Scholarship

The 2025 Prusa Scholarship Applications are due October 1, 2025 by 5pm.

The Prusa Family Memorial Scholarship is made possible by donations, special gifts, and memorials to the Cherokee Strip Historical Society. It is a $1,500 scholarship awarded by the board of the directors to a sophomore level or above college student. All applicants must have lived in and went to school in Noble County for at a minimum of three years. Preference may be given to students within history, social studies, or museum sciences. In addition to filling out the form below, please mail the following items to CSHS Scholarship Committee c/o Cherokee Strip Museum, 2617 West Fir Avenue, Perry, Oklahoma 73077:

1. A current transcript with grade point average

2. proof of registration

3. Three letters of recommendation

Board of Directors & Officers

Board Members:

Kevin Bond

Karen Demory

Shelbi Duke

April Smith

Dub Schieffer

History

In 1953 the state legislature passed a Joint House Resolution creating the Cherokee Strip Historical Society and authorizing the development of local branches. This was done to commemorate the epic Land Run of 1893 that opened around six million acres of land located in the Cherokee Outlet (which had become known as the Cherokee Strip) to non-Indian settlement. With the support and encouragement of the state government, the Noble County Branch of the Cherokee Strip Historical Society (CSHS) was formed.

During the next few years, the society’s main function was to care for a growing collection of materials informally collected, stored and exhibited in the basement of the Perry Carnegie Library. Most of the items, photographs and documents collected related to the early pioneer settlement of the local area. In 1965 the Cherokee Strip Historical Society reorganized and incorporated for the purpose of building a museum to house their growing collection. Through a joint effort of the Historical Society and the State of Oklahoma, the Cherokee Strip Museum was constructed in 1968. Title to the land, building and the collection was given to the State. The Cherokee Strip Museum is now operated by the Oklahoma Historical Society.

The growth and development of the Cherokee Strip Museum continues to be the organization’s primary focus. The CSHS provides a local advisory board, financial assistance and volunteer help for the museum. In July 1993, the CSHS entered into a contractual arrangement with the OHS to begin operating the gift store in the museum and the award-winning educational program, “A Day at Rose Hill School.” The partnership between the CSHS and the OHS has benefited both organizations and allowed both groups to better fulfill their mission.