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George Nigh
George Patterson Nigh (June 9, 1927 – July 30, 2025) was an American politician and civic leader from the state of Oklahoma. Nigh served as the 17th and the 22nd governor of Oklahoma and as the eighth and tenth lieutenant governor of Oklahoma. He 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 resulted in Nigh assuming gubernatorial duties while serving as lieutenant governor.
Following his service as governor, Nigh served as president of the University of Central Oklahoma. Prior to his election to statewide office, he worked as a teacher and legislator.
Nigh was born in McAlester, Oklahoma, on June 9, 1927, and was the son of Wilbur R. and Irene Crockett Nigh. He had four siblings and worked at a grocery store as a child before graduating from McAlester High School in 1945. He joined the United States Navy in 1945 and served on the USS Ranger before leaving the navy to attend college in 1946. He graduated from Eastern Oklahoma State College with an associate's in liberal arts in 1948 and East Central University with a teaching degree in 1950. While a student at East Central University in 1950, he ran for the Oklahoma House of Representatives and won. At the time, he was the youngest member ever elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives.
He was the brother of William Nigh, an Oklahoma representative.
From 1951 to 1959, Nigh 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. Nigh ran for Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma in 1958; he finished second in the Democratic primary behind Cowboy Pink Williams with 80,727 votes (18.77%) to Williams' 176,171 votes (40.97%). Nigh defeated Williams in the runoff with 302,050 votes (61.32%) to 190,530 (38.68%). Williams himself had finished second behind incumbent lieutenant governor James E. Berry in the 1954 Democratic primary, before beating him in the runoff. In the general election, Nigh beat Republican George B. Sherritt in a landslide by 384,431 votes (76.86%) to 100,068 (20.01%). Nigh served from January 12, 1959, to January 3, 1963. Taking office at age 31, he became the youngest lieutenant governor in the United States.
Democratic Governor J. Howard Edmondson did not seek reelection in the 1962 election, so Nigh ran to succeed him. He came fourth in the Democratic primary with 84,404 votes (15.80%), behind National Commander of the American Legion Preston J. Moore, businessman W. P. Atkinson, and former governor Raymond Gary. Atkinson went on to win the runoff and lose the general election to Republican Henry Bellmon, but Nigh would get a chance to serve as governor. Democratic U.S. Senator Robert S. Kerr died in office on January 1, 1963, and Edmondson resigned his office 5 days later; Nigh succeeded Edmondson as governor for the remaining days of the term, and utilized his brief status as governor to appoint his predecessor to the vacant Senate seat. On January 14, Bellmon took office as governor.
Nigh had remained a bachelor until after he left public office for the first time. He met his future wife, Donna Mashburn, following his initial nine-day term as governor in 1963 and married her on October 19, 1963. When they met, Donna already had a young son. The Nighs later had a daughter together.
Nigh ran for Lieutenant Governor again in 1966. He was unopposed in the Democratic primary in that election and his re-election efforts, winning in 1966 with 328,580 votes (51.50%); in 1970 with 382,249 votes (57.41%), and in 1974 with 545,686 votes (72.36%). In 1970, he beat future district judge Ralph Gordon Thompson. Nigh served as the tenth lieutenant governor from January 9, 1967, to January 3, 1979, making him the second longest-serving Oklahoma lieutenant governor in state history with 16 years of service. In 1969, during his time serving as lieutenant governor, Nigh assisted a number of college students with the creation and founding of the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature (OIL), which still functions today as a collegiate model government program with delegations at over 20 colleges and universities across the state.
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George Nigh
George Patterson Nigh (June 9, 1927 – July 30, 2025) was an American politician and civic leader from the state of Oklahoma. Nigh served as the 17th and the 22nd governor of Oklahoma and as the eighth and tenth lieutenant governor of Oklahoma. He 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 resulted in Nigh assuming gubernatorial duties while serving as lieutenant governor.
Following his service as governor, Nigh served as president of the University of Central Oklahoma. Prior to his election to statewide office, he worked as a teacher and legislator.
Nigh was born in McAlester, Oklahoma, on June 9, 1927, and was the son of Wilbur R. and Irene Crockett Nigh. He had four siblings and worked at a grocery store as a child before graduating from McAlester High School in 1945. He joined the United States Navy in 1945 and served on the USS Ranger before leaving the navy to attend college in 1946. He graduated from Eastern Oklahoma State College with an associate's in liberal arts in 1948 and East Central University with a teaching degree in 1950. While a student at East Central University in 1950, he ran for the Oklahoma House of Representatives and won. At the time, he was the youngest member ever elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives.
He was the brother of William Nigh, an Oklahoma representative.
From 1951 to 1959, Nigh 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. Nigh ran for Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma in 1958; he finished second in the Democratic primary behind Cowboy Pink Williams with 80,727 votes (18.77%) to Williams' 176,171 votes (40.97%). Nigh defeated Williams in the runoff with 302,050 votes (61.32%) to 190,530 (38.68%). Williams himself had finished second behind incumbent lieutenant governor James E. Berry in the 1954 Democratic primary, before beating him in the runoff. In the general election, Nigh beat Republican George B. Sherritt in a landslide by 384,431 votes (76.86%) to 100,068 (20.01%). Nigh served from January 12, 1959, to January 3, 1963. Taking office at age 31, he became the youngest lieutenant governor in the United States.
Democratic Governor J. Howard Edmondson did not seek reelection in the 1962 election, so Nigh ran to succeed him. He came fourth in the Democratic primary with 84,404 votes (15.80%), behind National Commander of the American Legion Preston J. Moore, businessman W. P. Atkinson, and former governor Raymond Gary. Atkinson went on to win the runoff and lose the general election to Republican Henry Bellmon, but Nigh would get a chance to serve as governor. Democratic U.S. Senator Robert S. Kerr died in office on January 1, 1963, and Edmondson resigned his office 5 days later; Nigh succeeded Edmondson as governor for the remaining days of the term, and utilized his brief status as governor to appoint his predecessor to the vacant Senate seat. On January 14, Bellmon took office as governor.
Nigh had remained a bachelor until after he left public office for the first time. He met his future wife, Donna Mashburn, following his initial nine-day term as governor in 1963 and married her on October 19, 1963. When they met, Donna already had a young son. The Nighs later had a daughter together.
Nigh ran for Lieutenant Governor again in 1966. He was unopposed in the Democratic primary in that election and his re-election efforts, winning in 1966 with 328,580 votes (51.50%); in 1970 with 382,249 votes (57.41%), and in 1974 with 545,686 votes (72.36%). In 1970, he beat future district judge Ralph Gordon Thompson. Nigh served as the tenth lieutenant governor from January 9, 1967, to January 3, 1979, making him the second longest-serving Oklahoma lieutenant governor in state history with 16 years of service. In 1969, during his time serving as lieutenant governor, Nigh assisted a number of college students with the creation and founding of the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature (OIL), which still functions today as a collegiate model government program with delegations at over 20 colleges and universities across the state.