From the very beginning of the memorialization process, committees were drawn from the families who lost loved ones in the bombing, survivors, rescue workers and volunteers who participated in the rescue and recovery efforts and community volunteers. The first task after writing the Memorial Mission Statement was to solicit design concepts for the outdoor memorial.

An international design competition was held and 624 entries from all 50 states and 23 countries were received. These designs were put on public display for several days. More than 10,000 people stood in line for a chance to see them. The field was narrowed to five designs and a final design was selected and announced 19 years ago today on July 1, 1997. The design was submitted by Butzer Design Partnership then of Berlin, Germany, and now of Oklahoma City.