HENRY BELLMON

'Henry Louis Bellmon' (born September 3, 1921) is an American Republican politician from Oklahoma. He was a member of the Oklahoma Legislature, twice the Governor of Oklahoma, the first Republican to hold the office, and a two-term United States Senator.

Contents

Early life and career

Service in World War II

Entry into Oklahoma politics

Returning to the Governor's mansion

Death penalty

Later years

See also

Reference

Early life and career

Service in World War II

Bellmon was born near Billings, Oklahoma. He graduated from Oklahoma A & M (now Oklahoma State University) in 1942 with a Bachelors Degree in agriculture. He was a lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps from 1942 to 1946. He was a tank platoon leader in the Pacific Theater of World War II. He took part in four amphibious landings on Pacific islands, including Iwo Jima. For his service, he was awarded the Legion of Merit and a Silver Star. After the war he returned to farming and took up politics.

Entry into Oklahoma politics

He served a single term in the Oklahoma legislature (1946-1948). In 1960 he served as the State Republican Party Chairman. Elected as Oklahoma's first Republican governor since statehood in 1907, he served his first term from 1963 to 1967. While Governor, he served as the chairman of the Interstate Oil Compact Commission and as a member of the executive committee of the National Governor's Association. Under Oklahoma law at the time, a term limit was in place; he was not able to run for second term.
He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1968 and re-elected in 1974. He did not run for a third term in 1980. At his retirement he was the ranking Republican on the Senate Budget Committee. His seat was won by Republican Don Nickles. He was a co-founder and co-chairman of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. He was appointed the interim director of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services in 1983.

Returning to the Governor's mansion

In 1986, Oklahoma Republican leaders asked Bellmon if he would consider running for governor again (by now the term limit provision had been removed). Bellmon agreed to run, and in November Oklahoma voters returned Bellmon to the Governor's Mansion for a second term. During his second tenure as Governor he chaired the Southern States Energy Board. Choosing not to run again, he retired from Oklahoma politics at the end of his second term (in January, 1991); he was succeeded by Democrat David Walters.

Death penalty

Bellmon is notable for overseeing as Governor both last Pre-Furman execution in Oklahoma (when James French was electrocuted in 1966) and first Post-Furman, when