Rev. Forney Hutchinson was born in Arkansas and received his preaching license in 1895. He earned degrees at Hendrix College (1899) and at Vanderbilt University (1905) in Tennessee and, in later years, received an honorary degree from Oklahoma City University. He came to Oklahoma City to pastor St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in 1918 and served as a director of the Chamber of Commerce and as a member of the State Board of Education. In 1932, he became the pastor of Mount Vernon Place Methodist Church in Washington, D.C., but returned to Tulsa, Oklahoma, as pastor of Boston Avenue Methodist Church in 1934. He also served as pastor of St. Paul’s Church in Shawnee until his retirement.