History
1902: Crowe & Dunlevy began when Charles Edward Johnson (1870-1950) opened the first law office in the Oklahoma Territory at 131 ½ West Grand (now Sheridan Avenue). The Westin Hotel stands at this location today. "Olie" Johnson was an emigrant from Sweden who graduated from the University of Texas Law School (LL.B., 1901).
1903: The first law partnership in the Oklahoma Territory started when Albert P. Crockett (1871- 1918) joined "Olie" Johnson in the practice of law.
1904: The Firm moved to larger quarters at 129 West Grand.
1905: The Firm made its next move to Oklahoma City's first "skyscraper," the six-story Lee Building at the northeast corner of Main and Robinson.
1907: The Firm name became Burwell, Crockett & Johnson when Benjamin F. Burwell (1866-1916) joined the practice of law. Judge Burwell had been an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court for the Territory of Oklahoma, serving from 1898 until statehood in 1907. Some of Judge Burwell's books are still in the Firm's library today.
1916: John Embry (1869-1960) joined the Firm, and its name became Embry, Crockett & Johnson. He had served as the U.S. Attorney for the Territory of Oklahoma and later for the State from 1907-1912.
1918: The Firm name became Embry, Johnson & Kidd when Chester P. Kidd joined in the practice of law. He retired in 1922 due to illness.
1922: The Firm name became Embry, Johnson & Tolbert, and the office moved to the Medical Arts Building at the southwest corner of Park and Broadway. Raymond A. Tolbert (1890-1960), a Texas native and a graduate from the University of Oklahoma School of Law (LL.B., 1913), was the Firm's Managing Partner until his death.
1927: The next move was to the Perrine Building at the southwest corner of Park and Robinson.
1929: Vincil Penny ("V.P.") Crowe (1897-1974), a graduate of the University of Missouri, joined the Firm, and the name became Embry, Johnson, Crowe & Tolbert. "V.P." had been Garfield County Attorney in Enid, Oklahoma, and Assistant Attorney General for the State of Oklahoma.
1932: The First National Building was completed this year, and the Firm moved to Suite 640 at the southeast corner of Park and Robinson.
1943: The Firm name became Embry, Johnson, Crowe, Tolbert & Shelton to include its partner, Troy Shelton.
1951: The Firm name became Embry, Johnson, Crowe, Tolbert & Boxley to include John Embry's son-in-law, Calvin P. Boxley (1901-1966).
1953: "Olie" Johnson's name was dropped from the Firm name because of his death in 1950, and the name of Bruce H. Johnson was added to form Embry, Crowe, Tolbert, Boxley & Johnson. (The two Johnsons were not related.)
1958: The Firm moved to a new addition to the First National Building, 120 Park Avenue.
1961: After the deaths of John Embry and Raymond A. Tolbert in 1960, the Firm's name became Crowe, Boxley, Dunlevy, Thweatt, Swinford & Johnson. Fred W. Dunlevy had joined the Firm in 1937, C. Harold Thweatt in 1944, and John W. Swinford in 1946.
1967: The next move was to the 100 Park Building, which had been the Firm's address in 1922 when it was known as the Medical Arts Building.
1968: The Firm's name became Crowe, Dunlevy, Thweatt, Swinford, Johnson & Burdick to include Ben L. Burdick who had joined the Firm in 1947.
1972: The new Liberty Tower was completed at the northeast corner of Main and Broadway, and the Firm moved to the 16th and 17th floors.
1979: Crowe, Dunlevy, Thweatt, Swinford, Johnson & Burdick, A Professional Corporation, became the Firm's name.
1981: Crowe & Dunlevy, A Professional Corporation, became the Firm's name, and in the summer of 1981 it moved to the Mid-America Tower at the southeast corner of Main and Broadway. Now known as 20 North Broadway, the Firm's current location holds an important place in Oklahoma's history. The Huckins Hotel originally occupied this site at Main and Broadway and was known to be the first capitol building in Oklahoma City.
1989: To meet the needs of its Tulsa clients, Crowe & Dunlevy opened an office in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
1991: Crowe & Dunlevy, P.C., expanded and added a Norman office.