Donna Nigh | |
---|---|
First Lady of Oklahoma | |
In role January 3, 1979 –January 12, 1987 | |
Governor | George Nigh |
Preceded by | Molly Shi Boren |
Succeeded by | Shirley Osborn Bellmon |
Personal details | |
Born | Morris,Oklahoma,U.S. | March 9,1933
Spouse | George Nigh |
Children | Berry Michael Mashburn,Georgeann Nigh |
Occupation | Civic leader,public service,and mental retardation activist |
Known for | Former First Lady of Oklahoma Mental retardation activism |
Donna Nigh (born March 9,1933) is an inductee of the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame and wife of former Oklahoma Governor George Nigh. She served as the First Lady of Oklahoma for eight years as well as the first lady of the University of Central Oklahoma. She is well known for her service to Oklahomans with special needs and worked to improve the quality of living for citizens with disabilities. [1]
Donna Skinner Nigh was born in Morris,Oklahoma in 1933. She spent her entire childhood in Oklahoma City,Oklahoma,attended Oklahoma City public schools,and graduated from Capitol Hill High School in 1951. Nigh was involved with the high school marching band where she was a "twirler" and played the saxophone. [2] Like many women at the time,Nigh married early and had her first son,Berry Michael Mashburn. Her first marriage ended in divorce and Nigh enrolled at Central State Teachers College (now the University of Central Oklahoma). [2] She dropped out to provide for her and her son. Nigh's first occupation was with Southwestern Bell Telephone. Next she worked for Trans World Airlines,working in the ticket office located in the Skirvin Hotel. It was at the Skirvin Hotel that Nigh met her future husband George Nigh while he was there for business. Six months later they were married in 1963. [2] In 1965 Nigh gave birth to their daughter Georgeann. [3]
While her husband was in office,Nigh was active in public service. In 1982 Nigh played a large role in passing legislation to fund group home projects,now identified as the Donna Nigh Group Home Program. Two years later in 1984,The Donna Nigh Foundation,a non-profit organization that awards grants to citizens with mental disabilities,was formed. [4] She also served as the first lady to her alma mater,the University of Central Oklahoma,from 1992-1997. [3]
Nigh and her husband 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!"
On April 28,2010,Nigh and her husband were robbed at gunpoint in the driveway of their northwest Oklahoma City home. They were uninjured,though her husband's wallet was taken. No suspect has been found. [5]
Nigh has served on the boards of many organizations,including: [2]
The University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) is a public university in Edmond,Oklahoma. It is the third largest university in Oklahoma,with almost 14,000 students and approximately 430 full-time and 400 adjunct faculty. Founded in 1890,the University of Central Oklahoma was one of the first institutions of higher learning to be established in what would become the state of Oklahoma,making it one of the oldest universities in the southwest region of the United States. It is home to the American branch of the British Academy of Contemporary Music in downtown Oklahoma City.
George Patterson Nigh is an American politician and civic leader from the U.S. 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.
Yvonne Kauger is an associate justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court,and was appointed to the Court's District 4 seat by Governor George Nigh in 1984,and served as chief justice from 1997 to 1998. She was born in New Cordell,Oklahoma,and grew up in Colony,Oklahoma,and is an honorary member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. Kauger founded the Gallery of the Plains Indian in Colony,Oklahoma and is also the co-founder of the Red Earth organization. Kauger also serves as Symposium Coordinator of the Sovereignty Symposium. Kauger was inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame in 2001.
Susan Winchester was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives to represent District 47 in 1998 where she served until 2008. She was elected Whip for the Republican Caucus after her first term,and in 2005 became the first woman to serve as Speaker Pro Tempore,the second highest position in the House.
Valree Fletcher Wynn was the first African-American professor at Cameron University from 1966 until her retirement in 1985. Wynn became the first African-American to serve on the Board of Regents of Oklahoma Colleges in 1986 and served as the president from 1988–1989. She was the recipient of many awards and was inducted into both the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame.
Della Warrior is the first and only woman to date to serve as chairperson and chief executive officer for the Otoe-Missouria Tribe. She later served as the president of the Institute of American Indian Arts,finding a permanent home for the institution as well as helping to raise more than one hundred million dollars for the institution over 12 years. Warrior was inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame in 2007.
Betty Ann Price was an American music teacher,art director,and ambassador. She was the executive director of the Oklahoma Arts Council from 1983 until her retirement in 2007. During her time as executive director,Price worked with eight different Oklahoma governors. Price served as an arts advisor to states,non-profit organizations,and a number of boards. She was inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame in 1985,among many other awards and recognitions.
