Editing Durant, Oklahoma (section)

== Other distinctions ==
Durant has had the honor to be recognized on a national scale on various occasions, regarding famous visitations or other attention. An example of this is as follows:

[[File:(President Theodore Roosevelt Speaking from a Railroad Observation Car) (15013237379).jpg|thumb|right|upright|President Theodore Roosevelt addressed the community from the back of his train car on April 5, 1905.]]

* On April 5, 1905, President [[Theodore Roosevelt]] arrived in Durant on a train, and gave a speech, using the rear of the train as his platform.<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://id.lib.harvard.edu/via/olvwork519300/catalog |title=Theodore Roosevelt Collection photographs: presidency—second term, 1905.; Hollis Images; Harvard University|website=images.hollis.harvard.edu|access-date=2018-02-21}}</ref> He later revisited the community in 1910, staying in the downtown Bryan Hotel, while on a hunting trip in the area.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://newsok.com/article/2427848|title=Durant Hotel Could Become Home for Low-Income Families|date=1993-04-19|work=NewsOK.com|access-date=2017-04-09|language=en-US}}</ref>
* First Lady [[Eleanor Roosevelt]] visited the community, speaking on March 20, 1937, for Senior Day at [[Southeastern Oklahoma State University|Southeastern Teachers College]], as it was known at the time. She spoke at the invitation of the president of the college, [[Kate Galt Zaneis]]. Mrs. Roosevelt noted in her diary, "I spoke to a packed auditorium of young people, who proved to be a remarkably good audience." As Mrs. Roosevelt stepped up to speak, the orchestra played "Let Me Call You Sweetheart." Mrs. Zaneis said the song was chosen because Mrs. Roosevelt was loved so much.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Kate Galt Zaneis: First Lady of Education in Oklahoma|last=Beach|first=Linda Arlene|year=1976|url=http://carmine.se.edu/digitized-annuals/E-books/KateGaltZaneisthesis.pdf|pages=30–31|access-date=2017-04-09|archive-date=2017-04-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170410213714/http://carmine.se.edu/digitized-annuals/E-books/KateGaltZaneisthesis.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> Mrs. Roosevelt received around 2300 people that afternoon. She notes "I rarely do this, but it is also rare for a woman to be a president of a college where there are both men and women students." She also wrote that upon boarding the train to leave town, some of the students waiting at the depot assisted her in loading fifty-four boxes of flowers as gifts to her onto the train.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www2.gwu.edu/~erpapers/myday/displaydoc.cfm?_y=1937&_f=md054596c|title=My Day, March 20, 1937|last=Roosevelt|first= Eleanor|editor-last=Black|editor-first=Allida M.|date=2007-06-04|website=www2.gwu.edu|access-date=2017-04-09|editor-last2=Binker|editor-first2= Mary Jo |editor-last3=Alhambra|editor-first3= Christopher C. }}</ref>
* In 1953, actor [[José Ferrer]] and actress/singer [[Rosemary Clooney]] were married in Durant while Jose was performing in the musical ''[[Kiss Me, Kate]]'' in [[Dallas]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1915&dat=19530714&id=N-8gAAAAIBAJ&pg=5074,2039063|title=The Day – Google News Archive Search|work=google.com}}</ref>
*According to papers from the FBI released during the drop of Kennedy documents released in 2017, [[Jack Ruby]] went to Durant to look at purchasing a motel just north of town in 1960. He was accompanied by Roy Kimes and Joe Russell Wyatt to area, dropping off Wyatt in [[Colbert, Oklahoma|Colbert]] and subsequently picking him up on the way back to [[Farmersville, Texas|Farmersville]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=January 15, 1964|title=Record Number 124-10110-10268|url=https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/docid-32279864.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=June 4, 2021|website=National Archives|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171027031145/https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/docid-32279864.pdf |archive-date=2017-10-27 }}</ref>
*On June 2, 1965, less than two years after her [[Lee Harvey Oswald|former husband]] was believed to have shot President [[John F. Kennedy|John F Kennedy]] (and was subsequently shot himself), [[Marina Oswald Porter|Marina Oswald]] and fiancé Kenneth Porter, came to Durant to get married due to the blood testing laws of the time. They arrived early in the day to take the blood tests, but were told to return at 2pm for the results. They ate lunch and drove out to [[Lake Texoma]] to pass time before 2 pm. By the time 2pm came around, the media had caught up to them and they fled to [[Sherman, Texas]] to avoid the attention. They were eventually married that evening in [[Fate, Texas]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=June 2, 1965|title=Crowd Here Spooks Marina Oswald - She takes her Hubby-to-Be to Texas for Wedding|work=Durant Daily Democrat}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Peterson|first=Bob|date=June 2, 1965|title=Keeping in Step|work=Durant Daily Democrat}}</ref>
