowboymuseum.org📖 Read Our Blog: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/📩 Email: podcast@nationalcowboymuseum.org📲Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum❎X/Twitter: https://x.com/ncwhm💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-cowboy-&-western-heritage-museum
🗺️ Visit Us: The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73111. See us on the map
💡 Support Us:🏅Become A Member of the Museum: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/🛒Shop at Persimmon Hill, our Museum store: https://persimmonhillstore.com/
🎧 Listen & Subscribe:🔹 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U🔹YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN🔹Podbean: https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/ 
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This Week in the West: Myrtis Dightman

🤠This Week in the West🎙️ Episode 27: Myrtis Dightman
📢 Episode Summary:In this week’s episode of This Week in The West, we celebrate the 90th birthday of rodeo legend Myrtis Dightman, a man who broke barriers as the first Black cowboy to compete at the highest levels of bull riding. Known as the “Jackie Robinson of bull riding,” Dightman’s courage and talent paved the way for future generations of Black rodeo athletes, inspiring countless cowboys—including world champion Charlie Sampson—to chase their own dreams in the arena.
We dive into Dightman’s incredible journey, from his early days working as a ranch hand and bullfighter in East Texas to his historic debut at the National Finals Rodeo in 1964. Despite the racism and obstacles that stood in his way, Dightman earned his place among rodeo’s greats, capturing wins at top-tier events like the Cheyenne Frontier Days and Calgary Stampede, and leaving an indelible mark on the sport’s history.
Listeners will also hear stories of Dightman’s mentorship, his appearances in classic rodeo films, and the legacy he’s built back home in Crockett, Texas, where a statue and an annual rodeo honor his groundbreaking career.
🔍 What You’ll Learn:
How Myrtis Dightman overcame racism and discrimination to become one of rodeo’s top bull riders.
The vital role Dightman played in mentoring the next generation of Black cowboys, including Charlie Sampson.
Why Dightman’s legacy continues to inspire and is celebrated through statues, rodeos, and film.
👥 Behind the ScenesHost: Seth SpillmanProducer: Chase SpiveyWriter: Mike Koehler
🔗 Further research:
Interview with ABC Houston: https://youtu.be/VGhgRcoecq8?si=2jEarPpb5W71_6Iw
Breaking Trail Blog from The Cowboy: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/breaking-trail-the-story-of-myrtis-dightman-the-jackie-robinson-of-rodeo/
A salute from Rodeo Houston: https://www.rodeohouston.com/myrtis-dightman-trailblazer-bullrider-and-rodeo-legend/
📬 Connect With Us:🌐 Website: www.nationalcowboymuseum.org📖 Read Our Blog: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/📩 Email: podcast@nationalcowboymuseum.org📲Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum❎X/Twitter: https://x.com/ncwhm💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-cowboy-&-western-heritage-museum
🗺️ Visit Us: The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73111. See us on the map
💡 Support Us:🏅Become A Member of the Museum: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/🛒Shop at Persimmon Hill, our Museum store: https://persimmonhillstore.com/
🎧 Listen & Subscribe:🔹 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U🔹YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN🔹Podbean: https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/ 
⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to rate & review!
 

