Five inducted into 2025 Chickasaw Hall of Fame

ADA, Okla. – Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby inducted five Chickasaws into the Chickasaw Hall of Fame April 25. Inductees include a distinguished war hero, a trailblazing civic leader, a driven athletic coach and mentor, a steadfast tribal advocate, and a groundbreaking attorney.

The 2025 inductees, Wilson James Brown and Jessie Elizabeth Randolph Moore, honored posthumously; Michael Keith Crossley; ‘Rena Bell Duncan; and Tobi Merritt Edwards Young, were honored in ceremonies at the Ataloa Theatre on the East Central University (ECU) campus.

“Each year, during the Chickasaw Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, we celebrate the lives, accomplishments and legacies of remarkable Chickasaw citizens,” Governor Anoatubby said.

“Chickasaw Hall of Fame inductees are inspirations through their hard work, dedication and acts of service. Tonight, we honor five exceptional Chickasaws who represent a range of achievements in public and military service, education and athletics, law, and contributions to the Chickasaw Nation and the Chickasaw people.

“Their accomplishments and stories offer a glimpse into the immeasurable impact Chickasaws have had throughout history. Our inductees’ stories add to the remarkable and ongoing stories of the great Chickasaw Nation,” Governor Anoatubby said.

Wilson James Brown

(1920-1994)

Wilson Brown was a U.S. Army and Air Force Reserve veteran who served during World War II. He was born June 30, 1920, to Andy and Clara Allen Brown in Jesse, Oklahoma. He attended Jones Academy in Hartshorne before enlisting in the U.S. Army on Jan. 15, 1942.

Brown served for 20 years in the U.S. Army and 10 years in the Air Force Reserve. He was present at D-Day plus two and entered Europe from Omaha Beach on June 8, 1944. In December of that year, he fought in the Ardennes region of Belgium throughout the Battle of the Bulge, a major turning point in the war. He was responsible for spotting German forces. Brown found himself at the helm of a tank during this conflict and operated it in defense of himself and his men until he was injured. His heroic actions throughout his service earned him many accolades, including the American Campaign Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

He married the late Pauline Carpenter on March 5, 1954, and they had four children – Milton, LaDonna, Gina and Lisa. Brown was a fluent Chickasaw speaker and was active in tribal affairs. He represented Pontotoc County on the steering committee for the Chickasaw Nation Constitution during the 1970s and 1980s. Brown was the first chairperson of the Chickasaw Community Council. He was also active with Yellow Springs Methodist Church and led native hymns.

In 1973, Brown received his General Educational Development degree and later attended Oklahoma Christian University and Seminole Junior College. He was employed by Tinker Air Force Base for more than 20 years before retiring. He passed away on Jan. 17, 1994. The Chickasaw Foundation launched the Wilson J. Brown Memorial Scholarship for college-age Chickasaw students in 2009. This honors Brown, his dedication to education and his contributions to the U.S. military and the Chickasaw Nation.

Jessie Elizabeth Randolph Moore

(1871-1956)

Jessie Moore was the first woman elected to clerk for the Oklahoma Supreme Court and Criminal Court of Appeals. She was born in Panola County, Chickasaw Nation, now present-day Bryan County, to William Colville Randolph and Sarah Ann Tyson Randolph. She attended school at the Randolph ranch in present-day Maysville, Oklahoma, St. Francis Xavier Academy in Denison, Texas and Kidd-Key College in Sherman, Texas.

Moore was a teacher at the Pierce Institute in 1884. She married U.S. Marshal Elisha Mac Moore in 1889, and they had four children – Thomas R. Moore, Eula Catherine Moore, Sarah Moore and Carrie Imogene Moore Rockwood. Following her husband’s death, Moore returned to Oklahoma. In 1914, she became deputy clerk of the Oklahoma Supreme Court and Criminal Court of Appeals. From 1924-1925, she served as assistant state commissioner of charities and corrections. Moore was elected Oklahoma Supreme Court Clerk in 1926. She was the second woman in Oklahoma history elected to a state office.

In 1927, Moore was the ex officio secretary of the bar commission. She managed complaints against lawyers, oversaw disbarments and supervised the admission of attorneys to practice law in Oklahoma. She served as a democratic presidential elector in 1940 and 1944 and was instrumental in the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Moore served as director of the Bureau of Maternity and Infancy of the state health department and leader of the first Women’s Division of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) in Oklahoma County. Her FERA policies were a blueprint for other emergency relief organizations. She was also a charter member of the Whitebead Presbyterian Church, president of the Alternate Saturday Club and active in the Eastern Star.

She was a member of the Chickasaw Tribal Council under Governor Douglas H. Johnston and Governor Floyd E. Maytubby. For 37 years, she served on the board of directors for the Oklahoma Historical Society and was treasurer for 35 years. Moore was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame by the Oklahoma Memorial Association in 1937.

Michael Keith Crossley

1961–

Mike Crossley is a record-breaking baseball and softball coach with more than 1,898 career wins. He is the son of Lee and Nina (Frazier) Crossley. He is a former baseball player for Del City High School where he graduated as an all-state athlete in 1979. Crossley went on to play for Rose State College and Oklahoma City University.

