Chickasaw Nation announces 2025 Chickasaw Hall of Fame inductees

Hall of Fame April 17 at Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center, Ada

ADA, Okla. – Five Chickasaws have been selected for induction into the Chickasaw Hall of Fame April 17. Inductees include a distinguished U.S. veteran, a record-breaking coach, a culture advocate, a pioneering attorney and a dedicated legal scholar.

Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby will lead induction ceremonies.

Wilson Brown; Michael Crossley, Newcastle, Oklahoma; ‘Rena Bell Duncan, Achille, Oklahoma; Jessie Moore; and Tobi Young, Austin, Texas, comprise the 2025 class of the Chickasaw Hall of Fame, the highest honor the Chickasaw Nation bestows.

Brown and Moore will be inducted posthumously.

The Chickasaw Hall of Fame ceremony will be 6 p.m., Thursday, April 17, at the Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center, in the Ataloa Theatre on the East Central University campus, Ada, Oklahoma.

The event will also be livestreamed at HOF.Chickasaw.net and the Chickasaw Nation Facebook page.

Chickasaw Hall of Fame inductees are:

Wilson James Brown
(1920-1994)

Wilson Brown was a U.S. Army and Air Force Reserve veteran who served during World War II. He was present at D-Day plus two and entered Europe from Omaha Beach. Brown fought in the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium, a major turning point in the war, and was responsible for preventing his platoon from ambush. He served 20 years in the U.S. Army and 10 years in the Air Force Reserve. He earned many accolades including the American Campaign medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He was also a fluent Chickasaw speaker and was active in tribal affairs.

Michael Keith Crossley
1961 -

Mike Crossley is a record-breaking coach with more than 1,898 career wins. His accomplishments include three Oklahoma 4A state championships and 36 trips to the state tournament. He has also been inducted into the Oklahoma High School Fast-Pitch Softball Coaches Association Hall of Fame and Oklahoma Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. In 2014 and 2019, Crossley received the Michele Smith Outstanding Coach of the Year award. He has also been named Oklahoma Baseball Coaches Association Rookie Coach of the Year, Little All-City Baseball Coach of the Year, Newcastle Middle School Teacher of the Year and Oklahoma Fast-Pitch Coaches Association Coach of the Year.

‘Rena Bell Duncan
1948 -

‘Rena Bell Duncan served as a Chickasaw Nation legislator for 15 years. She was first elected to the Chickasaw Nation Tribal Legislature in 1983. She chaired several committees and was instrumental in the formation of the cultural and historic preservation committee. Other committees she chaired include the reapportionment, legislative rules and procedures, education, election procedures, health and economic development committees. She also served as Chickasaw Nation Director of Cultural Resources and as a historic preservation officer. Duncan continues to advocate for the protection of sacred and significant tribal sites in Oklahoma and the Chickasaw Homeland.

Jessie Elizabeth Randolph Moore
1871-1956

Jessie Moore was the first woman elected to clerk for the Oklahoma Supreme Court and Criminal Court of Appeals. In 1884, she was a teacher at the Pierce Institute. She became deputy clerk of the Oklahoma Supreme Court in 1914 and was elected clerk in 1926, the second woman in Oklahoma history elected to a state office. She was a member of the Chickasaw Tribal Council and on the board of directors for the Oklahoma Historical Society. She was instrumental in the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt, serving as a democratic presidential elector. Moore was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame by the Oklahoma Memorial Association in 1937.

Tobi Merritt Edwards Young
1976 -

Tobi Young is an attorney, an advocate for civic engagement and the first enrolled member of a First American tribe to serve as a law clerk for the U.S. Supreme Court. She has more than 25 years of experience in law and government and began her career as the youngest press secretary on Capitol Hill. In 2008, President George W. Bush named Young to be associate counsel to the president. In 2018 she was appointed to clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch. Young was honored with the Chickasaw Nation Dynamic Woman of the Year Award in 2022.

About the Chickasaw Hall of Fame

Since 1987, the Chickasaw Hall of Fame has honored Chickasaw citizens, past and present, who have made a profound impact on the Chickasaw Nation, Chickasaw people and the greater community. Since that time, Chickasaws from a variety of fields and professions have been inducted for their significant achievements and contributions.

The Aaholiitobli’ Honor Garden at the Chickasaw Cultural Center in Sulphur, Oklahoma, commemorates each member of the Chickasaw Hall of Fame. Their influence leaves a lasting mark on the rich legacy of the Chickasaw people.

For more information on the Chickasaw Hall of Fame, visit HOF.Chickasaw.net.