This Week in the West: Foghorn Clancy

🤠This Week in the West🎙️ Episode 26: Foghorn Clancy
📢 Episode Summary:In this episode of This Week in The West, we share the remarkable story of Frederick Melton "Foghorn" Clancy, a cowboy whose booming voice made him one of rodeo's most iconic announcers. Born in 1882 in Alabama and raised in Texas, Clancy began working ranch jobs young and initially dreamed of being a rodeo champion. After a short-lived bronc riding career, his powerful voice led him to a decades-long career as the premier voice of rodeo, announcing at major events like Cheyenne Frontier Days and Madison Square Garden.
Beyond his announcing, Clancy was instrumental in promoting rodeos nationwide, often arriving in towns weeks ahead of events to build excitement. He also became rodeo's first historian, documenting the sport's origins and publishing influential works like My Fifty Years in Rodeo. Over his career, Clancy befriended Western legends like Will Rogers and Gene Autry, preserving the stories and spirit of early rodeo life.
Despite financial hardships, including a failed Wild West show venture during the Great Depression, Clancy remained dedicated to the rodeo world. His later years were spent writing and traveling with his wife, Alice, and their five children. In 1991, long after his passing in 1957, Clancy was honored with induction into the National Rodeo Hall of Fame, ensuring his legacy endures.
🔍 What You’ll Learn:
How Foghorn Clancy’s powerful voice helped shape the early rodeo industry.
The vital role he played in promoting, documenting and preserving the history of American rodeo.
Stories of Clancy’s friendships with Western legends like Will Rogers and Gene Autry.
👥 Behind the ScenesHost: Seth SpillmanProducer: Chase SpiveyWriter: Mike Koehler
🔗 Further research:
Cowboy Jazz, a 1920 film about the sport featuring Clancy: https://www.filmpreservation.org/preserved-films/screening-room/chicago-rodeo-1920
A Brief History of Rodeo from Smithsonian Magazine: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/brief-history-rodeo-180980341/
A feature on Clancy from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/fort-worth/article283852478.html
📬 Connect With Us:🌐 Website: www.nationalcowboymuseum.org📖 Read Our Blog: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/📩 Email: podcast@nationalcowboymuseum.org📲Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum❎X/Twitter: https://x.com/ncwhm💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-cowboy-&-western-heritage-museum
🗺️ Visit Us: The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73111. See us on the map
💡 Support Us:🏅Become A Member of the Museum: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/🛒Shop at Persimmon Hill, our Museum store: https://persimmonhillstore.com/
🎧 Listen & Subscribe:🔹 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U🔹YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN🔹Podbean: https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/ 
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This Week in the West: Willa Cather

🤠This Week in the West🎙️ Episode 25: Willa Cather
📢 Episode Summary:In this episode of This Week in The West, we journey to the sweeping prairies of Nebraska to explore the life and legacy of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Willa Cather. Born in Virginia in 1873 and later raised in Red Cloud, Nebraska, Cather was profoundly shaped by the open landscapes and resilient immigrant communities of the Great Plains. Her formative years inspired novels like O Pioneers! and My Ántonia, which captured the beauty, hardship, and hope of pioneer life with poetic realism.
This episode recounts how Cather’s early aspirations of becoming a doctor gave way to her irresistible urge to write. From her teenage essays in the local newspaper to her rise as one of America's foremost regional authors, Cather’s literary voice resonated with authenticity and emotional depth. Though her star dimmed in the mid-century literary shift toward modernism, her works have since been rediscovered and celebrated anew for their enduring insight into human experience on the frontier.
🔍 What You’ll Learn:
How Willa Cather’s Nebraska upbringing influenced her most celebrated novels
Why her literary reputation faded—and how it has since been revived
How a youthful newspaper career put the brakes on aspirations to be a doctor
👥 Behind the ScenesHost: Seth SpillmanProducer: Chase SpiveyWriter: Mike Koehler
🔗 Further research:
The Willa Cather Archive: https://cather.unl.edu/
The Willa Cather Foundation: https://www.willacather.org/
The Willa Cather Homestead: https://www.nps.gov/home/learn/historyculture/willa-cather.htm
📬 Connect With Us:🌐 Website: www.nationalcowboymuseum.org📖 Read Our Blog: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/📩 Email: podcast@nationalcowboymuseum.org📲Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum❎X/Twitter: https://x.com/ncwhm💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-cowboy-&-western-heritage-museum
🗺️ Visit Us: The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73111. See us on the map
💡 Support Us:🏅Become A Member of the Museum: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/🛒Shop at Persimmon Hill, our Museum store: https://persimmonhillstore.com/
🎧 Listen & Subscribe:🔹 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U🔹YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN🔹Podbean: https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/ 
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This Week in the West: The Virginian, Owen Wister & Joel McCrea

