GAYLORD, Edward Lewis 1919-2003

OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for CA sketch: Born May 28, 1919, in Oklahoma City, OK; died from complication due to pancreatic cancer April 27, 2003, in Oklahoma City, OK. Publisher and business executive. Gaylord was the former publisher and editor of the Oklahoman who also built a multimedia empire. His father, E. K. Gaylord, had been publisher and editor of the paper before him, and the younger Gaylord followed in his father's footsteps. He began working at the paper when he was in high school before attending Stanford University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1941. He earned an M.B.A. from Harvard University after that. With the onset of World War II, Gaylord left school to serve in the U.S. Army. When he returned, he went back to work at his father's newspaper, working his way up the ranks and holding several offices, including assistant general manager, executive vice president, director, and treasurer. When his father died in 1974, Gaylord took over as editor and publisher of the Oklahoman. Seeking to diversify the Oklahoma Publishing Co., which owned the paper, he set out to expand into television and established the Gaylord Production Co. in Los Angeles. This company went on to produce such television staples as Hee Haw and The Glen Campbell Show during the 1970s. Gaylord continued to show his interest in country music by purchasing Opyrland in 1983, the Opryland Music Group, Opryland Hotel, and Opryland Theme Park, as well as the television networks Country Music Television and the Nashville Network. In 1991 he also headed Gaylord Entertainment in Nashville. Other business concerns included television stations in Florida, Texas, New Mexico, and Oregon, as well as oil and gas interests with his company Publisher's Petroleum, a real estate company, and shares of sports teams, such as the Texas Rangers, San Antonio Spurs, and Nashville Predators. In the 1990s, Gaylord turned the presidency of Oklahoma Publishing over to his son, and he also sold his television networks. Ten days before his death, he resigned as publisher and editor of the Oklahoman.

OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Chicago Tribune, April 29, 2003, section 1, p. 11.

Los Angeles Times, April 30, 2003, p. B11.

New York Times, April 29, 2003, p. A27.

Washington Post, April 29, 2003, p. B6.