J.B. Stradford

Born in Versailles, Kentucky, J.B. Stradford became a lawyer and entrepreneur in Tulsa, where he acquired and developed property in Greenwood. He opened the Stradford Hotel on June 1, 1918. Historical accounts differ on the hotel's room count (reported as 54, 55, or 65), so no single count is stated here. The hotel was destroyed during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Stradford was charged in connection with the massacre, left Tulsa after posting bail, and later lived in Chicago. In 1996, Tulsa County authorities formally dismissed the charges against him; Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating also presented his family with an honorary executive pardon. The available accounts do not establish the legal effect of that honorary pardon.

Stradford's business and real-estate activities were part of Greenwood's Black community before the 1921 massacre. His property was among the losses caused by the destruction of the district.