Frank and Merle Buttram were genuine philanthropists. Thanks to their generosity, their love of music has continued to make a significant impact on generations of young musicians for more than 60 years.
Mrs. Buttram, a former professor of violin at the University of Oklahoma, shared a deep appreciation for music with Frank, her husband of 50 years. The successful oilman and millionaire loved to recall that the first 50 cents he ever earned picking cotton at the age of eight was spent for a songbook. Concerned with the lack of young people studying stringed instruments, Mrs. Buttram helped to establish string music programs at many Oklahoma City high schools. "Without strings, the great heritage of symphonic and chamber music given us through the centuries will be lost," she once said.
Together, the couple created the Buttram String Awards shortly after World War II to encourage more young people to study to be string musicians. Frank died in 1966 and Merle in 1971. In 1991, their family moved the program to the Oklahoma City Community Foundation. Today, the Buttram String Awards remains an annual statewide competition for high school students and continues to reward aspiring musicians.