The Daily Oklahoman from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma • 63

THEOKLAHOMAN NEWSOK.COM SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2005 3D King And the king is The identity of the Beaux Arts king is revealed the night of the Beaux Arts Ball, when he is introduced at the beginning of the court proceedings. Each year, a Beaux Arts Committee selects the king based on his civic contributions. growth of downtown, Nichols said, "Who would have dreamed 10 years ago that we would have had four hotels under construction at one time in Oklahoma City, three high schools and a variety of downtown housing developments. The museum, the medical community, the whole fabric of downtown, not just the business community, all of these are playing on each other, driving more hotels and housing in downtown Oklahoma City. The renovated Civic Hall, Ford Center, all of these compliment each other to the benefit of all of the city." Parents of two children, Nichols said when it comes to grandchildren, he and Polly are "just standing by waiting." now that the corporation has grown, he has found there are a lot more of them out there.

"But, that's great," he said. "I am delighted that Devon has prospered enough to be able to have the resources to give back in a meaningful way to our community." Excited about the incredible tremendous consolidation." Nichols said he thinks the city was immensely challenged 10-15 years ago. "But the renaissance that I have seen in downtown Oklahoma City has made it remarkably easy for us to hire people from other places around the country and move them here. During the last several years, we have moved several hundred people in from elsewhere in North America to Oklahoma City. And, because the city has been so successful in developing the art museum and all the other downtown facilities, it is easier to do." Nichols, who admits he works pretty much a six-day week, said he and his wife, Polly, are active in a number of volunteer activities.

"I'm very much involved as chairman of the State Chamber of Commerce, which takes up a good bit of time," Nichols said. He also serves as a director on several Oklahoma civic boards including the Arts Council of Oklahoma, Dean A. McGee Eye Institute, Downtown Oklahoma City Myriad Gardens, National Cowboy Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Continued from Page ID William Rehnquist in the U.S. Justice Department in Washington, D.C. Nichols said he planned to move back to Oklahoma for only a couple of years when his father first approached him about returning.

"If I liked it, fine; if not, I would go back and practice law. I thought it would give me some practical business experience." Starting with the company in 1971, Nichols said the first year was spent raising money to buy an interest in five wells. Today, Devon is the largest U.S.-based independent oil and gas exploration and production company and is one of the largest processors of natural gas and natural gas liquids in North America. Nichols modestly attributes the success of his company to "a lot of luck and a lot of hard work." "We started with four employees," he said. "Now we have just under 4,000.

We have had tremendous growth and Authority and Oklahoma State Fair Board. Finding time for a hobby is not easy for this busy executive, but Nichols said he loves to travel, and he and his wife go hiking a couple of times a year in the United States and Canada. "I don't play golf," he said, "so that frees up a good bit of time." "Because I travel a lot, I need to keep up," he said, "so I try to be organized, but the workload sometimes results in a little more chaos than I like. You have to find time for yourself." When asked about Devon's generous sponsorship and underwriting of so many fundraisers, Nichols laughingly said that when Devon was a small private company, he thought he knew them all. But 'Engagements and 'Weddings J.

Larry Nichols Awards: Include Ernst Young's Southwest Area Entrepreneur of the Year; Governor's Art Award; induction into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame; recipient of the Independent Petroleum Association of America's Chief Roughneck; Leadership Award presented by the Independent Petroleum Association of America; and Dean A. McGee Award by Downtown Now. Other civic board directorships: This area of involvement includes Oklahoma Business and Education Coalition, Oklahoma Business Roundtable; Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce; Oklahoma City Industrial and Cultural Trust; Oklahoma Nature Conservancy; Research Institute for Economic Development; Second Century and the United Way. National level: Vice president of the Independent Petroleum Association of America; chairman of the Business Industry Political Action Committee in Washington, D.C.; current director of the Domestic Petroleum Council and the Natural Gas Supply Association; director for the National Association of Manufacturers and the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association; member of All American Wildcatters. Corporate level: Directorships include Smedvig asa and Baker Hughes both New York Stock Exchange companies, and the Oklahoma City branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.

Professional organization affiliations: Member of the Chief Executives Organization, Fortune Club and World Presidents Debutantes and escorts MS, and Mrs. John Walker Swinford Natalie Jill Swisher, Mr. and Mrs. Thane Swisher; Catherine Blakely Thomson, Mr. and Mrs.