🤠This Week in the West🎙️ Episode 24: The Virginian, Owen Wister & Joel McCrea
📢 Episode Summary:On this week’s episode of This Week in the West, we tell the story of The Virginian, the groundbreaking Western novel that became a cultural touchstone, a movie classic, and a symbol of frontier justice. Seth Spillman takes us back to the turn of the 20th century, when Owen Wister—plagued by illness—traveled West for healing and inspiration. His resulting novel, The Virginian, published in 1902, not only launched the Western literary genre but introduced archetypes that still define cowboy tales today.
We follow The Virginian as it gallops from page to stage and screen, with film adaptations spanning from 1914 to the Technicolor 1946 version starring Joel McCrea. The episode highlights how McCrea’s calm, grounded performance captured the quiet strength of Wister’s cowboy hero, bringing depth to the story’s exploration of morality, violence, and loyalty on the Western frontier. Reviews of the day praised McCrea for his authenticity and restraint—qualities that made his portrayal stand out in the crowded field of Western heroes.
The episode also celebrates Joel McCrea’s legacy beyond the screen, detailing his commitment to preserving Western heritage through his service to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, where he was honored in 1969. Wister and McCrea’s shared contributions to Western culture live on through their stories.
🔍 What You’ll Learn:
The origins of The Virginian and how Owen Wister’s personal journey West shaped a new genre of American storytelling
Why Joel McCrea’s 1946 performance is considered a defining moment in Western film history
How The Virginian helped establish enduring Western tropes—and how its legacy continues at The Cowboy today. 
👥 Behind the ScenesHost: Seth SpillmanProducer: Chase SpiveyWriter: Mike Koehler
🔗 Further research:
More about the friendship between Owen Wister and Teddy Roosevelt: https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Learn-About-TR/TR-Encyclopedia/Family%20and%20Friends/Owen%20Wister
The original trailer of The Virginian (1946): https://www.tcm.com/video/476075/virginian-the-1946-original-trailer/
The story of the Joel McCrea Ranch: https://camarilloranchfoundation.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/McCrea-Ranch.pdf
📬 Connect With Us:🌐 Website: www.nationalcowboymuseum.org📖 Read Our Blog: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/📩 Email: podcast@nationalcowboymuseum.org📲Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum❎X/Twitter: https://x.com/ncwhm💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-cowboy-&-western-heritage-museum
🗺️ Visit Us: The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73111. See us on the map
💡 Support Us:🏅Become A Member of the Museum: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/🛒Shop at Persimmon Hill, our Museum store: https://persimmonhillstore.com/
🎧 Listen & Subscribe:🔹 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U🔹YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN🔹Podbean: https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/ 
⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to rate & review!
 

This Week in the West: Frank "Pistol Pete" Eaton

🤠This Week in the West🎙️ Episode 23: Frank “Pistol Pete” Eaton
📢 Episode Summary:This week on This Week in the West, we saddle up with the unforgettable tale of Frank “Pistol Pete” Eaton, the real-life cowboy behind one of college sports’ most iconic mascots. Known today for his likeness on the sidelines of Oklahoma State games, Eaton’s life was anything but a cartoon. Born into tragedy and raised with a mission of vengeance, Eaton’s early years were marked by loss, grit, and an unshakable sense of justice.
At just eight years old, Eaton witnessed the murder of his father by a gang of former Confederate vigilantes known as the Regulators. Vowing revenge, he trained for years to become one of the sharpest shooters in Indian Territory, earning the nickname “Pistol Pete” from a U.S. Army colonel after outshooting the fort’s best marksmen at age fifteen.
Eaton's pursuit of justice led him across the West, where he hunted down his father’s killers one by one, even engaging in a legendary shootout in Albuquerque with the help of famed lawman Pat Garrett. Once his mission was fulfilled, Eaton chose a new path as a U.S. Deputy Marshal and later a blacksmith and storyteller in Perkins, Oklahoma.
From feared gunman to beloved folk hero, Eaton's legacy continued to grow, eventually inspiring Oklahoma A&M’s transformation into the Cowboys and cementing his place in Western lore. Through books, parades, and the stories passed down, Pistol Pete lives on—not just as a mascot but as a symbol of grit, honor, and frontier justice.
 
