# Spencer, Oklahoma

Spencer is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Its population was 3,978 at the 2020 census, a 1.7% increase from 2010.
Established in 1903, the City of Spencer is a historic community located just east of the North Canadian River. Spencer is about 10 miles from downtown Oklahoma City and borders the cities of Nicoma Park to the east and Midwest City to the south.
Contributing to the cultural fabric of Spencer are the Spencer Chamber of Commerce, the Facebook page-Whats going on in Spencer Oklahoma, Spencer Senior Center, Spencer Parks Board, and the Spencer Historical Society.

## History

The region where Spencer was developed was opened to settlement in the Land Run of 1889. Louis F. and Henry W. Kramer, businessmen originally from Spencer County, Indiana, first arrived in Guthrie in 1889 and then moved to Oklahoma City.
Originally an agricultural area, Spencer grew after World War II with the nearby General Motors Assembly Plant and Tinker Air Force Base offering employment.
On January 20, 1982, seven children were killed by the explosion of a water heater in the cafeteria of the city's Star Elementary School.
CPT Riley L. Pitts, the first Black commissioned officer to receive the Medal of Honor, is buried in Spencer's Hillcrest Memory Gardens. Captain Pitts was a graduate of Wichita University (now Wichita State University.)

## Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.3 square miles (14 km$^2$), all land.

## Demographics
### 2020 census

Spencer city, Oklahoma – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race. :
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
| White alone (NH) | 1,170 | 1,045 | 29.91% | 26.27% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 2,191 | 2,029 | 56.01% | 51.01% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 113 | 114 | 2.89% | 2.87% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 20 | 23 | 0.51% | 0.58% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 1 | 5 | 0.03% | 0.13% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 9 | 24 | 0.23% | 0.60% |
| Mixed race or multiracial (NH) | 242 | 295 | 6.19% | 7.42% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 166 | 443 | 4.24% | 11.14% |
| Total | 3,912 | 3,978 | 100.00% | 100.00% |

### 2000 census

As of the census of 2000, 3,746 people, 1,420 households, and 1,002 families were residing in the city. The population density was 701.0 inhabitants per square mile (270.7/km$^2$). The 1,567 housing units had an average density of 293.3 per square mile (113.2/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the city was 39.94% White, 51.82% African American, 2.83% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 4.51% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 2.32% of the population.
Of the 1,420 households, 29.4% had children under 18 living with them, 47.0% were married couples living together, 17.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were not families. About 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the city, the age distribution was 28.8% under 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 88.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,116, and for a family was $37,470. Males had a median income of $30,199 versus $21,153 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,242. About 15.0% of families and 19.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.3% of those under 18 and 11.2% of those 65 or over.

## Education

Public education is provided by the Oklahoma City Public Schools. Zoned schools include Willow Brook Elementary School (prekindergarten-grade 1), Spencer Elementary School (grades 2-4), and Rogers Intermediate School (grades 5-6). The zoned secondary school is Star Spencer Mid-High School.

### Dunjee School

Dundjee School, an all-Black school was built in 1934, and opened as a segregated school in 1935, serving black students in Spencer. The school is named after Black Oklahoma City civil rights leader Roscoe Dunjee. The school served first- through 12th-grade students, and according to Dr. Donnie Nero, the school was nurturing and enriching, but also tough. "Those teachers those educators made sure that we focused on being the best that we possibly could be so there wasn't a lot of time for foolishness or time to waste," said Nero. The school featured some of the best and brightest Black teachers, such as civil rights leader Clara Luper, and the Rev. W.B. Parker, pastor of nearby St. James Baptist Church. Dunjee School closed in 1972, devastating the community of Spencer.
   The residents of the Dunjee area had long suffered at the hand of segregation in Oklahoma. Before 1963, it was part of the Choctaw school system. After years of substandard support from the City of Choctaw, they fought to be integrated into the Oklahoma City school system and won. However, in 1972, the school board closed all Dunjee schools and began bussing as part of the mandated laws of desegregation. The community was stunned.
Because of desegregation, Dunjee closed in 1972, a move that in many eyes damaged the Spencer community. When the school's doors shut for good, "it devastated this community," said Theotis Payne. In 2012, a fire causing $250,000 in damage made the school uninhabitable.

## Controversy

In 2013, the City of Spencer came under fire after several officials affiliated with the city were accused of embezzling funds; this was perpetrated by three previous employees of the city. An estimated $6,200 in funds were missing from the payroll system, and the three employees were shortly charged with embezzlement.