Charles Dennis "Denny" Cresap

Class of
2020
Charles Dennis "Denny" Cresap

Charles Dennis "Denny" Cresap

"I encourage those just getting started in business to rise up and take your turn, we need you. Find a dream, take a risk, don’t give up and no matter how hard you work make sure you enjoy what you are doing each day."
Denny Cresap, 2020

Biography

Through strong friendships, hard work and pure salesmanship, entrepreneur Denny Cresap grew a one-truck, one-employee beer distributorship in Bartlesville into one of Anheuser-Busch’s top 20 distributors in the United States. Premium Beers of Oklahoma became a large, multi-location company providing services to 27 counties in the state prior to its sale in 2012. With proceeds from the sale Cresap and his family established the Cresap Family Foundation, awarding over $10 million to more than 90 nonprofit agencies in the last eight years focusing on animal welfare, arts, culture and humanities, city/county government agencies, community development, education, health and wellness, human services and religious institutions. A native of Chicago, Illinois Cresap moved to the state in 1952. He enrolled at the University of Oklahoma and during his junior year joined the United States Army serving three years overseas before returning to the state to begin his business career.

Fun fact

Fellow Oklahoma Hall of Fame Member Frederick Drummond was Cresap’s first business partner in the purchase of Northeast Distributing Company.

Oklahoma connections

Cresap came to Oklahoma from Chicago, Illinois, to attend the University of Oklahoma.

Hometown

Afton

Profession

Founder of Cresap Family Foundation

Presenter

John Cresap

Born

1934

Died

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