Kirk Humphreys

Last updated
Kirk Humphreys
34th Mayor of Oklahoma City
In office
April 9, 1998 –November 3, 2004
Preceded by Ron Norick
Succeeded by Guy Liebmann
Personal details
Born (1950-09-13) September 13, 1950 (age 70) [1]
Political party Republican
Alma mater University of Oklahoma

Kirk Humphreys (born September 13, 1950) is an American politician who served as Mayor of Oklahoma City from April 9, 1998, to November 3, 2004. [2] He was considered a favorite candidate of the Republican party establishment for U.S. Senator in 2004, [3] [4] losing to former Congressman Tom Coburn, MD in the primary. [5] Humphreys was appointed to The Oklahoma City Public Schools Board as Chairman, but was later unseated by former state Sen. Angela Monson.

Contents

Humphreys is the Executive Chairman of Humphreys Capital, a real estate inves fund management company based in Oklahoma City. [6]

Education

Humphreys graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1972 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance. [6]

Career

From 1972 until 1989, Humphreys built a distribution business with his brothers that specialized in the distribution of beauty products and other non-food items to leading retailers across the United States. [6] In 1989 he founded The Humphreys Company, a real estate development and investment firm. Among the company's current projects are Carlton Landing, a 1,800-acre new town development on Lake Eufaula in southeastern Oklahoma, and The Wheeler District, the redevelopment of the 150-acre site of the former Downtown Airpark on the Oklahoma River near downtown Oklahoma City. [6]

Humphreys is Executive Chairman of Humphreys Capital, which manage real estate investment funds with more than $700 million in assets in 15 states.

Humphreys is vice-chairman of the Oklahoma City Airport Trust, vice-chairman of the Oklahoma Industries Authority and serves on the board of the Hough Ear Institute. He is a former trustee of the Urban Land Institute and was founding chairman of the Oklahoma District Council of ULI.

From 2008 until 2019, Humphreys was co-host of "Flash Point," an award-winning locally-produced Sunday morning political talk show on Oklahoma City NBC affiliate KFOR-TV (channel 4), alongside co-host Mike Turpen and moderator Kevin Ogle.

Religious Liberties Controversy

On December 10, 2017, in his capacity as a "Flash Point" cohost, Humphreys made comments about his personal beliefs, the "me too" movement, homosexuality, and his belief in the existence of universal truth in a culture of moral relativism. His comments prompted calls for his resignation from the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents by the LGBTQ Alumni Society and Freedom Oklahoma. [7] [8] [9] In addition, Paula Lewis, the chair of the Oklahoma City Public Schools board of education, issued a statement calling for Humphreys to resign from the board of John Rex Charter Elementary School, located in downtown Oklahoma City. [10] A few dozen John Rex parents held a protest December 15, 2017, also demanding Humphreys' resignation from the school's board. In January, 2018, more than 2,000 parents of John Rex students and citizens of Oklahoma City signed a letter of support for Humphreys, demanding that he remain in a role of leadership for John Rex and defending his religious liberties http://m.news9.com/story.aspx?story=37220732&catId=112032 [11] [12] On December 21, 2017, at the end of a special meeting of the OU Board of Regents, Humphreys announced he would resign from the board of regents at the beginning of the spring semester in January 2018. [13]

Politics

Humphreys was elected to the Putnam City School Board in 1987 and served until 1995. [6] In 1998, he was elected mayor of Oklahoma City and served two terms. As mayor, he changed the popular opinion of the downtown revitalization effort, known as Metropolitan Area Projects (or MAPS), to a more favorable view. This resulted in increased economic development and improved quality of living in the downtown Oklahoma City area and a move toward a second project, known as MAPS for Kids, aimed at a revitalization of the area's public schools. [14]

In 2004, Humphreys was a candidate in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate and was considered a favorite for the party's nomination as he was endorsed by incumbent Don Nickles and Oklahoma's other U.S. Senator James Inhofe. [3] [4] However, he was defeated by Tom Coburn with a vote of 61% to 25%. [5]

Personal

In 1972, Humphreys married the former Danna Kircher of Stroud, Oklahoma. He and Danna have three children and 15 grandchildren.

Related Research Articles

Oklahoma City Capital of Oklahoma

Oklahoma City, officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 26th among United States cities in population, and is the 11th largest city in the Southern United States. The population grew following the 2010 census and is estimated to have reached 662,314 as of July 2020. The Oklahoma City metropolitan area had a population of 1,396,445, and the Oklahoma City–Shawnee Combined Statistical Area had a population of 1,469,124, making it Oklahoma's largest municipality and metropolitan area by population.

