Oklahoma Living

For nearly 65 years, Oklahoma Living has served Oklahoma's rural electric cooperative members by supplying information about their local electric co-ops, affordable electricity, and Oklahoma's rural lifestyle.

After five years of planning, Oklahoma Living came to life in January 1948 as Oklahoma Rural News - a black-and-white newspaper, roughly 8 to 12 pages long. Oklahoma Rural News began under the leadership of Lawrence Reeds, the original general manager at the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives.

The publication began as a house organ for Oklahoma's rural electric cooperatives, and had less than 100,000 readers, most of whom were farmers. Oklahoma Rural News focused on agriculture, rural development and affordable electricity. There were minimal interactive articles on the "Homemakers' Page" which featured recipes, patterns and pen pals.

Although 50% of our readers still own farms, the dynamic of rural Oklahoma's inhabitants is ever-changing. Since Oklahoma Living's beginning in the '40s, rural Oklahomans have become more urbanized, more recreational and more self-sustainable.

As our readers have evolved, so have we. Oklahoma Living has since become more interactive, colorful and diverse while still keeping a firm grasp on our co-op roots and maintaining our rural American charm.

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