Courtlandt Cameron Thomson II; Lily Louise Urice, Daniel Rex Urice and Catherine Hefner; and Paige Desiree Warner, Jeanne Warner and Mr. and Mrs. William D. Warner. Escorts and their parents are Christopher Edward Anderson, Mr.

and Mrs. Carl Bayard Anderson III; Christopher Morgan Beal, Mr. and Mrs. Elby J. Beal; Joshua Hazzard Brown, Mr.

and Mrs. Jeffrey Stewart Brown; Holt Edward Calhoon, Dr. and Mrs. Scott War-burton Calhoon; Prescott Bennitt Davis, Dr. and Mrs.

Lawrence William Davis; Andrew Lauder Edwards, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Bryant Edwards; William Wainwright Fisher, Jeanne Montin-Fisher; and Stephen Thomas Gary, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Stephen Gary.

Also, Samuel Crosby Harris, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Graham Harris; James Ross Hazelwood, Mr. and Mrs. James Robert Hazelwood John David Holden, Dr.

and Mrs. David Lee Holden; Martin Joseph Howell, Dr. and Mrs. Joe Martin Howell; Cody Barnsdall Law, Mr. and Mrs.

Theodore Barnsdall Law; William Clarence Liedtke IV, Mr. and Mrs. William Clarence Liedtke III; Kyle Harrington Malloy, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Michael Malloy; Stuart Forbes McLain, Mr.

and Mrs. Richard Stuart McLain; Charles Gallagher Parr, Douglas Lance Parr and Patricia Gallagher; Mark Hamilton Pierce II, Mr. and Mrs. Mark H. Pierce; Brendon Colby Quick, Mr.

and Mrs. James Philip Robertson; Charles Hugh Rapp, Mr. and Mrs. James Hugh Rapp; Scott Arnold Shelley, Mr. and Mrs.

Kevin Michael Flanery and Mr. and Mrs. Steve Edwin Shelley; John Corbett Thompson Mr. and Mrs. John Corbett Thompson; John Powell Walker Jill L.

Walker and John Powell Walker; and Patrick Thomas Wetwiska, Mr. and Mrs. J. Steven Wetwiska. Susan McPherson was ball chairman, and Barbara Quillian was co-chairman.

City Golf and Country Club. Debutantes and their parents are Katherine Blair Ames, Mr. and Mrs. Mack Robert Ames; Brooke Holland Anthony, Mr. and Mrs.

Tom Albert Anthony; Ellen Patricia Carey, Mr. and Mrs. William Vincent Carey Whitney Anne Caston, Mr. and Mrs. Russell Ellsworth Caston III; Jessica Louise Dahlgren-Wendt, Dr.

Mary Ellis Dahlgren and the late William Wallace Wendt; Lindsey Compton Drake, Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey Whitfield Drake II; Lawre Grace Everest, Mr. and Mrs. Pete Everest; Grace Ann Fredrickson, Mr.

and Mrs. Kirk David Fredrickson; and Susan Paige Gordon, Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Peet Gordon. Also, Virginia Lynn Hefner, Mr.

and Mrs. William Johnson Hefner Kristin Marie Knapp, Dr. Teresa Shavney and Richard Knapp; Katelyn Sarah McLain, Thomas L. McLain and Nan McLain; Margaret Kath-ryn Miller, Dr. and Mrs.

William Jess Miller; Katherine Blair Morgan, Mr. and Mrs. Mack Jay Morgan, III; Lauren Kellee Ottaway, Mr. and Mrs. Larry Dean Otta-way; Lindsey Diane Parke, Drs.

Julie and David Parke; Elizabeth Jeanne Polk, Mr. and Mrs. Randel Jay Polk; Kelsey Lynn Quil Man, Mr. and Mrs. James Cravens Quillian; Lauren Elizabeth Schwartz, Mr.

and Mrs. Bradd Allan Schwartz; and Emily Louise Sherman, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Allen Sherman. Also, Melanie Rachel Stratemeier, Drs.

Sylvia and Phillip H. Stratemeier; Carrie Elizabeth Swinford, Mr. Alisa Strickland and Gene Besen Strickland Besen Alisa Strickland and Gene Besen are engaged to marry December 10 in Dallas, Texas. The bride to be is the daughter of John and Kay Strickland, Duncan and Steve and Brenda Turner, Oklahoma City. She is the granddaughter of Mr.

and Mrs. Dewey Cooley, Mustang and Elizabeth Strickland the late L.B. Strickland, Duncan. Alisa is a graduate of Yukon High School, Yukon, OK and University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK. She is a Sales Representative for Dallas Desk and Design, Dallas, Texas.

