R.Dean Wilhite (dooder) is one of the few designers from Oklahoma City whose work has been published in national design journals and books. He has worked across a wide range of design disciplines, creating posters for Ballet Oklahoma, illustrations for Major League Baseball and the logo for the state’s largest airport. Born in Olton, Texas in 1958, Wilhite spent his childhood in Missouri, before returning to Oklahoma to start junior high. Choosing art class over band as his elective, he began his journey toward a career in design. After graduating from high school in 1976, he elected to work in an ice-packing plant to earn his degree in humility before going off to college. In 1977 Wilhite moved to Okmulgee, where he attended Oklahoma State University School of Technical Training in the Graphic Design program. While at Okmulgee, Wilhite mastered the fine art of developing logos and trademarks that eventually led to inclusion in Print’s Regional Design Annuals and Best of Logo and Trademark Books. After graduation in 1980 Wilhite quickly found work at The Graphic Art Center, Oklahoma City’s best known graphic design studio, doing photo retouching, illustration, production art and logo design. Wilhite left the freelance life in the mid nineties to become a partner of Thinking Cap, a leading marketing and design office in Oklahoma City. Today Wilhite creates ads, brochures, logos and other cool stuff as an art director at Ackerman McQueen, a really big advertising agency in the southwest.