Citizens State Bank opened for business on May 27, 1948 and, as one of the only suburban-based banks, it grew so rapidly that the directors looked to expand within a few short years. They chose a site at the corner of NW 23rd and Classen where the old Jefferson School had recently closed and hired Bailey Bozalis Dickinson & Roloff to design a thoroughly modern building that would be a true bank of the future. Robert Roloff returned with plans for a Buckminster Fuller-inspired geodesic dome, which proved to be just what the directors were looking for. The Gold Dome opened to great fanfare in 1958 and remains a beloved architectural icon today.

Gold Dome Opening Commemorative Publication

(vintage photo courtesy the Oklahoma History Center)