Remembering Governor George Nigh: A Friend to Conservation
George Nigh (second from left) pictured along with other dignitaries, (l to r) Dr. L. L. Church, Robert Kerr, Jr., and State Representative A.L. Carlton, at the dedication of Lake Wiley Post, Oklahoma’s 1500th watershed dam northeast of Maysville on October 22, 1971. Image from the Oklahoma Conservation Historical Society Collection of the Oklahoma Historical Society. Gateway to Oklahoma Link: https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1935071/m1/1/?q=George%20Nigh
The Oklahoma Conservation Historical Society mourns the passing of Governor George Nigh this month at age 98. Born in McAlester on June 9, 1927, Nigh began his remarkable public service career when elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 1950 at just 22 years old—the youngest person ever elected to that office. He served as Lieutenant Governor from 1959-63 and again from 1967–1979, before being elected Governor in 1978. After his 1982 reelection, he became the first Oklahoma governor to succeed himself, serving until 1987. For over three decades, Nigh remained at the heart of Oklahoma politics, leaving a lasting legacy that touched many areas of public life, including conservation of our soil and water resources.
Conservation Leadership
As Lieutenant Governor, Nigh helped dedicate watershed dams across Oklahoma. He spoke at the dedication of the state's 1,500th upstream flood control dam in 1971—Wiley Post Memorial Lake near Maysville—an event captured in photographs within the Oklahoma Conservation Historical Society's photographic collection and shared as part of this post. In 1976, he helped dedicate the symbolically significant 1,776th upstream flood control dam, Lake Liberty in Pontotoc County, as part of the nation's Bicentennial celebration.
As Governor, Nigh guided Oklahoma's conservation agencies through a period of crisis and change. During the devastating Farm Crisis of the 1980s—an economic downturn more severe than the Great Depression in rural Oklahoma—the 1985 Farm Bill introduced the first Conservation Title with "Swampbuster" and "Sodbuster" provisions and created the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), all first implemented in Oklahoma during Nigh's second term.
Oklahoma Lt. Governor George Nigh speaks at the dedication of Wiley Post Lake, Oklahoma’s 1500th watershed dam, near Maysville in McClain County, October 22, 1971. Image from the Oklahoma Conservation Historical Society Collection of the Oklahoma Historical Society. Gateway to Oklahoma Link: https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1935550/m1/1/?q=George%20Nigh
Policy and Appointments
Governor Nigh's conservation legacy includes significant policy achievements and appointments. In 1981, he signed legislation making the Oklahoma Conservation Commission responsible for the state's Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Program. His unique position as the first governor to serve consecutive terms allowed him to shape conservation leadership—by the end of his second term, he had appointed all five commissioners on the Oklahoma Conservation Commission. On March 12, 1984, Governor Nigh attended the first Conservation Commission meeting held in the new Agriculture Building, where he presented the iGovernor's Conservation District Week Proclamation.
Recognition and Legacy
In January 1985, Governor Nigh received fitting recognition when he was inducted as the first member of the newly created Oklahoma Conservation Hall of Fame at the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts state meeting, earning distinction as a "Conservation Friend." The following year, he served as Master of Ceremonies at the OACD State Meeting Banquet honoring recently retired Conservation Commission Executive Director Leonard A. Solomon.
After leaving office, Nigh remained a familiar and respected figure throughout Oklahoma for many decades. He was truly a friend to conservation in Oklahoma and will be deeply missed.
Lt. Governor George Nigh is greeted by Don Dudley, assistant director, Oklahoma Conservation Commission at the dedication of Wiley Post Lake on October 22, 1971. Image from the Oklahoma Conservation Historical Society Collection of the Oklahoma Historical Society. Gateway to Oklahoma Link: https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1935555/m1/1/?q=George%20Nigh