The Ledbetter House - Norman, OK - Oklahoma Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

This historical marker near the campus of The University of Oklahoma, giving the history of the Ledbetter House, which was designed by master architect Bruce Goff. The house was completed in 1948 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

The full text of the marker is:

THE LEDBETTER HOUSE

The Ledbetter House was designed by master architect Bruce Goff and given to The University of Oklahoma by energy leader and philanthropist Roy Oliver. Born in Kansas in 1904, Goff was recognized as a child prodigy and at the young age of 12 he became an apprentice to Rush, Endacott, and Rush located in Tulsa. Goff had hoped to study architecture with Frank Lloyd Wright, but Wright paid him the ultimate compliment by advising him not to study formally at all in fear that he might lose what made him unique. Goff built his first house in 1918 before he had graduated from high school. In 1929 he became a registered architect despite his lack of formal training. In 1934 Goff left Oklahoma to live and teach in Chicago. He also served in the military during World War II and then worked briefly in Berkeley. In 1946 Goff returned home joining the faculty at the University of Oklahoma, becoming the professor and the chair of the architecture department. Goff was a beloved and influential teacher. Goff designed many major buildings including Boston Avenue United Methodist Church in Tulsa and the Japanese Pavilion at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

(Continued on other side)

In 1947 Goff was commissioned by H.E. and Lois Ledbetter to build this home in Norman. It was completed in 1948. This house was added to the National Register in 2001. In his work, Goff sought to bring harmony between geometric shape and natural form. His style was always tailored to the specific client and site. The design of this house is exceptionally creative incorporating natural forms with modernity. The sandstone walls connect the house with the surrounding elements of nature.

Roy T. Oliver Jr. is a native Oklahoma who was born in Holdenville in 1952. He served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War. After being honorably discharged he used his GI Bill benefits to attend the University of Oklahoma and graduated with a degree in Business in 1979. Roy Oliver's story is one which captures the Sooner Spirit. While attending the University he engaged in the buying and selling of rental property. After graduating from college, he used his savings to help form the U.S. Rig and Equipment Company. He is involved in a wide range of businesses and by 2005 was the largest owner of office buildings in the state. He has been a loyal and generous alumnus of the University of Oklahoma and has made major gifts, especially in the areas of business, education, and atheletics.

County: United States Record Address:: 701 West Brooks Norman, OK United States 73069 Web site if available: [Web Link] Rate the Site: Date Erected: 1948 Sponsor (Who put it there): The University of Oklahoma

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