Inductees 2009

Lisa Johnson-Billy is the daughter of Frank and the late Beverly Johnson and the granddaughter of the late Holmes Colbert and Evelyn Ward-Johnson. She is also the sister of Frank Johnson, Jr. In 2004, Lisa Johnson-Billy was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in District 42. She is the first Native American and woman elected from this district. Rep. Billy is the chairman of the newly created International, Federal and Tribal Relations Committee and she sits on the General Govt/Transportation, Human Services and the Children & Families committees. In 2006, Lisa initiated the first Oklahoma Native American Caucus and currently serves as the co-chair. She is also vice-chair of the majority caucus and a deputy whip.

Overton “Sobe” Love was born in Holly Springs, Mississippi around 1823. He was about 20 years old when he came with one of the first caravans to Indian Territory during the forced removal of the Chickasaw Nation.

Born in 1906, Lushanya became one of the world’s most famous and loved operatic sopranos in the 1940’s and 1950’s. She grew up on her family farm where she learned to break horses, shoot a rifle and started learning the piano when she was just six years old. After studying opera at several American universities, Lushanya left for Berlin, Germany to study at the Staatliche Akademische Hoschscule fur Musik from 1931-1934. After attending school in Berlin, she won 12 more scholarships offered by the Mussolini academy to foreigners.

Chickasaw artist Daniel Worcester was born to D.D. and Dorothy Worcester in Ardmore, Oklahoma in 1955. As a child, he lived on his grandparent’s (original enrollees) original allotment north of Pontotoc. His time spent there gave him a life long desire and connection to the land and his Chickasaw heritage. As an adult, Worcester began to experiment with different art forms and found that he had a talent and interest with functional art in metal.