In 1947, Governor Roy J. Turner launched a fund drive that spanned all 77 of Oklahoma’s counties. In 1946, a group of Oklahoma physicians and business leaders saw the potential that biomedical research held.

On Aug. 28 of that year, Oklahoma’s Secretary of State granted the charter of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. To fund the construction of Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Governor  Roy J. Turner led a drive that spanned all 77 of the state’s counties. The state’s physicians organized one fundraising campaign, and pharmacists, dentists and nurses followed suit with their own efforts. When Turner declared a statewide Research Week, organizers held 137 meetings in 42 cities and towns during a seven-day period.

By May 1949, 7,000 Oklahomans had donated and pledged $2.35 million, and construction of Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) began.