Ruth Kaiser Nelson, one of Tulsa’s most prominent philanthropists and a leading force behind improving public housing in the city, died Wednesday.
She was 87.
A service is set for noon Friday at Congregation B’nai Emunah. Fitzgerald Ivy Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
A member of Tulsa’s influential Kaiser family — a clan of Jewish refugees who made it big in Oklahoma oil — Nelson had many philanthropic interests, but none more so than public housing, which became a consuming passion.
A longtime leader with the Tulsa Housing Authority, she chaired the agency’s board from 1991 to 2016, when she retired as the longest-serving mayoral appointee at the time in the city.
Nelson is credited with helping turn the failing public agency around, and under her leadership it earned top marks from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which designated it a “high performer.”
“Thousands have had better housing in Tulsa because of her,” Mayor G.T. Bynum said Thursday of Nelson. “She was a quietly historic figure for Tulsa. She was humble, brilliant and tirelessly committed to helping others.”
“I will always remember,” Bynum added, “sitting in a packed City Council chamber, watching a room full of people jeer her as she sought to build housing for those who needed it in our city to avoid homelessness. She didn’t hide or get angry or yell back; she just sat and listened to every one of them.
“She got it built, and it has served hundreds of our neighbors who have had better lives because of her work. …
“She led a remarkable life. And I am so grateful she was a Tulsan.”
Nelson hailed from a family of high performers. Among others, it includes her younger brother, billionaire oilman and philanthropist George Kaiser, and her son, award-winning actor Tim Blake Nelson.
Nelson’s parents, Herman and Kate Kaiser, made the family’s success possible when they decided to immigrate to the United States. With the rise of the Nazi party, they fled Germany in the late 1930s and settled in Tulsa, where they had relatives.
It was there that Herman started Kaiser-Francis Oil Co., which his son, George, would eventually take over.
Nelson became a successful independent oil and gas producer in her own right, running her own Tulsa-based oil production company.
One of Nelson’s earliest philanthropic interests was the work of what is now the Center for Individuals with Physical Challenges.
She served as board president, and it was in that role that she observed firsthand the Tulsa Housing Authority and some of the problems it faced. The center had partnered with THA on a property next door, from which residents routinely called 911 trying to get help.
Getting involved with THA, Nelson helped chart a new future for the beleaguered agency, creating partnerships with other agencies and introducing changes to services and senior management. For residents, long overdue repairs and renovations were completed, vacant units filled and new programs introduced under Nelson.
Although new public housing properties were sometimes hotly contested, Nelson defended them.
Projects she helped push through included new facilities in north Tulsa, west Tulsa, and a four-story complex just north of Interstate 244 on Yale Avenue, which stirred a lot of public opposition.
In 1985, Nelson began a long relationship with Planned Parenthood of Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma. She served on its board as a member and president and was later presented the agency’s highest honor, the Founders’ Award. Nelson also served on the boards of the Magic Empire Council of Girl Scouts and Tulsa Jewish Retirement and Health Center.
She was a lifelong supporter of her alma mater, Bryn Mawr College, and served on the university’s Board of Trustees.
Nelson promoted higher education locally, as well. Most recently, that included supporting the new Herman & Kate Kaiser Student Success Center, named after her parents, on Tulsa Community College’s Northeast Campus.
TCC President Leigh Goodson said Nelson previously was part of a fundraising campaign that helped TCC raise a record $20 million in 18 months.
“She leaves a legacy of abundant generosity with her time, energy and support,” Goodson said. “I worked closely with Ruth over several years for community projects. Her leadership demonstrated great passion and empathy as she focused her efforts to support the community’s youth and our students while working to build stronger families.”
Among Nelson’s many honors, she was a member of the Tulsa Hall of Fame and Tulsa Library Hall of Fame, and in 2016 the City Council awarded her the key to the city in recognition of her work with housing, women and the poor.
Beyond Tulsa, she was a recipient of the National Council of Jewish Women’s Solomon Award for her social efforts.
But despite all the public acknowledgement, most of Nelson’s charity efforts were done quietly and anonymously, say those who knew her best.
Chea Redditt, THA president and CEO during Nelson’s tenure, said of Nelson: “Her drive and determination has touched the lives of tens of thousands of Tulsans — not Tulsans of wealth or power, but the disabled and the poor. Whether they know it or not, Ruth Nelson has changed their lives.”
Nelson is survived by her husband, Tom Murphy; brother, George Kaiser; four children, Mike Nelson, Pam Nelson, Randy Nelson and Tim Nelson; and 10 grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be made to the Tulsa Center for Individuals with Physical Challenges or Clare House.
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