Hiawatha Thompson Este

Born January 26, 1918, in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, Hiawatha Thompson Estes was a prolific architect and designer of the modern ranch-style home. After graduating from the University of Oklahoma in 1940, where he played in the Pride of Oklahoma marching band, Estes served his country during World War II in the U.S. Army Air Corps 37th Fighter Squadron, attaining the rank of captain. Following the war, he moved to southern California and married Jeanne Price in 1948. Together they founded the Nationwide House Plan Book Company, later known as Hiawatha Estes and Associates, which they operated for over 30 years.

Trained as a civil engineer, Estes was a prolific promoter of the ranch style home. His modern, inexpensive and practical designs were featured in newspapers across the country, showcasing to millions of Americans the newest trends in home building. Estes's houses incorporated the rapid changes occurring in U.S. households, including the increased use of air conditioning, homes centered on privacy and watching television instead of hosting guests.

Business may have taken him far from home, but the nephew of Chickasaw storyteller Te Ata and cousin to U.S. Congressman Tom Cole never forgot his Chickasaw and Oklahoma roots. Estes focused on giving back to his alma mater and became a founding member of OU's President's Associates. He financially supported more than 75 university scholarships, including establishing the Hiawatha Estes Pride of Oklahoma Scholarship to aid music students. He was awarded the OU Regents Alumni Award in 2002 for outstanding service and contributions to the university and a courtyard at OU's Catlett Music Center was named in his honor.

Known for continuously working toward his goals, Estes earned the nickname "roadrunner" from his aunt Te Ata. In addition to writing an internationally syndicated Los Angeles Times column for many years, he published more than 90 stock plan catalogs. Hiawatha Thompson Estes passed away in 2003 and left an enduring legacy to the Chickasaw Nation, the University of Oklahoma and in neighborhoods across the country.