🔍 What You’ll Learn:
The tragic event that set Frank Eaton on a path of revenge—and ultimately legend
How Eaton earned the nickname “Pistol Pete” and became a sharpshooting icon
Why Oklahoma A&M students adopted Eaton’s likeness as their school’s mascot
👥 Behind the ScenesHost: Seth SpillmanProducer: Chase SpiveyWriter: Mike Koehler
🔗 Further research:
The Frank Eaton Collection at Oklahoma State University: https://info.library.okstate.edu/frankeaton
True West Magazine article on Frank Eaton: https://web.archive.org/web/20190417183225/https://truewestmagazine.com/frank-eaton-pistol-pete/
“A Tribute to Pistol Pete:”https://news.okstate.edu/articles/communications/2008/a_tribute_to_pistol_pete.html
📬 Connect With Us:🌐 Website: www.nationalcowboymuseum.org📖 Read Our Blog: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/📩 Email: podcast@nationalcowboymuseum.org📲Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum❎X/Twitter: https://x.com/ncwhm💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-cowboy-&-western-heritage-museum
🗺️ Visit Us:The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73111. See us on the map
💡 Support Us:🏅Become A Member of the Museum: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/🛒Shop at Persimmon Hill, our Museum store: https://persimmonhillstore.com/
🎧 Listen & Subscribe:🔹 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U🔹YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN🔹Podbean: https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/ 
⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to rate & review!
 

This Week in the West: J.K. Ralston

🤠This Week in the West🎙️ Episode 22: J.K. Ralston
📢 Episode Summary: On this week's episode of This Week in the West, we spotlight the life and legacy of J.K. Ralston, a celebrated Western artist born March 31, 1896, in Montana. Raised on the frontier by a family that chased gold across the West before settling near Choteau, Ralston lived the cowboy life before ever picking up a paintbrush. Though he spent his early years riding the Montana range, his passion for art led him to enroll in the Chicago Art Institute—by way of a cattle train, no less—in one of the most "cowboy-artist" career turns in American history.
Ralston's life took many twists, including a near-deployment in World War I that was canceled mid-Atlantic after peace was declared. After returning to the U.S., he resumed his art education and began a commercial art career out West. But Montana’s pull was strong. He and his wife returned home in 1930 to take over the family ranch, but the Great Depression made ranching unviable. Ralston moved to Billings, Montana, and threw himself into full-time painting, eventually gaining recognition for his work on post office murals and historical Western scenes.
A stickler for accuracy and authenticity, Ralston traveled extensively to research the settings and stories he portrayed. His work helped shape how Americans envision the West, particularly through his murals and historical paintings like Custer’s Last Hope. In a powerful photograph taken in 1981 by Jay Dusard, Ralston stands in front of his log cabin studio—saddle and spurs at his feet—embodying the very fusion of cowboy and artist that defines his legacy.
🔍 What You’ll Learn:
How J.K. Ralston balanced life as both a working cowboy and a classically trained artist
The unusual story of how Ralston’s World War I deployment was interrupted mid-journey
Why Ralston’s paintings are still considered some of the most historically accurate depictions of the American West
👥 Behind the ScenesHost: Seth SpillmanProducer: Chase SpiveyWriter: Mike Koehler
🔗 Further research:
The Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame’s information on Ralston: https://montanacowboyfame.org/inductees/2012/7/j-k-ralston
Western Horseman Magazine profile: https://westernhorseman.com/blogs/out-west/artist-j-k-ralston/
The Western Heritage Center in Billings, Montana, where Ralston’s cabin is on exhibit: https://www.ywhc.org/
📬 Connect With Us:🌐 Website: www.nationalcowboymuseum.org📖 Read Our Blog: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/📩 Email: podcast@nationalcowboymuseum.org📲Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum❎X/Twitter: https://x.com/ncwhm💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-cowboy-&-western-heritage-museum
🗺️ Visit Us:The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73111. See us on the map
💡 Support Us:🏅Become A Member of the Museum: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/🛒Shop at Persimmon Hill, our Museum store: https://persimmonhillstore.com/
🎧 Listen & Subscribe:🔹 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U🔹YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN🔹Podbean: https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/ 
⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to rate & review!
 