The groom to be is the son of Barry and Laura Besen, Branford, Connecticut. Gene is a graduate of Pennington High School, Pennington, New Jersey, Branish University, Boston, Massachusetts and Southern Methodist School of Law, Dallas, Texas. He is an associate with Se-core Waller LLP, Dallas, Texas. The couple plan to make their home in Dallas, Texas. BY DAVIDYTINGER.

FOR THE OKLAHOMAN i its. -w-1 a5 Bejeweled BY DAVID FAYTINGER, FOR THE OKLAHOMAN Dr. Ralph Lazzara, Pam Ivester, MargotTebbe, Pam Fleisch-aker, Libby Blankenship and Dr. Sonny Jackman pose for a picture at the Cardiac Arrhythmia Research Institute presentation of Anthony Nak on Ice. The benefit luncheon and jewelry sales boutique was at Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club.

Baking style Greg Gawey, V.M. Jazirvar, Shannon Edwards, Alain Buthion, Wayne Hirst and Kurt Fleischfresser attend the "A Fall Salmon Bake" benefit for The Community Literacy Centers. Freischfresser of The Coach House restaurant baked salmon on braced poles over an open fire, and David Egan of Cattlemen's Steakhouse prepared a baron of beef. A selection of Oregon wines also was featured. THE SOCIAL SCENE Historical Left: Oklahoma Centennial Commissioner Blake Wade, Gov.

Brad Henry and Bob Blackburn gather for a photo at the Oklahoma History Center grand opening. BY JOHN CLANTON, THE OKLAHOMAN Mr. and Mrs. Todd Mikles Mikles Wardwell Andrea Nicole Wardwell and Todd Anthony Mikles were united in marriage September 24, 2005 at the 18th Hole at Indian Wells Country Club, Indian Wells, California. The bride is the daughter of Karron Wardwell of Houston, Texas and Ronnie Wardwell of Beaumont, Texas.

She is the granddaughter of Roy and Dorothy Pitman of Kir-byville, Texas, Bessie Wardwell and the late Richard Wardwell of Beaumont, Texas. The groom is the son of Diane Davis and the late Lynn Mikles of Tulsa. He is the grandson of the late L.B. and Virginia Reed of Guthrie and the late H.P. and Bessie Lee Mikles of Guthrie.

For their wedding trip, the couple traveled around the world. They have made their home in Rancho Santa Fe, California. Fabric Ralph Lauren, Waverly, Laura Ashley, Fabricut, Robert Allen Chenilles, Velvets, Silks, Drapery Upholstery Fabric Hardware Antique Drapery Rod, Great Plains (Free Shipping), Design Source, Paris Texas Elegance, (Special Order) BY DAVID FAYTINGER, FOR THE OKLAHOMAN High rollers Located through the Entrance of Thomasville 3738 W. Reno Okc 73107 405-951-1460 Store Hours Monday, Friday, Saturday -10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday-1 0 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday -1 p.m. 'A Barbara Johnston, Lou and RayAckerman and board members Stacy Crabtree and Jim Nelson attend the Tour for the Cure benefit sponsored by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation at Cox Convention Center. The evening included dinner, auctions and mock casino games.

1 1 1 MM happily Ever jtfter (Begins. iShare a little happiness wiih a lot of Oklahoma with a wedding or engage mem announcement in the Sunday edition of The Qktahaman. Your announcement also appears online lor days on NewsOK.com. Make history with the commemoration of this important ciom in your life. Information line: 475-3514 or visit NcwsOK.comLIFK fcTHEOKLHOMAN Will you have enough silverware for Christmas dinner? Or will the grandkids inlaws have to eat with plastic forks? We have a good inventory of open stock pieces and place settings, at the same great prices.

Call or come in with a sample piece. BY DAVID FAYTINGER, FOR THE OKLAHOMAN Jierpiace irmet Prelude Ken Blanchard, Peter Meinig, Meg Salyer and Glen D. Johnson attend a cocktails-and-conversation reception for attendees in the 2005 Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Roxana Lorton, Salyer and John were the hosts..