Legendary Contributions

Former Gov. Henry Bellmon served Oklahoma with great distinction, and his death reminds us of a somewhat softer era in politics when it seemed almost natural that conservative and liberal politicians would work for bipartisan policies and programs to move the state forward.

Bellmon, a Republican who served two terms as governor and two terms as a U.S. Senator, died Tuesday at an Enid hospital. He was 88.

It makes sense that Gov. Brad Henry has called Bellmon his mentor, according to NewsOK.com. Henry has the same bipartisan political qualities that Bellmon possessed, the same independent streak. Henry rightly calls Bellmon “iconic” in Oklahoma’s history.

State media pundits and politicians have celebrated Bellmon and his career over the last two days. The late governor served as a model of political integrity. It’s difficult to overstate Bellmon’s importance to the state. He led the state through some extremely tough financial times in the 1980s, and he even served once as the director of the state’s Department of Human Services under former Gov. George Nigh, a Democrat. One could argue he was the driving force behind the GOP’s new ascendency in state politics.

When duty called, Bellmon was there. If anyone can represent so-called “Oklahoma values,” it was Bellmon, who was elected as the state’s first Republican governor in 1962. He was a man who avoided the limelight and pageantry of political power, a man with a strong work ethic, just as comfortable in casual clothes than a suit, a successful farmer as well as one of the state’s great leaders.

As a journalist, I interviewed Bellmon about his second race for governor in 1986. I found him to be a straight-forward person with no vested personal interests in the race, a man who didn’t mince words or use a lot of nuance. He wasn’t after power. He was running for governor because he felt the state needed him, and he was right, and the state’s residents were served well by his leadership.

One of Bellmon’s most important accomplishments, and one that seems so bipartisan in today’s political world, was his ability to help pass House Bill 1017 in 1990. The education bill improved school funding, reduced class sizes and increased teacher’s salaries. Bellmon pushed for the bill even as some politicians in his own party opposed him.

Bellmon’s political style was the antithesis of the constant bickering and extremism in today’s partisan politics. We need more leaders like him in Oklahoma these days.