This Week in the West: Sandra Day O'Connor

🤠This Week in the West🎙️ Episode 21: SANDRA DAY O’CONNOR
📢 Episode Summary:This week on This Week in The West, we honor the life and legacy of Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court. Raised on a cattle ranch in Arizona, O’Connor’s Western upbringing instilled in her the resilience and determination that would define her groundbreaking legal career. From her early struggles finding work as a lawyer to becoming a key swing vote on the nation’s highest court, O’Connor’s story is one of perseverance, leadership, and trailblazing success.
🔍 What You’ll Learn:
How Sandra Day O’Connor’s ranching roots shaped her career and leadership style
The challenges she faced as a woman in law and her journey to the Supreme Court
Her lasting impact on the legal system, civic education, and women in the judiciary
👥 Behind the ScenesHost: Seth SpillmanProducer: Chase SpiveyWriter: Mike Koehler
🔗 Further research:
The Supreme Court’s exhibition on her life and career: https://www.supremecourt.gov/visiting/exhibitions/SOCExhibit/Default.aspx
The Sandra Day O’Connor Institute for American Democracy: https://oconnorinstitute.org/
iCivics, the Civics Education program she founded: https://vision.icivics.org/about/our-founder/
📬 Connect With Us:🌐 Website: www.nationalcowboymuseum.org📖 Read Our Blog: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/📩 Email: podcast@nationalcowboymuseum.org📲Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum❎X/Twitter: https://x.com/ncwhm💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-cowboy-&-western-heritage-museum
🗺️ Visit Us:The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73111. See us on the map💡 Support Us:🏅Become A Member of the Museum: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/🛒Shop at Persimmon Hill, our Museum store: https://persimmonhillstore.com/
🎧 Listen & Subscribe:🔹 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U🔹YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN🔹Podbean: https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/ 
⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to rate & review!

This Week in the West: Alice Greenough Orr

🤠This Week in the West🎙️ Episode 20: Alice Greenough Orr
📢 Episode Summary:On this week’s episode of This Week in the West, we meet Alice Greenough Orr, a Montana ranch girl who became the First Lady of Rodeo. While performing in Spain, Alice found herself in a bullfighting arena where the matador had failed to finish the job. The restless crowd grew impatient—until Alice stepped forward, jumped onto the still-angry bull, and rode it, holding onto its ears until it threw her off. The matador was booed out of the ring, but Alice left the arena as a legend.
Born on March 17, 1902, Alice grew up breaking horses on her family’s ranch before taking a job as a teenage mail carrier, covering 37 miles a day on horseback. When a group of cowboys dared her to ride a bucking bronco at a local rodeo, she took the challenge—and discovered her calling. 
Alice’s rodeo career spanned decades, earning her four world championships and a leading role in shaping the sport. She helped establish the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.
🔍 What You’ll Learn:
How Alice Greenough Orr became one of the most celebrated women in rodeo history
The story of how she upstaged a Spanish matador by riding a furious bull
Her role in shaping modern rodeo, from fair pay for cowboys to the introduction of women’s barrel racing
👥 Behind the ScenesHost: Seth SpillmanProducer: Chase SpiveyWriter: Mike Koehler
🔗 Further research:
Alice’s obituary in the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/24/obituaries/alice-orr-93-top-bronc-rider-and-rodeo-star.html
A short video from Montana PBS: https://youtu.be/RYg8QM2gcVo?si=bYfHSOUdR6-tULJD
Alice’s bio from the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame: https://montanacowboyfame.org/inductees/2010/7/alice-greenough
📬 Connect With Us:🌐 Website: www.nationalcowboymuseum.org📖 Read Our Blog: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/📩 Email: podcast@nationalcowboymuseum.org📲Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum❎X/Twitter: https://x.com/ncwhm💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-cowboy-&-western-heritage-museum
🗺️ Visit Us:The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73111. See us on the map
💡 Support Us:🏅Become A Member of the Museum: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/🛒Shop at Persimmon Hill, our Museum store: https://persimmonhillstore.com/
🎧 Listen & Subscribe:🔹 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U🔹YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN🔹Podbean: https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/ 
⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to rate & review!
 

