OKLAHOMA CITY – Twice this year, former President Bill Clinton has come to the Sooner State to speak to Oklahomans who lost a loved one.
In April, Clinton delivered the keynote address at a ceremony that marked the 30th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing.
Last Thursday, Clinton returned to Oklahoma City to speak at a memorial service honoring former Gov. George Nigh, who died July 30.
Close to 1,000 people attended the service at Crossings Community Church, including Gov. Kevin Stitt and former governors Mary Fallin, Frank Keating, David Walters and Brad Henry. Clinton, the former president – a Democrat – was the last of four speakers who delivered eulogies for Nigh.
Leona Mitchell, who led the New York Opera for almost two decades, sang the song, “The Lord’s Prayer,” at the ceremony while musician Kyle Dillingham performed two songs, “You’ll Never Know” and “Amazing Grace.”
Clinton, who served as governor of Arkansas during the same time Nigh was governor of Oklahoma, said he came to Oklahoma City for many reasons, among them that Nigh had been a mentor for him.
“He knew that I was too young to know what I was doing,” Clinton said. “So, he offered to help me make fewer mistakes. We worked together on the Arkansas River navigation project. We worked together on interstate highway improvements.”
Clinton said he was grateful that Nigh supported him even when he decided not to run for president in 1988 and later when he did decide to run for president in 1992.
“I’m grateful that he went around doing what he could on my behalf,” Clinton said.
“He inspired confidence.”
Nigh, Clinton said, approached issues and problems with an outstretched hand, not a clenched fist.
“He honestly believed that public life could be decent and honorable and that people could be helped, not so much with a handout as with a hand up,” Clinton said.
Clinton said Nigh’s positive attitude make him skeptical when they first met.
“The first time I met him, before I got to know all of y’all, I wondered if I still had my wallet in my pocket, the former president said. “I thought, ‘this guy is too good to be true. Nobody is this nice.’” But Nigh would go on to show that government service could be a positive thing.
“For him, public life could be decent and honorable and that people could be helped, not so much with a handout as with a hand up,” Clinton said.
Clinton’s eulogy was interrupted by applause four times.
Prior to the president’s speech, Oklahoma’s two historians – attorney Bob Burke and Bob Blackman, the former executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society – both talked about Nigh’s role in history while Rev. Wendell Estep spoke about the former governor’s faith.
Burke said Nigh was the greatest storyteller he’d ever know. “He loved Oklahoma. He knew more about Oklahoman than anyone else,” Burke said. “He knew every lake, he loved every stream, every hill, every mountain and every plain.”
Oklahoma, Burke said, was only 20 years old when Nigh was born. He also referenced Nigh’s work to make the song, “Oklahoma!” the official state song.
“As long the wind comes sweeping down the plain, and the wheat smells sweet and hawks are still making lazy circles in the sky, a bit of George, a bit of his legacy will go into those lyrics of what I believe is the greatest of state songs,” Burke said.
Blackburn said Nigh died a rich man.
“Rich in those who loved him, rich in those who admired him and rich in those who respected his reputation,” he said.
He said Nigh was sincere, courageous and empathetic.
“There was nothing fake about George Nigh,” he said. “He truly cared about other people.”
While Nigh’s work in public office was a major part of the memorial service, the ceremony ended with a reference to one of the former governor’s earliest efforts – designating the song, “Oklahoma!” – the title cut from the musical – as the official state song.
“Oklahoma!” – which was performed by the University of Central Oklahoma’s choir – ended the ceremony.
“I think the governor would have appreciated that,” one woman said. “It’s not often that the state song is played at a memorial service.”