Our History
The organization known today as Planned Parenthood of Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma, Inc. originated as the Tulsa Birth Control League in the fall of 1936. The first clinic opened March 17, 1937, at Tulsa General Hospital. By November of the first year, 150 women had been cared for at a cost of about 40 cents each. Although most of the families served averaged five children [one was the mother of 15 children] and all had incomes of less than $70 per month, many people in the community insisted that this issue was just "too hot to handle" and considered the topic of birth control "obscene".
At first Planned Parenthood was a woman's organization, run by women. Men became more active as they saw the dollars-and-cents value of limiting family size.
In 1989, a Planned Parenthood health center opened in Broken Arrow and in 1981 we established a health center in Fayetteville, Arkansas. In 1988, Nancy Kachel became Executive Director of Planned Parenthood. In 1989, we began offering HIV tests and prenatal healthcare services and in 1990 we began offering WIC (Women's, Infants, Children's) services.
In 1993, we opened the Tulsa Westside Health Center and in 1996, we added Spanish speaking staff in our health centers to improve accessibility to the Hispanic population.
In 1998, Planned Parenthood of Eastern Oklahoma and Western Arkansas merged with Planned Parenthood of Greater Arkansas to become Planned Parenthood of Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma. In 2000 we opened the Pediatric Health Center.
In 2002 Administration relocated to 5780 South Peoria, Tulsa, and a health center was also opened at the location. Following a successful capital campaign in 2003, we began the renovation and/or relocation of all health centers. In 2004, the Fayetteville Health Center was expanded. In 2006, the Little Rock Health Center moved to a larger facility.
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