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A Message from the Executive Director
When Enterprise Square USA opened her doors for the first time in the fall of 1982, it was cause for great celebration. The 60,000-square-foot facility, built at a cost of $10 million, was the largest construction project ever undertaken on the campus of what was then Oklahoma Christian College. Featuring larger-than-life exhibits, cutting-edge multimedia presentations and interactive video games, Enterprise Square USA was the only museum in America teaching young people the value of the free enterprise system with a high-tech, high-touch approach.
There was nothing subtle about Enterprise Square USA. It boasted the largest working cash register in the world, animatronic heads of past U.S. presidents, a fully restored 1920’s Model T Ford and massive video displays that told passers-by the stories of American innovation. Constructed in the midst of the Cold War, it represented an ideological beachhead in a time in which the future of the world was unclear. Tapping into the optimism of the American spirit, the museum was an instant hit.
There were many reasons why Enterprise Square USA closed its doors in 2001, the most obvious being the high costs associated with keeping aging exhibits operational while interest in the museum waned. Amazingly, during the 19 years Enterprise Square was open, more than 600,000 schoolchildren toured its halls, each being exposed to a positive message about the free enterprise system and the importance of human liberty.
It is a great joy to be a part of the “Heart of America” campaign, launched 25 years following the dedication of the facility. We now seek the funding needed to restore Enterprise Square as an important tool in the effort to inspire and equip individuals for lives of service. With the leadership of OC president Mike O’Neal and the volunteer efforts of our campaign co-chairs, Mr. Mark Stansberry (far left) and retired General Tommy Franks (left), we have reason to believe that the facility that played such an important part in shaping hearts and minds in the past will be reborn to do the same in the future. While the renovated facility will be vastly different than the Enterprise Square building that opened its doors in 1982, the desire to use the facility to promote servant leadership, free enterprise, community involvement and liberty remains unchanged. I hope you will join us in our efforts to build a facility that will enhance OC’s desire to inspire thoughtful, servant leaders for generations to come.
sincerely,
Dr. Nathan B. Mellor
