George Nigh

George Patterson Nigh
22nd Governor of Oklahoma
In office 1979 – 1987
Lieutenant	Spencer Bernard
Preceded by	David L. Boren
Succeeded by	Henry Bellmon
10th Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma
In office 1967 – 1979
Governor	Dewey F. Bartlett David Hall David L. Boren
Preceded by	Leo Winters
Succeeded by	Spencer Bernard
17th Governor of Oklahoma
In office 1963 – 1963
Lieutenant	none
Preceded by	J. Howard Edmondson
Succeeded by	Henry Bellmon
8th Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma
In office 1959 – 1963
Governor	J. Howard Edmondson
Preceded by	Cowboy Pink Williams
Succeeded by	Leo Winters
Born	June 9, 1927 (1927-06-09) (age 82) McAlester, Oklahoma
Political party	Democratic
Religion	Presbyterianism

George Patterson Nigh (born June 9, 1927), is a popular civic leader in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The former two term governor and four term Lt. Governor was the first Oklahoma Governor to be re-elected and the first to win all 77 counties in the state. Additionally, short term vacancies in the Governor's office twice elevated Nigh to the Governor's office. He served on the Board of Directors of JC Penney and as President of the University of Central Oklahoma after leaving office of Governor. Currently he is a Director and Public Relations Advisor for International Bank of Commerce. Prior to holding statewide offices, he had been a schoolteacher and legislator.

He was born in McAlester, Oklahoma, and was the son of Wilbur R. and Irene Crockett Nigh. Nigh served in the United States Navy from 1945 to 1946 and graduated from East Central State College in Ada, Oklahoma in 1951. From 1951 to 1959, he alternated between service in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, and as a teacher in the McAlester public schools. During his tenure in the state legislature, he introduced legislation designating "Oklahoma!" as the state song. He served as Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma from 1959 to 1963. Taking office at age 31, he became the youngest state Lieutenant Governor in the United States.

Upon the sudden death of U.S. Senator Robert S. Kerr in January, 1963, lame duck Governor J. Howard Edmondson resigned, elevating Nigh to the office of Governor, where he promptly appointed Edmondson to fill Kerr's remaining term.

He had served as Lieutenant Governor again from 1967 to 1979. From 1979 to 1987, he served two elected terms as Governor and was the first Oklahoma Governor to serve consecutive terms, but took office five days early, as a result of outgoing Governor David L. Boren's swearing-in as a U.S. Senator. He was reelected in 1982, carrying all 77 of the state's counties. At the inaugural address for his second full term, Nigh quoted Pogo (comics) "We have found the enemy, and he is us."

Following his term as Governor, he served as President of the University of Central Oklahoma from 1992 to 1997. During his tenure, Nigh supervised construction projects that transformed the institution from a mostly commuter institution to much more of a regional university with residential dormitories.

In 1990 he was inducted into the Oklahoma CareerTech Hall of Fame and in 1992, he received the Jim Thorpe Lifetime Achievement Award. From November, 2005 to April, 2006, he served as Interim Director of the state Tourism and Recreation Department, during the agency's search for a permanent director.

Nigh and his wife Donna appeared in walk-on roles in episode # 19 of the NBC soap opera Texas (playing themselves as Governor and First Lady of Oklahoma). The episode aired in August 1980. Cast member Lisby Larson (Paige Marshall) serenaded the couple with a rendition of "Oklahoma!"

References

• 100 Years of Oklahoma Governors Biography
• George Nigh-UCO Archives
• George Nigh CareerTech Hall of Fame Bio

v • d • e Governors of Oklahoma Territorial (1890–1907) Steele · Martin · Seay · Renfrow · Barnes · Jenkins · Grimes · Ferguson · Frantz State (since 1907) Haskell · Cruce · Williams · Robertson · Walton · Trapp · Johnston · Holloway · W. Murray · Marland · Phillips · Kerr · Turner · J. Murray · Gary · Edmondson · Nigh · Bellmon · Bartlett · Hall · Boren · Nigh · Bellmon · Walters · Keating · Henry Italics indicate acting governors

v • d • e Lieutenant Governors of Oklahoma Bellamy • McAlester • Trapp • Holloway • Burns • Berry • Williams • Nigh • Winters • Nigh • Bernard • Kerr • Mildren • Fallin • Askins