Attorney and oilman. Correspondence (1927-1962), business and general files (1903-1990), and financial records (1904-1974) of Wirt Franklin, a longtime citizen of Ardmore, Oklahoma, who was key in developing the Healdton Field. His papers span nearly the length of his six-decade career as an attorney and oilman. Among them are the records of Apple & Franklin, his law practice with Samuel Apple, which represented citizens of the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations in citizenship claims, land ownership issues, and guardianship cases in the early 20th century. The largest portion of the collection consists of the business and financial files of his many companies and partnerships, including the Crystal Oil Company, Wirtaine Petroleum Corporation, Ardmore Investment Company, Franklin, Aston & Fair, and others. The collection also documents his work as a Special Field Assistant for the U.S. Petroleum Administration for War, as well as his activities with the American Petroleum Institute, the Independent Petroleum Association of America, and the Mid-Continent Oil & Gas Association.