The Norman Transcript

The Norman Transcript is Norman's oldest continuous business. Its history surpasses that of the City of Norman and of the University of Oklahoma, being founded in 1889 when the area was opened to settlement.

One of the persons on the settler train headed to Norman was Ed P. Engle, a newspaperman who, when the train arrived in Norman, walked one block west through three-inch high prairie grass to stake a business lot at what is now the northeast corner of the intersection of West Main Street and Santa Fe Avenue.

The first edition of Norman’s pioneer newspaper came off the press a few weeks later on July 13, 1889. In 1912, J.J. Burke, who had purchased The Transcript in 1903, and remained its editor until 1920, established a free daily newspaper. Later, The Transcript became a regular daily, which was merged with its weekly edition in 1917.

Fred E. Tarman joined The Transcript in 1922 as editor and remained in that position until his retirement in 1969. Harold R. Belknap became editor and publisher at that time. Don Frensley later became publisher. The newspaper was sold to Donrey Media Group in 1985 and to Community Newspaper Holdings Inc., in 1998. Mark Millsap serves as current publisher.