Camelot Owner Hopes for Peace Palace
Third in a Multi-Part Series
By NANCY K. OWENS
Associate Editor
PITIFUL UPKEEP: What was the Camelot Hotel continues to rot at I-44 and Peroria
Avenue in Tulsa.
Editors Note: This is the third of a multi-part series investigating the
demise and
possible future of the Camelot Hotel. Once one of the most popular gathering
places
in Tulsas history, and the host one time to President Richard Nixon, the
building
has become an eyesore and health menace.
The present owner of what was the Camelot Hotel is Maharishi Ayur-ved
University, a
school for teaching transcendental meditation and the teaching of the founder
of TM,
the Maharishi Mahesh Yoga.
The building or parts of the property may be turned into a Peace Palace,
described
on www.MaharishiPeacePalace.org, as a beautiful modular building that is
covered in
white marble. The Peace Palace will include exhibition and lecture halls,
offices,
residential rooms and a dining hall. According to a TM practitioner who
recently
relocated to Tulsa, We will be building a Peace Palace on part of the land
where
The Camelot is located.
Until the Peace Palace comes to fruition, a Maharishi Enlightenment Center will
be
opened at 5800 S. Lewis Ave., according to a Maharishi Ayur-ved spokeperson. The
Center will teach TM, sell Maharishi Ayurveda herbal products (also available at
www.mapi.com) and have a Maharishi Spa for Ladies, whose sister facility can be
seen
on www.theraj.com.
Peace Palaces, similar to the one planned for Tulsa, are an integral part of
the
Maharishis global philosophy.
According to the Peace Palace website, Each Peace Palace will offer to
everyone the
knowledge and practical programs for peace and enlightenment, for a healthy,
happy,
more creative, more fulfilling and successful life through the Transcendental
Meditation program. Its benefits in the fields of education, health, social
behavior
and world peace have been amply documented during the past half-century all
over the
world.
The five to ten most prominent families of every city are invited to join us in
becoming founders of the Peace Palace. Peace Palace construction in the USA is
being undertaken by The Global Country of World Peace, a tax-exempt 501©(3)
organization.
The Global Country of World Peace is a virtual country (not physical) and was
established on October 7, 2000. It was created by Maharishi to establish global
world peace by unifying all nations in happiness, prosperity, invincibility, and
perfect health, while supporting the rich diversity of our world family. Its
stated
mission is to establish Heaven on Earth by raising the quality of life of every
individual to complete fulfillment and affluence in enlightenment. It will
establish
a Global Administration through Natural Law by enlivening the nourishing
evolutionary power of Natural Law in the life of every individual and in the
collective consciousness of the whole world.
The Capital of The Global Country of World Peace is Maharishi Vedic City, IA,
known
simply as Vedic City.
Maharishis goal is to replace what he refers to as damn democracy with the
peace
inspiring politics of The Global Country of World Peace, according to their
literature.
His thoughts concerning this issue were published in a TM Bulletin. His
opinions are
clear from some of his quotes: Damn the democracy, which is based on the
popular
will, vote. It is not based on knowledge, it is based on number.
The man-made constitution, that system of self rule called democracy. They say
the
Minister is in the cabinet, he has no time to meditate. What does he do in the
cabinet? He does opposition. If your religion tells you to be a devil, then I
would advise you to be a devil, but enjoy life, enjoy life. All those countries
who
are earning their livelihood by selling arms, Natural Law will take care of all
that. Time is different now, they will not be able to save themselves from the
fury
about the sin they are committing.
The same TM Bulletin offers Maharishis solution to societys problems, So,
this is
what well do, it is the rise of unifying principles through education, this
will
motivate the creation of leaders in each country, of an ideal character and
quality,
not like the monsters or dragons of destruction who dominate in nations today.
For those who arent familiar with Maharishi, www.tm.org offers a glimpse of his
global achievements during the last 40 years. To list a few:
1957- founded the worldwide Spiritual Regeneration Movement.
1972- inaugurated his World Plan and created a new science, the Science of
Consciousness.
1975- discovered the Constitution of the Universe.
1978- created the World Peace Project, sending teams of Yogic Flyers to the most
troubled areas of the world, to calm the violence through TM.
1984- sent the first group of 7,000 Yogic Flyers to Fairfield, Iowa. (According
to
the website, scientific research on this assembly validated Maharishis
prediction
that when the square root of one percent of the worlds population practices the
TM-Sidhi program, including Yogic Flying, together in one place, positive trends
increase and negative tendencies decrease throughout the whole world.)
