Circling back to the familiar

In its 70-year history, the firm has operated under nine different names, starting with “McAfee & Taft” in 1952 and, appropriately enough, circling back to the familiar and tried-and-true “McAfee & Taft” once again in 1980. Between 1957 and 1980, the firm’s name went through several iterations as the firm grew, adding new partners while occasionally saying good-bye to others.  

     1952: McAfee & Taft

     1957: McAfee, Taft & Cates

     1958: McAfee, Taft, Cates & Kuntz

     1960: McAfee, Taft, Cates, Kuntz & Mark

     1963: McAfee, Dudley, Taft, Cates, Kuntz & Mark

     1966: McAfee, Dudley, Taft, Cates & Mark

     1971: McAfee, Taft, Cates, Mark, Bond & Rucks

     1973: McAfee, Taft, Mark, Bond, Rucks & Woodruff

     1980: McAfee & Taft A Professional Corporation

In the run-up to 1980, the firm was prepared to change the name once again and to add the last names of the two attorneys next in line to have their names on the door — Gary Fuller and John Mee.  Instead, both men advocated for going a simpler route. And so, on February 29, 1980, the firm’s articles of incorporation were amended and the firm name was changed — for a last time — to “McAfee & Taft A Professional Corporation.”

“It’d be something to get your name on the walls, but Gary and John decided not to do that,” said retired attorney Terry Barrett. “Rather, they suggested we just go back to ‘McAfee & Taft’ again, and that’s what we did. And I’ve always thought really highly of that decision.”

Barrett said going back to the firm’s original name of McAfee & Taft not only sparked a positive reaction by everyone at the firm, but also demonstrated the loyalty and unselfishness of Gary and John. The name change, no doubt, also made it faster and easier for the receptionists answering the phones at the time.

The growth of the firm over the years also necessitated the need for more space and, subsequently, several office moves.  With every new address, though, the firm found itself circling back to the familiar — all were along Park Avenue, and all were within one block of each other. For 13 years — from the early 70s to mid-80s — the firm made its home at 100 Park Avenue in an Art Deco building located on the southwest corner of Park & Broadway. The firm’s other three locations never strayed from the intersection of Park & Robinson, right in the heart of downtown Oklahoma City.

Leadership Square, the firm’s home since the building opened in 1985, is located on the northwest corner of Park & Robinson. The firm’s first office, located on the 13th floor of the Liberty Bank Building (originally the Ramsey Tower, now named City Place Tower), was located across the street on the northeast corner. And for 15 amazing years, the firm’s offices were located on the 20th floor of the iconic First National Building on the southeast corner of the prominent intersection.