Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Johnston Murray, first Native American governor in the US

 Johnston Murray, born July 21, 1902 in the Chickasaw Nation, in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma), was the first Native American to be elected as governor in the United States. His mother Mary Alice Hearrell was one-eighth Chickasaw, but Johnston never opted to enroll as a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation.  

His father William Murray was an advisor to Governor Douglas Johnston of the Chickasaw Nation, and served as ninth governor of Oklahoma from 1931-1935.

Johnston Murray attended public schools in Tishomingo, Oklahoma and attended college at the now Murray State College (named for his father), graduating in 1924.

He became active in state politics with the Democratic Party, and in 1940, he was elected chairman of the Oklahoma Electoral College. He then served as the Democratic chair of Oklahoma's 8th Congressional District.

Murray was elected Governor of Oklahoma in November 1950, taking office January 21, 1951. He was the first Oklahoma governor to be elected as Chairman of the Southern Governors Conference.  He funded the Turner Turnpike, which connected Oklahoma City and Tulsa.  The project had been approved by the legislature in 1947, and it was completed during his administration.  Murray was instrumental in purchasing the state fairgrounds in Oklahoma City. 

After leaving politics he worked in Fort Worth, Texas for a while, before returning to Oklahoma City, in 1960.  He passed away in April 1976 after a surgery for a ruptured abdominal blood vessel.

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Stephanie Byers, first transgender Native American to be elected to office

Stephanie Byers, born February 5, 1963 in Norman, Oklahoma, is a member of the Chickasaw Nation and the first transgender Native American to be elected to office in the US.  She is also the first transgender person to serve in the Kansas Legislature.

She graduated from Oklahoma Christian University with a Bachelor of Music Education, and then Kansas State University with  Master of Music in 2015. She was awarded National Educator of the Year by Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, an organization working to end discrimination, harassment, and bullying based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in schools.

She retired from teaching at Wichita North High School in 2019 and the same year, announced she would seek the Democratic nomination for the Kansas House of Representatives for the 86th district.  Byers won the election, but did not seek re-election.

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: William A. Durant, Choctaw, 1st Oklahoma Legislature

William A. Durant, born March 18, 1866 in Indian Territory, in what is now Bryan County, Oklahoma, He became a lawyer and practiced in the courts of Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations, as well as the US federal courts.  He was elected to the legislature of the Choctaw Nation in 1890 and became its speaker in 1891. 

When Oklahoma became a state in 1907, he was elected to the state legislature and served in the first six regular sessions of the Oklahoma Legislature.  He became the only Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives to serve simultaneously as the Speaker of the Choctaw Nation.

Durant was appointed by Franklin Roosevelt in 1937 as Principal Chief of the Choctaw Nation until his death in 1948.

He died in August 1948.   

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: John Herrington, first Native American astronaut

John Herrington, born September 14, 1958 Wetumka, Oklahoma in the Chickasaw Nation, is the first enrolled member of a Native American tribe to fly into space.  He flew aboard Endeavour (STS-113) as mission specialist in November-December 2002.  During the mission, he performed three EVAs with fellow astronaut with fellow astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria for a total of almost 20 hours. 

He was commander of the NEEMO 6 mission of NASA's Aquarius underwater laboratory in July 2004.

On November 21, 2019, he was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.

Happy birthday, John Herrington, first Chickasaw astronaut!

John Herrington, born September 14, 1958 in Wetumka, Oklahoma into the Chickasaw Nation, became the first enrolled member of a Native American tribe to fly in space.  He flew aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-113) with Peggy Whitson (first flight) November - December 2002.  It was the last shuttle mission before the Columbia disaster in 2003.

On his thirteenth day in space, he carried the flag of the Chickasaw Nation presented to him by the Chickasaw Nation's governor Bill Anoatubby.  He performed 3 EVAs while working on the International Space Station, logging almost 20 hours in space.