McAlester is a city located in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 17,783. It is the county seat of Pittsburg County.  McAlester is the birthplace of country music singer Reba McEntire, former House Speaker Carl Albert, and soap actress Beverlee McKinsey.  It is also the home of the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls.  McAlester was the site of the 2004 trial of Terry Nichols on Oklahoma state charges related to the Oklahoma City bombing (1995).