Stanley Carlisle Draper was an American community leader responsible for the growth of Oklahoma City into a regional power during the mid-20th century. Together with Edward K. Gaylord, and other prominent members of the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, he was able to shape the city into its present form. He was instrumental in the creation of Tinker Air Force Base, the Federal Aviation Administration Center, Will Rogers World Airport, Lake Hefner, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, and many infrastructure projects key to establishing Oklahoma City as a transportation hub. Lake Stanley Draper holds his namesake after his plan for a reservoir near Tinker Air Force Base came to fruition. He was known for his sometimes utopian and superfluous ideas on city planning, resulting in massive annexations of the area surrounding the city. One of his failed visions included an attempt to expand the city borders across the state to Tulsa, Oklahoma creating an Oklahoma megalopolis. This led to Oklahoma City growing to become one of the most extensive cities in the United States.

Oklahoma City, officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and is the 8th largest city in the Southern United States. The population grew following the 2010 census and reached 681,054 in the 2020 census. The Oklahoma City metropolitan area had a population of 1,396,445, and the Oklahoma City–Shawnee Combined Statistical Area had a population of 1,469,124, making it Oklahoma's largest municipality and metropolitan area by population.