After graduating from college, Crossley began his more than 40-year career as an educator and coach for the Newcastle baseball and softball teams. His accomplishments include three Oklahoma 4A fast-pitch softball state championships and 36 trips to the state tournament. He was inducted into the Oklahoma High School Fast-Pitch Softball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2006 and Oklahoma Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2021. Crossley became the state record holder in September 2024 for the most wins in Oklahoma high school fast-pitch softball. He surpassed the previous 1,140-career win record.

In 1988, Crossley was named head coach of the Newcastle baseball and fast-pitch softball teams. In 1989, he won the Oklahoma Baseball Coaches Association Rookie Coach of the Year and The Oklahoman’s Little All-City Baseball Coach of the Year. In 2000, Crossley was awarded Newcastle Middle School Teacher of the Year. He is a four-time Daily Oklahoman Fast-pitch Coach of the Year. Crossley was honored with Oklahoma Fast-Pitch Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 2006, 2014 and 2019. He received the Michele Smith Outstanding Coach of the Year Award presented by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame twice.

Crossley retired from teaching and coaching boys’ baseball but continues to coach the Newcastle fast-pitch softball team. He and his wife, Vickie, have three sons – Michael, Jordan and Kyle, daughter-in-law Ashley and granddaughters, Kailee and Averee.

‘Rena Bell Duncan

1948 –

‘Rena Bell Duncan served as a Chickasaw Nation legislator for the Panola District for 15 years. Born in Spokane, Washington, she is the daughter of Chickasaw Hall of Fame member Sally Grinslade Bell and Lt. Col. Ben Bell. Her grandfather, Albert Milton Grinslade Jr., was an original enrollee. She moved to Oklahoma at the age of 16, after living in many states as the child of a military parent. From a young age, her mother taught her of their family and how they impacted Chickasaw history. She began accompanying her mother to meetings of the Chickasaw/Choctaw alliance in the early 1980s.

Duncan was first elected to the Chickasaw Nation Tribal Legislature in 1983. She chaired several committees and was instrumental in the formation of the cultural and historic preservation committee. She was also the first woman legislative secretary and chaired the reapportionment, legislative rules and procedures, education, election procedures, health and economic development committees. She served as co-chair of the cultural preservation committee for the Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes. Duncan was also appointed by Governor Bill Anoatubby as the Chickasaw alternate tribal representative to the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI). She was chosen to serve as NCAI Muscogee Area Vice President by all of the tribes. She was honored alongside five other Chickasaw Nation legislators at a women’s tribal leaders reception sponsored by the Women of the Oklahoma Senate in 1992.

She served as Chickasaw Nation Director of Cultural Resources and as tribal historic preservation officer. She was instrumental in identifying a site for the repatriation of ancestral artifacts and remains on the Natchez Trace Parkway. Duncan continues to advocate for the protection of sacred and significant tribal sites in Oklahoma and the historic Chickasaw Homeland.

Duncan married Stephen Ray Duncan on Aug. 27, 1966, in Achille, Oklahoma. They have three sons, Stephen B., Robert E. and John L., 10 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

Tobi Merritt Edwards Young

1976 –

Tobi Young is an attorney, an advocate for civic engagement and the first enrolled member of a First American tribe to serve as a law clerk for the U.S. Supreme Court. She is from Midwest City, Oklahoma. She graduated from The George Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts before earning a Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 2003.

Young has more than 25 years of experience in law and government. She began her career as the youngest press secretary on Capitol Hill working for Oklahoma Rep. J.C. Watts Jr. She has served in each branch of the federal government, including in the White House, U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Supreme Court.

In 2008, President George W. Bush named Young to be associate counsel to the president after she served as a deputy associate counsel in the White House Counsel’s office. Young also served as general counsel of the George W. Bush Presidential Center. She served as a trial attorney and counsel in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Young was selected as a U.S. delegate to the United Nations Convention Against Torture and the United Nations Civil and Human Rights convenings in Geneva, Switzerland. In 2018, she was appointed as U.S. Supreme Court clerk for the 2018-2019 term by Justice Neil Gorsuch.

Young is now in the technology industry and serves as the chair of the nominating and governance committee on the Halliburton Board of Directors. She is the co-chair of the Women’s Democracy Network for the International Republican Institute (IRI). Young is a board member for the Chamber of Commerce, U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC) and U.S. Chamber Litigation Center.

In 2022, Young was honored with the Chickasaw Nation Dynamic Woman of the Year Award for her significant contributions to the Chickasaw Nation. She and her husband, Evan, a Texas Supreme Court Justice, live in Austin with their daughter, Romilly.

About the Chickasaw Hall of Fame

Since 1987, the Chickasaw Hall of Fame has honored Chickasaw citizens, past and present, who have made a profound impact on the Chickasaw Nation, Chickasaw people and the greater community. Since that time, Chickasaws from a variety of fields and professions have been inducted for their significant achievements and contributions.

The Aaholiitobli’ Honor Garden at the Chickasaw Cultural Center in Sulphur, Oklahoma, commemorates each member of the Chickasaw Hall of Fame. Their influence leaves a lasting mark on the rich legacy of the Chickasaw people.

Induction into the Chickasaw Hall of Fame is the highest honor bestowed upon citizens of the Chickasaw Nation.

To learn more about the 2025 Chickasaw Hall of Fame inductees and view the ceremony, visit HOF.Chickasaw.net.