OSU dedicates Frank Eaton monument sculpted by Harold Holden
Oklahoma State University dedicated a monument of Frank “Pistol Pete” Eaton on Friday. The monument is the final work produced by artist Harold Holden after his recent passing in 2023.
When Frank Eaton joined Stillwater’s Armistice Day parade in 1923, it marked the beginning of a storied tradition that would later see Oklahoma State University redefine itself through Eaton’s image in the form of a mascot that is today as beloved as it is recognizable — Pistol Pete.
Frank Eaton was the fastest gun in the West and the real-life inspiration for OSU’s Pistol Pete, but to Benny West and the people of Perkins he was a friend and the old-time Cowboy with all the tall tales. West couldn't have imagined that Eaton would come to define the trailblazing identity of his alma mater.