Mazola McKerson was an American politician. In 1977 she was elected to the Ardmore City County Commission,making her not only the first African-American,but also the first woman to serve on the City Council. Only two years later,McKerson became the first African-American female mayor of Ardmore,Oklahoma,as well as the first woman in the United States to serve as mayor of a city of more than 30,000 people. McKerson was also the first chairperson of the Governor's Commission on the Status of Women. Aside from her public influence,McKerson owned and operated The Gourmet Restaurant in Ardmore from 1962 to 1997,the product of her home-based catering company that she started in 1946.
Dr. Isabel Keith Baker was a former educator in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Throughout her 43 years as an educator,Baker taught in several Oklahoma schools,retiring as Professor Emeritus from Northeastern State University in 1994. Baker served on the Oklahoma State University A&M Board of Regents from 1991 until 1999. She played a major role in the renovation of Willard Hall,the home of OSU's College of Education. During her career and throughout her life,Baker has been recognized as a champion of gender equity. In the 1980s,Baker ran for Congress and was defeated by Republican candidate,Tom Coburn.
Nancy Coats-Ashley was the first female lawyer for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company in the five state area consisting of Texas,Missouri,Arkansas,Kansas and Oklahoma. She also served as a District Court Judge for Oklahoma County beginning in 1995 and ending in 2004 with her retirement. During that time she started the Mental Health Court of Oklahoma County,one of the first courts of its kind in the Southwest. Coats-Ashley served as President of the Oklahoma Federal Bar Association,the Oklahoma Bar Foundation and the William J. Holloway Jr. American Inn of Court and was appointed by former Governor of Oklahoma,Brad Henry to serve as a member of the Oklahoma Forensic Review Board. Coats-Ashley was inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame in 2005 for her work as a pioneer in her field.
Ginny Creveling is the former executive director of the ONEOK foundation and a champion of numerous causes and organizations in Tulsa,Oklahoma,United States. She played a vital role in the creation of the Rainbow House in 1977,a child abuse prevention program and crisis nursery,the first of its kind,which paved the way for later organizations such as the Child Abuse Network and the Parent Child Center. She has served as a community leader in race and ethnic relations with the Oklahoma Conference for Community and Justice. In 2007,Creveling was inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame for her volunteer and advocacy work.
Suzanne Edmondson is the founder of several programs such as Tales for the Rising Moon and The Friends of Eddie Warrior Foundation,all aiding in the rehabilitation and education of incarcerated women. The program allocates funds for textbooks and tuition that allows inmates the opportunity to earn their associate of arts degree through Connors State College. Among other honors,Edmondson was inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame in 2009.
Kay Goebel is a counseling psychologist in Oklahoma City. Goebel previously served as president of the Arts Council of Oklahoma City and later served six years on the Oklahoma Arts Council,four of those years serving as chair. Goebel was inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame in 1997 among many other awards and honors over the course of her career.
Esther E. Houser is the former State Long-Term Care Ombudsman in the Aging Services Division of the Department of Human Services for the State of Oklahoma. Houser served as the Long-Term Care Ombudsman from 1979 until her retirement in 2014.
Sandy Ingraham is a current social policy consultant and attorney at Ingraham &Associates law firm in McLoud,Oklahoma. Ingraham is a former lobbyist at the Oklahoma State Capitol for Neighborhood Services Organization and has worked on programs such as SoonerStart and writes the annual data book Kids Count. She was inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame in 1996 for her advocacy work and achievements.
Marcia Mitchell is the founder of Little Light House,a faith-based mission to assist children with a wide range of developmental disabilities including autism,Down syndrome,cerebral palsy. The program is not only a facility for students,but also serves as a training ground for professionals and volunteers throughout the United States and other countries who are learning to reach out to special needs children in their communities. Mitchell continues to serve as CEO of the Little Light House and published a book on her journey,Milestones and Miracles. Mitchell was inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame in 2011.
Linda Morrissey is a Tulsa County district judge. During her time as a judge,Morrissey has influenced the addition of the first courtroom in Tulsa County that dealt strictly with child support,as well as the Families in Transition Plan that removes disputing families from the courtroom and gives them an audience with mediators. In 2003,Morrissey was inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame for her contributions to the Tulsa County judicial system.
Jeanine Rhea is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Management in the William S. Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University. Rhea taught at Oklahoma State from 1976 until 2004. With the money from an OSU grant,Rhea conducted research in the area of women in management and created a course out of her findings called "administrative strategies for women in business," which later became known as "managing diversity in the workplace." This course gained Rhea nationwide recognition and thousands of students have since participated in the course. In 2005,Rhea was inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame. Currently,Rhea works as a performance consultant for Greenwood Performance Systems.
Pat Woodrum is the former executive director of the Tulsa City-County Library System,a position she served in for 32 years. Since retiring from the library system in 2008,Woodrum has served as the executive director of the Oklahoma Centennial Botanical Garden in Tulsa. Among numerous awards,Woodrum was inducted in the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame in 1993.
Catherine Dunn Heller Keating is an American author,philanthropist,and politician who served as the First Lady of Oklahoma from 1995 to 2003.