PROFILE
Bob Fraser One Man’s Passion for Another Man’s Vision by Sarah Leslie Gagan It was the “Golden Age” of America, the magical days of Ozzie and Harriet, when a certain little boy first visited Woolaroc in the 1950s. He lay on the bench in the museum dome room, dreamily watching the lights change color above him, and he was captivated. Everything about Woolaroc drew him in, and it quickly became one of his favorite corners of the world. That little boy, with a passion for baseball, could never have envisioned that one day he would grow up to become the person responsible for continuing the legacy of Woolaroc, as CEO of The Frank Phillips Foundation. Bob Fraser assumed the position of CEO in October of 2006, upon the retirement of former CEO Dick Miller. Prior to becoming CEO, Bob, a marketing consultant at the time, was contacted by Foundation member Bob Kane and asked to prepare a marketing plan that would breathe new life into Woolaroc. As a consultant, 6
bmonthly | OCTOBER 2020
Fraser presented his plan to the board. They loved the new direction so much that they asked Bob to implement it, and his Woolaroc career began. The position of CEO is so multi-faceted, Bob could see how his three decades of varied career history were building blocks to equip him for the task. Majoring in Political Science at the University of Tulsa, Bob’s original plan was to become an attorney with thoughts of politics. By the time graduation arrived, he knew he didn’t want to attend law school. Instead, he went to work in the Trust Department of First National Bank. He considers his time at First National a wonderful experience. He recalls, “I remember the day I walked to my boss’s office and told him I had a problem. Before I could get it out, he slammed his hand down on his desk and said he had plenty of problems;
