Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
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The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA) is the leading politically conservative think tank in Oklahoma.
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[edit] Founding and stated purpose
Founded in 1993 by Dr. David Brown, also chairman of the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., OCPA strives to bring groundbreaking research to the state. Brown recognized a need for political change in his home state and began fundraising to form a small think tank developed around the same model as Heritage.
Ten years later, OCPA launched a capital campaign which resulted in a newly renovated building. OCPA's staff of six now occupies the headquarters just blocks from the Oklahoma State Capitol in the heart of Oklahoma City. The facilities are frequently used as a meeting point by local legislators, authors, experts and statewide elected officials.
[edit] Annual Citizenship Award
OCPA's annual Citizenship Award has proven to be the council's biggest event, most recently honoring former U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Newt Gingrich. Former winners have included Gen. Tommy Franks, conservative commentator, author, and columnist William F. Buckley, Jr., Associate U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and the late U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Jeane Kirkpatrick.