A member of an Oklahoma pioneer family, Florence Ogden Wilson learned early the importance of giving back. Born in New York City, she moved to Oklahoma to live with her aunt and uncle, Alice and William Fremont Harn, after the death of her mother.
After graduating from Vassar, Miss Wilson returned to Oklahoma City to work for her uncle. She soon became active in numerous civic and church activities and was the first female trustee at Oklahoma City University.
When Miss Wilson inherited much of the Harn homestead and estate, she found herself in a position to give back to the community that had supported her when she most needed. After deeding the Harn Homestead to the city for a pioneer museum, she came to the Oklahoma City Community Foundation in 1971 where she created several endowment funds for five nonprofit organizations: National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma Zoological Society, YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City, YWCA Oklahoma City and Allied Arts. Following her death in 1979, a bequest from her estate further funded the endowments.