

Jim Shoulders
(1928 - 2007)
Profession: Rodeo
Hometown: Henryetta
Inducted: 1976
Jim Shoulders, the rodeo cowboy star, brought fame and attention to his small hometown of Henryetta, Oklahoma. His career started in 1943 when he won a whopping $18, Shoulders continued on to win sixteen World Championships between the years of 1945 and 1970. He was known not only for his incredible luck and skill, but also the large number of injuries he acquired over the years before his retirement.
Shoulders married his wife, Sharon, in 1947 and had four children. He retired from rodeo in his early forties and returned to his ranch outside of Henryetta. He worked cattle and founded the Jim Shoulders Rodeo School for up-and-coming rodeo cowboys.
In tandem with the school, Shoulders also ran a rodeo of his own in Mesquite, Texas, as well as invented the mechanical bucking machine. The fame of his career and school led to long-term friendships with other ranchers and cowboys, including President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Shoulders was inducted into the National Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1955 and was inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in 1989. In 1996, he received both the Culture of the American Cowboy Award and a place in the Professional Bull Riders Ring of Honor. Shoulders' legendary career was unmatched in his lifetime and he became known as the "Babe Ruth of rodeo".
Want to learn more?
Click below to watch a tribute to the life and career of Jim Shoulders, produced by the Henryetta Territorial Museum.