1988- formulated his Master Plan to Create Heaven on Earth for the
reconstruction of
the whole world, inner and outer.
1994- introduced programs for prevention in the fields of health and security
creating a Prevention Wing of Yogic Flyers in the military of every country.
1998- The Maharishi Open University was founded offering Total Knowledge of
Natural
Law to everyone accessible via a network of eight satellites broadcasting to
every
country on earth.
2003- developed The Global Country of World Peace currency, the raam.
The raam is currently used in The Netherlands, the base of Maharishis
empire, and
in Vedic City, Iowa. It comes in denominations of one, five and 10. The exchange
rate is one raam to ten USD, and one raam to ten Euros. More than 100 Dutch
shops,
some of them part of big department store chains, in 30 villages and cities have
accepted the notes. Shopkeepers can exchange their raam notes at the Fortis Bank
branch in Roermond. According to information provided by The Dutch Central
Bank, it
is keeping a close eye on the raam and allows the raam to be used as long as the
notes are not used as legal tender and it stays within a closed-off circuit of
users.
Next Issue: A deeper look into the teachings and plans of the Maharishi Mahesh
Yoga.
Camelot Owners Responsible for National Pattern
Second in a Multi-Part Series
Editors Note: This is the second in a multi-part series investigating the
demise
and possible future of the Camelot Hotel. Once one of the most popular gathering
places in Tulsas history, and the host one time to President Richard Nixon, the
building has become an eyesore and health menace.
Many national and local groups held their meetings and conventions at the
Camelot
Hotel in Tulsa from its founding in 1965 until the early 1990s. A now-defunct
local
group called Okon hosted annual science fiction conventions in Tulsa to raise
money
for charities. There were 15 Okon conventions, running from 1977 through 1992.
In 1988, Okon moved its convention from another Tulsa hotel to the Camelot.
According to the Okon information page on www.burningclam.com, During the
convention at the rapidly decaying Camelot Hotel in 1992, several room air
conditioners exploded over the weekend, and many congers refused to swim in
the
sickly-green swimming pool. Late Saturday night, someone set off a smoke bomb
in one
of the video rooms. Nine Tulsa Fire Department fire trucks responded to the
alarm.
The entire second floor was evacuated for several hours, and one person was
treated
on the scene for smoke inhalation. Immediately following closing ceremonies,
lightning struck the roof of the Camelot, which soon closed down for good.
The Tulsa Green Country Rotary Club began holding its weekly meetings at the
Camelot
in the mid-1980s, when the hotel was in decent condition. By the early 1990s,
things
had changed dramatically. The air conditioning in the building began to fail,
as did
the plumbing and food service. After a terrible Rotary luncheon meeting, four
of the
officers of the club visited the general manager of the hotel to complain about
the
poor quality food and other issues. The general manager replied in a Southern
Asian
accent, I wouldnt know about the food in this hotel. I refuse to eat it
myself.
The Rotary Club moved the next week to the Trade Winds Central.
At this point, the story of the Camelot takes an intriguing, interesting turn.
The building, which was built by Ainslee Pauralt in 1965 and sold to Kinark
several
years later, was sold by the second owners in 1991 to a company called Lata
Enterprises. Lata was foreclosed on, and the building changed hands several
times
until 1995, when the deed was transferred to the current owner, Maharishi
Ayur-ved
University, a school for teaching Transcendental Meditation and the teachings
of the
founder of TM, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
TM leapt onto the world stage in 1968 when the Beatles met Maharishi Mahesh
Yogi in
India. Their interest fueled the enthusiasm of many, including celebrities such
as
Shirley Maclaine, Laura Dern, Heather Graham, director David Lynch, as well as
Mia
Farrow, Donovan and the Rolling Stones, who spent time at Maharishis ashram in
the
late 1960s.
TM followers say that it brings the practitioner to a special state of
consciousness
often characterized as enlightenment or bliss. The method involves chanting
a
mantra, said to be unique and specially devised for the practitioner. One can
purchase his or her own mantra from the Maharishi TM organization for several
hundred dollars. There is much more to the TM story that will be dealt with
later.
For now, lets return to the issue at hand, the Camelot, which is not alone in
its
devastation.
