Eastern Oklahoma State College, Press Release, Julian Rothbaum Lecture Series

Former Oklahoma Governor George Nigh will be the third lecturer in the Julian J. Rothbaum Distinguished Lectureship in Public Policy series to be presented by Eastern Oklahoma State College 10 a.m. Tuesday, October 28, in Mitchell Hall Auditorium on the Wilburton campus.

Eastern President Dr. William Campion said everyone interested in hearing from the Governor is invited to the lecture.

The lectureship series is made possible by a generous endowment by Julian J. Rothbaum through the Eastern Oklahoma State College Development Foundation. Rothbaum (1913-2003) was a native of Pittsburg County and long time advocate for higher education having served as a member of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education as well as being involved in the oil industry and banking.

As an attorney and philanthropist, he devoted his time and resources to help form public policy. Rothbaum’s intentions were to give college students and area residents the opportunity to hear from recognized authorities on subjects that relate to national, state and local public policy.

Nigh earned the distinction of being the first governor in Oklahoma history to be elected to more than one term, serving from 1979-1987. He also was the first gubernatorial candidate to carry all of the state’s 77 counties, winning the 1982 election in a landslide.

A McAlester native who attended Eastern from 1946 to 1948, Governor Nigh served eight years in the Oklahoma House of Representatives and 16 years as lieutenant governor. He was elected to his first term in the House in 1950 while a senior in college at East Central University in Ada.

Nigh became President of the University of Central Oklahoma July 1, 1992. He had been Distinguished Statesman in Residence at the university for the previous five years. Nigh was inducted into the Eastern Oklahoma State College Alumni Hall of Fame in 1988.

Former Oklahoma Governor
George Nigh
Governor Nigh

Julian J. Rothbaum