This Week in the West: Mari Sandoz

🤠This Week in the West🎙️ Episode 19: Mari Sandoz
📢 Episode Summary:This week’s episode of This Week in the West tells the story of Mari Sandoz, who was no stranger to hardship. Growing up on the harsh Nebraska prairie, she endured physical and emotional struggles that shaped her perspective and writing. Despite her father’s lifelong discouragement, a dying request from him set her on a path to become one of the most important chroniclers of the American West. Her 1935 book Old Jules, a stark portrayal of frontier life, established her as a significant literary voice, though its road to publication was long and arduous.
Sandoz’s work went beyond biography—she fearlessly tackled political corruption, social injustice, and the realities of life on the Great Plains. Her novel Slogum House was banned for its unvarnished depiction of greed and cruelty, and Capital City stirred controversy for exposing government corruption. She later became known for her groundbreaking biography Crazy Horse: The Strange Man of the Oglalas, written from within the Lakota perspective, a pioneering approach for its time.
Mari Sandoz remained devoted to her craft despite setbacks, rejection, and even threats. Her deep commitment to truth and historical accuracy led to a body of work that continues to shape our understanding of the West. Inducted posthumously into the Hall of Great Westerners in 1998, her legacy lives on as an uncompromising voice of the frontier.
🔍 What You’ll Learn:
How Mari Sandoz defied the odds to become one of the most important writers of the American West
The struggles she faced in getting Old Jules published—and how it became a bestseller
Her groundbreaking approach to writing Crazy Horse, told from a Lakota perspective
👥 Behind the ScenesHost: Seth SpillmanProducer: Chase SpiveyWriter: Mike Koehler
🔗 Further research:
A 1961 interview with Mari Sandoz from Nebraska Public Television: https://youtu.be/msNHusaDuAE?si=l1ewTc1tH-YEGxkh
Mari Sandoz Historical Society: https://www.marisandozsociety.org/
Mari Sandoz Heritage Center: https://sandozcenter.com/
📬 Connect With Us:🌐 Website: www.nationalcowboymuseum.org📖 Read Our Blog: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/blog/📩 Email: podcast@nationalcowboymuseum.org📲Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/ncwhm/📷Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalcowboymuseum❎X/Twitter: https://x.com/ncwhm💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-cowboy-&-western-heritage-museum
🗺️ Visit Us:The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73111. See us on the map
💡 Support Us:🏅Become A Member of the Museum: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/support/memberships/🛒Shop at Persimmon Hill, our Museum store: https://persimmonhillstore.com/
🎧 Listen & Subscribe:🔹 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-the-west/id1776228708🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2KYmd2BumVtQVH1ez1Cr2U🔹YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFoE2kU21JpX9T6W9NonXuD9UapS1TsmN🔹Podbean: https://thisweekinthewest.podbean.com/ 
⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to rate & review!