* On July 15, 2015, President [[Barack Obama]] visited the city to address the nation from Durant High School on his "Promised Zone" initiative.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://durantdemocrat.com/top-stories/480/president-obama-will-address-the-nation-from-durant-high-school-on-wednesday|title=President Obama will address the nation from Durant High School on Wednesday|access-date=2017-04-09|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170410051240/http://durantdemocrat.com/top-stories/480/president-obama-will-address-the-nation-from-durant-high-school-on-wednesday|archive-date=2017-04-10|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2014, the President designated five areas in the United States as Promised Zones, including the [[Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma]]. The other areas designated were Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Antonio, and Southeastern Kentucky. The initiative was "designed to create jobs and increase economic security by partnering local communities with business." While speaking, he also introduced his ConnectHome initiative, which is designed to open up greater access to the internet for low income households.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://kfor.com/2015/07/15/president-obama-to-make-big-announcement-in-oklahoma/|title=President Obama arrives in Oklahoma for two-day visit|date=2015-07-15|website=KFOR.com|access-date=2017-04-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://kfor.com/2014/01/09/pres-obama-to-announce-5-anti-poverty-zones-including-one-in-oklahoma/|title=Pres. Obama to announce 5 "Anti-Poverty Zones" including one in Oklahoma|date=2014-01-09|website=KFOR.com|access-date=2017-04-09}}</ref>
* In August 2016, Durant found itself at the unlikely center of controversy after an online petition was created by a citizen of [[Edmond, Oklahoma]], Ryan Nazari, suggesting that Durant should be forced to change its name to Westbrook in honor of [[Russell Westbrook]], after [[Kevin Durant]]'s unpopular departure from the [[Oklahoma City Thunder]]. "Ladies and gentleman, the great state of Oklahoma has been betrayed...It is because of this heinous action that I believe the State of Oklahoma has a responsibility to change the name of the City of Durant to Westbrook, the man who is loyal, whom we believe in, and who will lead our team to glory. Yes, it is understood that the city Durant was not named after the evil Kevin Durant, but it is just another hideous reminder of what happened," Nazari's petition read. Neither the creator of the petition, nor Kevin Durant had ever visited the community. The news surrounding the petition led to an article by [[ESPN]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/17393678/thunder-fan-petitions-name-oklahoma-town-changed-durant-westbrook|title=Thunder fan petitions to have name of Oklahoma town changed from Durant to Westbrook|work=ESPN.com|access-date=2017-04-09}}</ref> and later by [[The New York Times]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/08/sports/basketball/kevin-durant-oklahoma-golden-state-warriors.html|title=Kevin Durant Is Gone. Durant, Okla., Is Sad.|last=Cacciola|first=Scott|date=2017-02-08|work=The New York Times|access-date=2017-04-09|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
* In December 2016, Durant gained national attention again. ''[[People (magazine)|People]]'' published a light-hearted article regarding the Durant Fire Department's annual Christmas Card. The department had experienced the birth of six babies during the year and decided to feature them in their annual Christmas card. "If you ask many of the fire fighters in Durant, OK what defines them; they will say brotherhood and family. That is why when this small paid department of 33 looked back on the year and saw that 6 of their brothers had newborn babies, it was time to show the public what was at the core of their department."<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://people.com/human-interest/oklahoma-fire-department-creates-cutest-christmas-card-ever-with-squad-of-tiny-firefighters/|title=Oklahoma Fire Department Creates Cutest Christmas Card Ever with Squad of Tiny Firefighters|date=2016-12-22|work=PEOPLE.com|access-date=2017-04-09|language=en-US}}</ref>