The “Realizing the Dream” exhibit at the Oklahoma History Center shares the story of the African American experience in Oklahoma.
One of the items on display is a large X-ray machine once owned by renowned Oklahoma City Dr. Gravelly Eugene Finley Sr. This artifact offers guests a connection to a man who provided quality medical care to his fellow Oklahoma City residents, as well as to people in need half a world away.
Dr. Finley once remarked, “I always wanted to be a doctor. No one believed in me, but here I am.”
He was born in Batesville, Ark., but finished high school in Little Rock, which was the closest city with a high school that accepted Black students.