Inducted in 2022
Linda Paul played piano and trumpet, beginning harp lessons in 9th grade. At Will Rogers she performed in marching band and became featured harpist in the orchestra and RoundUp. With a full scholarship in harp performance at Oklahoma University, she also studied at Langston University, University of Tulsa, and the University of Tennessee, completing a Bachelor of Liberal Arts.
In over 50 years as a Grammy nominated professional, Linda has been principal harpist with five symphonies, including Tulsa Philharmonic, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, and the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. She was selected along with Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton as Oklahoma Centennial Artists in 2007. She opened for Chuck Berry at President Bill Clinton’s 2nd Inaugural Mid-Atlantic Ball, and has performed with major artists including Frank Sinatra, Dave Brubeck, Barry McGuire, Mason Williams, Judy Collins, Peter Nero, and the New Christy Minstrels. She toured nationwide as a solo artist, and composed, arranged, published, and released over 25 CDs. Linda has directed ensembles and choruses and was an educator at TU and Oral Roberts University.
Linda is also a dedicated public servant. In the 1990s, she served on the Tulsa City-County Task Force on Domestic Violence, which helped implement Domestic Violence Court, enabling thousands of women to escape domestic violence. She continues to give domestic violence recovery classes for prison inmates. In 2007 Linda became an ordained Episcopal minister in the Tulsa area. A volunteer prison chaplain, Linda works with educators, legislators, and non-profits to promote diversion programs using education and life reintegration such as sobriety, abuse recovery, and parenting.
Using her knowledge of German and Spanish, Linda served on the board of the German American Society, and has performed for their Christkindlmart for over 20 years. She and her husband serve in Tulsa’s Sister Cities program with San Luis Potosi, Mexico and have hosted visitors from all over the world through various State Department Global Enterprise Programs.
