The board of directors of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum has announced the 2011 inductees into the Hall of Great Westerners and the Hall of Great Western Performers as well as the recipient of the Chester A. Reynolds Memorial Award. The 50th Anniversary of the Western Heritage Awards will be celebrated April 16.
First presented in 1961, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s Western Heritage Awards were established to honor and encourage the legacy of those whose works in literature, music, film and television reflect the significant stories of the American West. The awards program also recognizes inductees into the prestigious Hall of Great Westerners and the Hall of Great Western Performers as well as the recipient of the Chester A. Reynolds Memorial Award, named in honor of the museum’s founder. Each honoree receives a Wrangler, an impressive bronze sculpture of a cowboy on horseback.

This year’s honorees are the late Andy Devine and Stuart Whitman for the Hall of Great Western Performers, Ralph Chain and the late Dr. O.M. Franklin for the Hall of Great Westerners, and Howard Council for the Chester A. Reynolds Memorial Award.
For induction into the Hall of Great Western Performers actors must have made significant contributions to the perpetuation of the Western film, radio, or theater. Through a solid body of works in motion pictures, radio or stage, the inductee must project the traditional Western ideas of honesty, integrity, and self-sufficiency.
Stuart Whitman, California, is an American actor who starred in generally rugged roles. Whitman made more than 200 appearances in various movies and television shows over a half-century span between 1951 and 2000. One of his early roles came in 1957 in the military dramas, “Harbor Command” and “The Silent Service.” In 1961, he earned an academy award nomination for his leading role in “The Mark.” Whitman also is well known for playing the heroic “Marshal Jim Crown” in the Western TV series “Cimarron Strip.” He had many supporting roles in film including “Francis of Assisi,” “The Longest Day,” “Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines” and “The Comancheros” where he shared the leading-man status with John Wayne. In 1958, Whitman made Hollywood history when he planted one on Dorothy Dandridge in “The Decks Ran Red” – it was Hollywood’s first interracial kiss.
Andy Devine (1905-1977), California, was an American comic cowboy sidekick and character actor known for his distinctive raspy voice which could be heard throughout his career spanning more than 50 years. Devine was in more than 200 films and is well-remembered as “Jingles” on the long-running Western series “Wild Bill Hickock.” He made several appearances in films with John Wayne including “Stagecoach.” Devine also appeared in “Island in the Sky” and “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.” He had many memorable roles in television including playing “Hap” on the series “Flipper.” Devine left moviemaking in 1970, but still lent his famous voice to animated films including “Friar Tuck” in Disney’s Robin Hood and “Cornelius the Rooster” in several Kellogg’s Corn Flakes commercials.
Read more about the other Hall of Great Westerners and the Hall of Great Western Performers after the break.

Induction into the Hall of Great Westerners honors an individual who promotes America’s rich Western heritage through leadership and patronage of art, business, industry, environmental, education, humanitarian, government or philanthropic organizations.
Ralph Chain, Canton, is a well-known community leader and owner of Chain Land and Cattle Company. With his knowledge and experience, Chain has developed his ranch into a leading beef supplier and sportsman’s club. Chain has been involved in many agricultural related organizations such as the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association, North American Limousin Foundation, American Hereford Association, American Quarter Horse Association, American Angus Association and the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association. His dedication to the community also is seen with his service in his church, Seiling schools and Oklahoma Christian University. Chain has received numerous awards throughout his lifetime, including Cattleman of the Year from the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association, Who’s Who in the Western Livestock Industry from the Western Livestock Journal and State and Regional winner of the Environmental Stewardship Award from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
Dr. O.M. Franklin (1886-1973), Pampa, Texas, developed the first successful vaccine for blackleg in Wichita, Kansas, in 1916. Blackleg had become a deadly cattle disease, killing up to 20 percent of the hybrid calf crops throughout the American West in the early 1900s. In the following years, Franklin, along with three other veterinarians and several cattlemen, formed the Kansas Blackleg Serum Company and moved the operation to Amarillo, Texas. By 1923 the refined and patented vaccine was proven effective and marketed to much success. In 1927 the O.M. Franklin Blackleg Serum Company was formed and Franklin served as president until his retirement in 1950. By 1972, the Franklin Serum Company had become the largest cattle vaccine and supply company in the world.

In 1990, the museum established the Chester A. Reynolds Award named in honor of the founder of the museum. The Chester A. Reynolds Award is presented to a living honoree or group that has notably perpetuated the legacy of the American West through one or a combination of the following: entrepreneurial endeavors, dedication to or promotion of the ideals of individualism, honesty, humility and integrity that are closely identified with the American West, a distinguished life’s work as a rancher, cowboy, or ranch hand. The award seeks to recognize individuals or groups who have demonstrated, through a single remarkable achievement or body of quality work over a period of years, unwavering commitment to Western ideals and values.
Howard Council, Lawton, is a world renowned saddlemaker and Western artist. As a teenager he roped calves for a hobby and taught himself the craftsmanship of leather carving by making belts. In 1950, Council opened his shop and became known for his well-fitting saddles. He also specialized in roping saddles favored by many of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association tie-down roping and steer wrestling champions. Among professional ropers he has been called the greatest saddlemaker of all time. Council also was a founder of the Wichita Mountain Horse Show Association in 1955 and was given the Hero Award by the American Heart Association. In addition to saddlemaking, Council also is an artist, specializing in oil painting.
The 2011 Western Heritage Awards is sponsored by Conoco Phillips and Wrangler along with supporting sponsors Republic National Distributing Company and associate sponsor OKC Convention and Visitors Bureau. Additional support provided from Museum Partners Devon Energy Corporation, Chesapeake Energy Corporation and the E.L. and Thelma Gaylord Foundation and Major Museum Support from The Oklahoman.