Out of the Dust

by Tom Lindley

Out of the Dust the story of Gene Rainbolt. He was born in a time of dust and depression, raised by a single parent in Norman Oklahoma and understands Oklahoma's past, present, and future as few others can aspire to do. Abandoning theoretical economics for the practical, he changed Oklahoma's archaic banking laws to create a modern environment where both business and his beloved arts can function.

238 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Steve Whitworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gene Rainbolt died in early 2025. I was familiar with Rainbolt’s involvement with modernizing Oklahoma banking laws in the ‘80s to allow for multi-bank holding companies and branch banking, which prompted me to read this book.
What I was not aware of is the level of philanthropic involvement he had over the years. He cared so much for the improvement of Oklahoma as a state, for education of youth, for non profit organizations designed to help underprivileged youth have an opportunity to succeed, for Higher Education( having donated an estimated $700 million to the University of Oklahoma), and later on for medical research, especially for Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and Stephenson Cancer Center.
He was incredibly generous and passionate with both his time and his money.
While the author’s writing is a little rough, it is easy to look past that and focus on Gene Rainbolt’s story, from humble beginnings to a success story for Oklahoma.

[Eric J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I worked for the Rainbolt’s from February 2007 to September 2019. I was able to be a part of many meeting with Mr. Rainbolt. His wisdom, tenacity, and the welfare of others was ever present. When I heard about the passing of Gene in January of 2025 is when I learned about the book that was written. It was an honor to get to read about a man that was hard to take and understand. How Mr. Rainbolt lived his life is the way we should all live our life’s.