The Bartlesville Community Foundation will honor three local families during its thirtieth annual Legacy Hall of Fame gala in May. The BCF will recognize the Dunlap and Vaclaw families for their respective contributions in making Bartlesville a stronger, more vibrant community. E.H. “Ted” and Melody Lyon will be honored as a Heritage Family, an award established to recognize those who had a tremendous impact on Bartlesville but are no longer with us.
Past Legacy family names include Kane, Johnstone, May, Gorman, Doenges, Adams, Sears, Hughes, Price, Foster, Silas, Cox, Vasudevan, Garrison, Roll, Colaw, Halkiades, Bowerman, Haskell, Ambler, Curd, Saddoris, Potter, and Zervas. In 2019, the Arutunoff family was honored with the inaugural Heritage award.
The Dunlap family has been in Bartlesville since 1939 when Ray and Lucile Dunlap moved from Hardy, Arkansas and Ray founded Dunlap Construction, which is still in business today. When Lucile passed away in 1976 her funeral was one of the largest ever held that wasn’t for a local dignitary.
Ray and Lucile’s son, Kenny, and daughter, Theresa, have spent their entire lives living and working in Bartlesville. Many other members of the Dunlap family have had and continue to have an impact on our community.
Bartlesville has been home to the Vaclaw family for 100 years. Walenty “Joseph” Vaclaw arrived as a Polish immigrant in 1920. He and his wife, Bernice, had four children. Their only son, Mike, worked for the local fire department before joining Phillips Petroleum Company. 
His son, Michael, graduated from high school and attended the University of Oklahoma on a football scholarship. He and his wife, Roberta, established a home here in 1971 after Michael completed dental school. Dr. Vaclaw operated a dental practice for 34 years before retiring in 2005. He and “Robbie” have been active in community projects throughout their lives.
The Vaclaws raised eight children. All graduated Bartlesville High School and four continue to work and live here with their families.
E.H. “Ted” and Melody Lyon both passed away in 1978, but their names live on through the Lyon Foundation, a private, charitable corporation that has funded countless local projects and programs.
The Bartlesville Community Foundation Hall of Fame gala will be held on Saturday, May 16 at the Bartlesville Community Center. For more information, contact the BCF at 918-337-2287.