Tulsa is not the only city where the Maharishis organization has purchased a
property and allowed it to sit for years, only to rot and decay. In a November
2003
article in The Hartford Advocate, Chris Harris reports, In 1994, the bearded
popularizer of TMs enigmatic and faceless Maharishi Vedic Development
Corporation
purchased the Clarion Hotel building on Constitution Plaza, and there, in full
view
of the bustle of I-91, the dilapidated edifice has sata vacant, untouched,
neglected eyesore, and a billboard advertising Hartfords urban ruin.
Harris goes on to write, There were plans to convert the hotel into one of his
Maharishi Vedic Universities, where students would be schooled in the ways of
transcendental meditation. But again, no action, and now, in 2003, the hotel
lies in
wait, its future uncertain. According to Harris article, the Maharishi Vedic
Development Corporation purchased the property for $1.5 million and in 1998,
after
years of decline, put it on the market for $14 million. As of 2003, it remained
unsold, but was still on the market although the realtor would not discuss the
asking price with Harris. The realtor did offer, though, that he had had several
offers coming in from around the world.
Then theres Dallas. Jeffrey Weiss, Dallas Morning News, reported in October
2002,
that the Maharishi-owned old Hilton hotel at Mockingbird Lane and North Central
Expressway was going to be converted into a holistic living and transcendental
meditation center, The hotel is still there but the only trappings of TM are
in the
TM Center of Dallas on the fourth floor.
Chicago is a bit more hopeful. David Roeder of the Chicago Sun Times, reported
in
March, 2005 that theres a plan to breathe new life into the landmark
Blackstone
Hotel at 636 S. Michigan. In March, The Blackstone was still owned by the
Maharishi. According to Roeder, He tried to turn the building into a condo
property
posher than the Gold Coast. Without the Gold Coast location, he couldnt sell
any
units. Negotiations were underway to sell the property to Denver-based Sage
Hospitality Group for $24 million. Sage, however, was looking to the city for a
substantial subsidy for the project due to the need for a gut rehab which was
estimated to cost $100 million. The broker declined to discuss the deal with
Roeder.
In a recent conversation with Roeder, he disclosed that, although it has not
officially closed, Maharishi has a contract and the sale will most likely go
through. He did not know the actual selling price but did confirm that Sage
Development had received a subsidy from the city to redevelop the property,
believing it to be in the $20 million range.
Unfortunately, no such deal is in the offing yet for The Camelot. According to
David
Humphreys, the realtor handling the property, Weve had some interest but
nothing
concrete yet. Its still on the market, priced at $3 million. The assessed
market
value is $1.25 million.
Whether The Camelot is sold soon or not, there are plans underway for the
property.
Apparently the castle is going to be replaced by a Peace Palace.
Next Month: A look into the Mararishis organization and the possible future of
the
Camelot.
Once Grand Camelot Hotel Had a Quick Demise
First in a Multi-Part Series
Editors Note: This is the first in a multi-part series investigating the
demise of
the Camelot Hotel. Once one of the most popular gathering places in Tulsas
history,
and the host at one time to President Richard Nixon, the building has become an
eyesore and health menace. This series of articles looks at the history of the
building and its possible future.
During the Kennedy administration in the early 60s, Camelot Fever swept the
nation. It settled in Tulsa in 1965 at 4956 South Peoria with the construction
of
The Camelot Hotel. Originally called The Camelot Inn, the name was later
changed
to The Camelot Hotel, though it was always affectionately known simply as The
Camelot.
Back then, it seems an eight-story, 330-room building built in the form of a
pink
castle, complete with turret, massive iron gates, moat, drawbridge and a
swimming
pool shaped like the top of a medieval spear was the epitome of luxury and
class.
Ainsley Perault, a builder and promoter from San Francisco, who later moved to
Tulsa, built the pink castle and oversaw its early reign of glory. Construction
began in 1965 and took two years to complete. Prior to its opening, it had a
large
sign that ran atop of the building that said Totally Electric. But because of
two
electrical fires the sign was taken down, before the doors, or rather entry
gates,
were opened for business. It was sold in 1968 to the Tulsa-based Kinark
Corporation
for $68 million. At the time it was the largest real estate transaction in the
history of Tulsa.
The Camelot was known in its early years as Tulsas hotspotthe place to be.
It
certainly was the place to be on Sundays after church. As Dean Sims, a very
active
public relations practitioner at the time remembers it, The Sunday brunch at
the
Camelot restaurant was quite an event and drew between 200 and 300 people
regularly. Those who could not make it to the Camelot could watch the weekly
television show, broadcast from the Camelot on a cable access channel featuring
Tulsas local movers and shakers.
