1091 - McMahon Foundation

The turn of the twentieth century brought increasing numbers of pioneers west into Indian Territory. Wagon trains of settlers traveled across the dusty prairie, the sound of creaking wagon wheels, braying horses, and jingling kettles carried on the wind. By 1901, pioneers had begun to congregate south of Fort Sill in a little tent city known as Lawton. E.P. and Louise McMahon, along with their son Eugene, had ventured here and put down roots in this young frontier town. E.P., who practiced law and sold insurance and real estate, was enthusiastic about the opportunities a new homestead in Lawton could bring. Louise became the first piano teacher in the rough-and-tumble tent city.

Through Eugene’s wise investment in Texas oil, the family obtained great wealth. After twenty-five years of living in Lawton, the McMahons moved to San Antonio where Eugene successfully operated the McMahon Royalties Company. Sadly, E.P. died in May of 1936. With the family’s fortune, Louise and Eugene established the McMahon Foundation, a charitable organization honoring the memory of E.P. and also the community of Lawton, which was near and dear to his heart. Numerous local entities have benefited from the foundation including: Lawton Public Library’s Family and Local History Room, McMahon Auditorium, Museum of the Great Plains, Cameron University, and the Lawton YMCA.

The McMahon Home was built in 1948 to serve as Louise McMahon’s residence and the foundation headquarters. Because of Louise’s philanthropic spirit and generosity, she was elected to the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1954. The McMahon Foundation is a huge contributor to not only the city of Lawton but to the state of Oklahoma as well.