Oklahoma: A Story Through Her People

Primarily an agricultural state through the first half of the twentieth century,
Oklahoma has assumed a broader economic structure since 1950. Oklahoma government
and private sector leaders have identified five major wealth-creating parts of the
state economy: aerospace and defense, energy, agriculture and biosciences, information
and financial services, and transportation and distribution.
Even though no state’s economy is recession-proof, Oklahoma has come close with
diversity, by creating a young and growing work force of educated professionals with
skills that transfer to other industries when downturns occur in a particular industry.
The state has six military bases that serve as a major driver of economic development.
The largest is Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City.
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