From serving as a Union Army officer to acting as the first mayor of Tulsa, Colonel Edward Calkins used his diverse skills to make an impact on both the city of Tulsa and on The University of Tulsa.
Colonel Edward Calkins was born August 20, 1836, in Burlington, Pennsylvania, to parents Moses Calkins Jr. and Eveline (Braffert) Calkins. He had two older brothers, Charles and Henry, and two younger siblings, Alfred and Emma. Sadly, his older sister Odessa passed away as a young child prior to his birth.
In August of 1863, during the Civil War, Edward enlisted in the Union Army. He served for two years as an officer in the 7th Regiment of the Indiana Calvary, ultimately achieving the rank of Colonel. It is possible he lost his right arm during the war, as he was discharged with a disability, but reports later in his life attributed his one-armed status to an accident outdoors. Whatever the source and despite his disability, Edward had an impressive demeanor, and he was described as “courtly” and “a gentleman” as an older man.
Edward married his wife, Eleanora J. (McClure) Calkins, ten years his junior, in 1865. They lived for a number of years in Indiana where Colonel Calkins earned his law degree. He also served one term as a member of the Indiana Legislature from 1871 to 1872.
In 1894, Edward and Eleanora moved to Indian Territory to what would later become the state of Oklahoma. Edward began practicing law, and the couple lived first in McAlester, and then Pawnee, before putting down roots in Tulsa.
The Colonel played a major role in Tulsa’s early days, signing a petition, along with nine other prominent Tulsans, to officially incorporate Tulsa as a town in 1898. Edward also stepped up to serve as Tulsa’s first mayor from 1898 to 1899. His primary responsibilities in this early civic role were to preside over the City Council and to act as a municipal judge. In his role as a judge, Edward had the same powers as a magistrate. In this capacity, he levied fines for various infractions, enabling the city to build its revenue and to become fiscally sound.
As the mayor of such a young city, Edward also focused on physical improvements, having Tulsa’s main street plowed to better accommodate the horses and other traffic of the day. He also built the city’s first jail, which was described as a small stone structure. After losing a bid to serve a second term as mayor in 1900, Colonel Calkins served as Tulsa’s City Attorney from 1902 to 1903.
Edward and Eleanora lived out the remainder of their lives in their relatively new hometown of Tulsa, with Eleanora passing away in 1908 at the age of 62, and Edward in 1911 at the age of 74. An accomplished man with an interesting history, Colonel Calkins left TU a generous estate gift to be used after his passing to fund scholarships for students with little financial means. His gift continues to be appreciated by the university and the recipients of his namesake scholarships.
