OKPOLICY.ORG
After a long life of service, former Oklahoma Gov. George Nigh died last week. He served as governor for six of the years that I was a member of the Legislature. I could share many of the experiences I had with him during that time – but one stands out as the best example of the type of man he was. It happened early in my freshman term in the House.
It was announced that the governor was going to speak at a noon luncheon hosted by the Tecumseh Chamber of Commerce at Jay’s Steak House — a restaurant in my district. One weekend before the event, I stopped by a local service station run by my friend, Kenneth Hulin.
Kenneth was a quail hunter. Every quail season, he spent most of his days out in the county, hunting (with permission) on nearly every farm where he thought he might find a covey of quail. Because of that, Kenneth knew nearly everyone in the county, and he was one of the two people who helped me the most during my first campaign for the Legislature.
So when I stopped by the station — about a week before Gov. Nigh would arrive in Tecumseh — Kenneth told me to pass along a message to “George” when he came to town: come by the station, “Kenneth” needed to talk to him. At that time, I was in some awe at the thought of talking to the governor. (I lost that later.)
I also figured that Gov. Nigh would have no idea who Kenneth Hulin was. But knowing I couldn’t let Kenneth down, I made an appointment to see the governor. I apologetically told him that a friend of mine who owned a gas station in Tecumseh — someone who helped me a lot during my campaign — needed to talk to him. I said he hoped the governor would come by the station while he was in town. The governor asked who it was, and I told him, “Kenneth Hulin.”
To my shock, he told me to tell Kenneth he had to be on the plane shortly after lunch. so he wouldn’t have time to visit the station. But he said if Kenneth could be at Jay’s Steak House after lunch, they could ride together to the airport and talk about whatever Kenneth needed.
Kenneth was there, and they rode together in the back seat of the governor’s limo to the airport in Shawnee, along with Kenneth’s freshman representative. I don’t remember what they discussed, but I have no doubt — if the governor could do whatever Kenneth needed, it was done.
That’s just the way George Nigh was. A nice guy. It’s probably why he served Oklahoma so long and was so loved. And in all those years, never a hint of scandal. A life well lived, and a job well done.