Don Nickles

Donald Lee Nickles is an American politician and lobbyist who was a Republican United States Senator from Oklahoma from 1981 until 2005. He was considered both a fiscal and social conservative. After retiring from the Senate as the longest serving senator from Oklahoma (1981–2005) up until that point, he founded the Nickles Group, a lobbying firm.

Tom Cole American politician

Thomas Jeffery Cole is the U.S. Representative for Oklahoma's 4th congressional district, serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party and serves as Deputy Minority Whip. The chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) from 2006 to 2008, he was, during his tenure, the fourth-ranking Republican leader in the House. A member of the Chickasaw Nation, Cole is one of only four registered Native Americans in Congress, along with Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, Yvette Herrell of New Mexico and Sharice Davids of Kansas.

Tom Coburn American politician and physician

Thomas Allen Coburn was an American politician and physician who served as a United States Senator for Oklahoma from 2005, until his resignation in 2015. A Republican, he previously served as a United States Representative.

Steven W. Taylor is a former Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court. He is a former mayor of McAlester, Oklahoma. As a state district court judge, Taylor was the presiding judge in the state trial of the Oklahoma City bombing.

Robert Harlan Henry is a former United States Circuit Judge and politician from Oklahoma, and was the 17th President of Oklahoma City University. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Henry formerly served as the Attorney General of Oklahoma from 1986 to 1991, before resigning early in his second term to become the dean of the Oklahoma City University School of Law, where he remained until 1994. President Bill Clinton appointed Henry as a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, a position he held until he resigned in 2010 to return to Oklahoma City University as president. He retired as President of Oklahoma City University in 2018, and has since worked as an attorney specializing in mediation, moot courts, and appellate advocacy.

Mick Cornett

Michael Earl Cornett Sr. is an American politician and former television personality who served as the 35th mayor of Oklahoma City, from 2005 until 2018. A member of the Republican Party, he was only the fourth mayor in Oklahoma City history to be elected to three terms and the first to be elected to four terms. He also served as President of the United States Conference of Mayors and as national President of the Republican Mayors and Local Officials (RMLO). He also served as Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Urban Economic Affairs Committee until 2007. In 2018, he was defeated in the Republican runoff by Tulsa businessman Kevin Stitt for GOP nomination for Governor of Oklahoma. In 2006, Cornett was defeated by Mary Fallin for the Republican runoff for U.S. Congress.

Tom L. Ward is a prominent Oklahoma City businessman and philanthropist. He is currently the Chairman and CEO of Mach Resources, a privately owned energy company in Oklahoma City, OK. He was the founder and former Chairman and CEO of Tapstone Energy and SandRidge Energy, Inc. and is the former President, Chief Operating Officer, and co-founder of Chesapeake Energy.

Norman Joel Pattiz is an American broadcasting entrepreneur who founded radio network Westwood One. Pattiz is a member of the National Radio Hall of Fame.

The City of Oklahoma City has operated under a council-manager form of city government since 1927. A mayor and eight-member council are elected to set policy and appoint a city manager who carries out the day-to-day operations. City administrative staff and elected officials have offices at the historic city hall located on the western edge of the central business district in downtown Oklahoma City.

Clayton Ike Bennett is an American businessman and chairman of the Professional Basketball Club LLC, the ownership group of the Oklahoma City Thunder, an NBA franchise formerly known as the Seattle SuperSonics. Bennett is the chairman of Oklahoma City-based Dorchester Capital Corporation, as well as the chairman emeritus of the board of directors of the Oklahoma Heritage Association and served as chairman of the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma from 2011–2019.

2004 United States Senate election in Oklahoma

The 2004 United States Senate election in Oklahoma took place on November 2, 2004. The election was concurrent with elections to the United States House of Representatives and the presidential election. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Don Nickles decided to retire instead of seeking a fifth term. Republican nominee Tom Coburn won the open seat.

Metropolitan Area Projects Plan (MAPS) is a multi-year, municipal capital improvement program, consisting of a number of projects, originally conceived in the 1990s in Oklahoma City by its then mayor Ron Norick. A MAPS program features several interrelated and defined capital projects, funded by a temporary sales tax, administered by a separate dedicated city staff funded by the sales tax, and supervised by a volunteer citizens oversight committee.

