After recounting the tale of how he stumbled upon — and promptly exposed — a secret and illegal 1981 Enid City Council meeting, veteran journalist Michael McNutt wrapped up a night honoring his 40-year career with a parting quip for Oklahoma politicians: “Follow the law.”
Held Monday evening at Will Rogers Theatre, McNutt’s retirement party featured a packed house, a politically diverse audience and heartfelt remarks from the likes of Associated Press reporter Sean Murphy, northwest Oklahoma native Dawn Watson, former Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs Steve Buck and former Gov. Mary Fallin. The night served as a powerful testament to Michael’s reputation as a fair-minded journalist and a well-respected, widely beloved member of the community. Find photos of each of these figures and more of Michael below.
The evening featured wonderful music by a jazz trio, delicious food and an open bar. Tables were adorned with newspaper pages featuring some of Michael’s notable stories at NonDoc, miniature baseballs and cardinals to acknowledge his love for the St. Louis Cardinals and tiny peanut butter and grape jelly packs, an ode to his three-decade streak of breakfast continuity. Speakers chided his preference not to each lunch, and the 100-plus attendees learned about the time McNutt and Murphy hauled a long-neglected press-room refrigerator to the roof of the Capitol for deep clean with a hose.
Most meaningful of all, the night brought together people whose lives Michael has touched, including friends, colleagues and admirers reflecting on the lasting impact of his four-decade career in journalism and communications.
One story shared by Buck will certainly stick with me. During Michael’s time as communications director at the Office of Juvenile Affairs, a mentorship program for young men and marked their growth with a symbolic graduation of each young man receiving and learning to tie a tie. Upon learning of the event, Michael went home and emptied his own tie drawer, offering his collection without hesitation. It was a quiet gesture — humble, heartfelt, and unmistakably him.
In keeping with a life defined by service to others, Michael requested that Monday’s celebration double as a fundraiser for NonDoc’s Sustainable Journalism Endowment, an effort dedicated to preserving something close to his heart: community journalism.
Thanks to the incredible support of everyone who attended, $15,000 was raised for the endowment in Michael’s honor — half of our goal to raise $30,000 for the endowment by March 2026. When we reach that total, the Kirkpatrick Family Fund will generously contribute an additional $10,000. If you believe in the power of local, independent journalism but were unable to make Monday’s event, we invite you to make a donation today in Michael’s honor.
We also invite you to peruse this photo gallery from Monday’s party. Celebrating Michael McNutt was a joy that can be seen in the photos below — and in the Mike Allen-drawn cartoon included in the array of gifts given to the man of honor. Cheers to Michael, and we thank him for spending a part of his incredible career with NonDoc.
View photos of Michael McNutt and friends