Sims reflects on the stream of famous guests whose presence graced the hotel
over
the years, People today would be surprised to find out that President Richard
Nixon
stayed at the Camelot when he came to Tulsa in 1971 to dedicate the
Kerr-McClellan
navigation system. Lt. Governor George Nigh wouldnt stay anywhere but the
Camelot
when he was in town and during the National Governors Convention held in Tulsa:
Mike Wallace chose to stay there. A high-ranking member of the British
Parliament
even stayed at the Camelot when he visited Tulsa. Apparently, the British
gentleman
was amused by the contradictory Robin Hood and King Arthur exhibits in the
hotel.
The Camelot also drew plenty of high profile local events such as high school
reunions and proms, civic club meetings and family reunions. It was also a
popular
destination for honeymoons and wedding receptions.
Many children considered the Camelot to be a real treat with its front area
moat and
drawbridge, and the swimming pool, which was centered in a courtyard in the
middle
of the U-shaped complex, surrounded by the many hotel rooms.
To many people, the Camelot is most remembered for the popular Red Lion
nightclub.
It was the home of the in-crowd. The lights were low and music played.
Everyone
mingled, enjoyed cocktails and reveled in the scene. Longtime Tulsa resident
Tena
Green remembers her days as a regular at the popular bar. Young professionals,
myself included, would often meet after work for a drink at the bar. She
chuckles,
I even had breakfast at the Camelot restaurant every Saturday morning with
some of
the members of the Tulsa Ski Club. It really was the place to be. The phrase
the
place to be seems to reverberate the most in peoples minds when they reminisce
about the once special hotel.
Those were the days. Theyre not now. Now, and for years, what was the glorious
Camelot Hotel has become a blight on the landscape of the fair city of Tulsa.
According to Assistant Fire Marshall Ron Fegaly, A big concern with the
Camelot is
securing the building. Its a fire hazard and unsecured. Its dangerous.
Transients
are able to move in and occupy it. In the past they have started small fires.
This
presents a serious danger not only to them but also to our firefighters. He
adds,
Several years ago we contacted the owners and told them they would be required
to
secure the property. Theyve done this, but with out-of-town owners this always
presents a concern. The current owners of the Camelot list a Kentucky address
with
the assessors office.
A hurricane fence currently surrounds the property and the windows that arent
boarded up are punctured by bullet holes. A police officer, patrolling the
outside
of the building, said that at one time vagrants and drug addicts hung out in the
hotel, though he noted that now they do not, as there is full-time security.
The Camelot was condemned in 1996, and many people think that the building
should be
torn down. The building that was made nationally famous with its showing in the
movie Tex has been deemed by the Tulsa CityCounty Health Department as a
fire and
health hazard. The City filed liens against the owners every year from
2000-2004 for
cleanup and mowing. The owners paid all outstanding fees in February 2005.
David Gurthet, Inspections Supervisor, Inspections Division, Development
Services,
Tulsa Public Works Department, explains why the building has not been torn down.
The building has been condemned for habitation. City engineers conducted a
thorough
investigation of the building and determined that it is structurally sound.
Although
no one can occupy the building, it cannot be torn down by the city because
structurally speaking it is not considered a hazard.
So, the Camelot remains standing as a sad monument to devastated real estate.
A grotesque parody of its former glory. A tragic leftover of remembrance of
things
past.
Better times. What happened to it? What brought it to its present dilapidated,
ruined state? In researching this article I have discovered that, as Churchill
would
say, it is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.
Sometime during the mid-to-late 1970s the Camelot started to lose its regal
appeal.
New world-class hotels were built in Tulsa, attracting a fickle and interested
public to more modern facilities. By the early 1980s, the oil business had
crashed,
cutting into the disposable income of many people. The once spectacular and
lively
social scene dwindled away. People became disenchanted. The era of Tulsas
Camelot
faded away.
The castle languished. The neglected interior, once considered sumptuous and
glamorous, turned shoddy. It became more difficult to rent rooms. The swinging
Red
Lion bar and popular hotel restaurant had lost their appeal. The television
show was
cancelled. Eventually, by the mid-1980s, the Camelot was nothing more than a
place
for various groups to hold meetings and conferences.
Next Month: The Camelot has become a mysterious place, one possibly controlled
by
what some call a worldwide cult. An investigation into what may be the Camelots
future will be highlighted in the Mid-August GTR Newspapers.
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