Ronald Weiser American businessman, philanthropist, and diplomat

Ronald N. Weiser is an American businessman, political figure, and Republican Party donor and financier. Weiser founded a real estate company. He held fundraising roles for the presidential campaigns of George W. Bush and John McCain. He was chairman of the Michigan Republican Party from 2009–2011, 2017–2019, and 2021–present. He was U.S. ambassador to Slovakia during the Bush's first term (2001–2004) and was elected to the Board of Regents of the University of Michigan in 2016.

James Lankford United States Senator from Oklahoma

James Paul Lankford is an American politician serving as the junior United States Senator for Oklahoma since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the U.S. Representative for Oklahoma's 5th congressional district from 2011 to 2015.

David Holt (politician) American politician

David Holt is an American attorney, businessman and Republican politician who is the 36th mayor of Oklahoma City. He is the youngest mayor of Oklahoma City since 1923; during his first year in office, he was the youngest mayor of a U.S. city over 500,000. He is Oklahoma City's first Native American mayor. His signature achievement as mayor has been the passage of MAPS 4 in 2019, a nearly $1 billion initiative including 16 projects, which voters approved in a landslide. He served in the Oklahoma Senate from 2010 to 2018, eventually as majority whip.

2014 Oklahoma gubernatorial election

The 2014 Oklahoma gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 2014, to elect the Governor of Oklahoma. Incumbent Republican Governor Mary Fallin was running for re-election to a second term in office. Fallin was re-elected, defeating Democratic candidate Joe Dorman, a state legislator.

2014 United States Senate special election in Oklahoma

The 2014 United States Senate special election in Oklahoma took place on November 4, 2014, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Oklahoma, concurrently with the regularly-scheduled election to Oklahoma's other Senate seat, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

Oklahoma City Streetcar

The Oklahoma City Streetcar, also known as the MAPS 3 streetcar, is a streetcar system in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. The 4.8-mile (7.7 km) system serves the greater downtown Oklahoma City area using modern, low-floor streetcars, the first of which was delivered in mid-February 2018. The initial system would see two lines that connect Oklahoma City's Central Business District with the entertainment district, Bricktown, and the Midtown District. Expansion to other districts surrounding downtown as well as more routes in the CBD is already underway.

G. T. Bynum Mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States

George Theron Bynum IV is an American politician and lobbyist from the state of Oklahoma. A member of the Republican Party, Bynum is the 40th mayor of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Prior to becoming mayor, he served as a city councilor for Tulsa's ninth district. He is a political moderate.

References

  1. ↑ "Kirk Humphreys". City of Oklahoma City. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Previous Mayors of Oklahoma City". City of Oklahoma City. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved August 21, 2007.
  3. 1 2 Lois Romano (July 12, 2004). "In Oklahoma, GOP Race Not a Given". Washington Post. Retrieved August 21, 2007.
  4. 1 2 "Watts, Cole endorse Humphreys in Senate race". The Journal Record. November 26, 2003. Retrieved August 21, 2007.
  5. 1 2 John Skorburg (September 1, 2004). "Fiscal Conservative Wins GOP Senate Nod in Oklahoma". Budget & Tax News. Retrieved August 21, 2007.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "About Us". Humphreys Real Estate Investments. Archived from the original on May 6, 2007. Retrieved August 21, 2007.
  7. ↑ Jaschik, Scott (December 12, 2017). "Anger Over Oklahoma Regent's Anti-Gay Comments". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  8. ↑ Causey, Adam Kealoha (December 11, 2017). "Former Oklahoma City mayor chided for anti-gay comments". The Oklahoman. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  9. ↑ Bauer-Wolf, Jeremy (December 13, 2017). "Calls Escalate for Oklahoma Regent to Quit". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  10. ↑ "OKCPS board chair calls for Humphreys to resign". FreePressOKC.com. December 12, 2017. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  11. ↑ "John Rex protesters seek Humphreys' resignation from OKC board". NewsOK.com. December 15, 2017. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  12. ↑ https://humphreysresign.wordpress.com/
  13. ↑ Miller, Ken (December 21, 2017). "Oklahoma regents vice chair to resign after anti-gay comment". Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 23, 2017– via www.WashingtonPost.com.
  14. ↑ Bill May (January 30, 2002). "Humphreys: Oklahoma City has a competitive edge". The Journal Record. Archived from the original on June 16, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2007.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.