OKLAHOMA CITY – He’s easy to spot at the Capitol.
Big guy. Tall, built like a linebacker.
Red Jacket. Black Slacks. A stalk of gray hair.
You’ll find him on the fourth floor. Senate side. He knows every Senator’s name. Pretty much every House member, too. Kinda’ gruff but direct. Patient with tourists and newbies.
For decades he was the Chief Sergeant-at-Arms for the Oklahoma Senate.
His name is Bob Craig.
And even though he’s never held public office, over the past 50 years, in the closed world that is the Oklahoma State Senate, Bob Craig is a legend.
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He didn’t start out as a politician.
Instead, he was a football player – a really good football player. Bob Craig began his athletic career at McAlester High School.
And even then, he stood out.
“Bob went to high school with my sister,” said lobbyist Jimmy Durant. “He was the starting center for McAlester High School’s state championship football team. He’s a good guy but a mean SOB on the football team.”
That skill on the football field would lead him to the University of Oklahoma. There, from 1965 through 1967, he played center for the Sooners, headlining his career at the 1968 Orange Bowl.
“He started out with coach Gomer Jones, then switched to coach Jim Mackenzie and finished his career under coach Chuck Fairbanks,” said Craig’s friend, Barry Moore. “He was an amazing football player.”
After college, Craig set his sights on being a stockbroker.
That plan was short-lived.
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Craig hadn’t been a stockbroker very long when, in 1969, he was asked by then-state Senator Gene Stipe to serve as his driver for the senator’s upcoming campaign.
Craig agreed.
“Senator Stipe hired me after college,” Craig said. “I was an athlete. I was in pretty good shape but the good Senator, well, he ran me ragged on the campaign trail. He worked me hard.”
That job would quickly become something larger. Stipe, a Democrat from southeastern Oklahoma, was re-elected and Bob Craig found a new job. This time as a Sergeant at Arms for the Oklahoma Senate. With Stipe as his mentor Craig would have a front row seat in Oklahoma’s rough and tumble world of politics.
It was a world he quickly embraced.
Ginger Barns, Stipe’s former legislative aide, said Craig learned quickly and soon became an important part of the Oklahoma Senate.
“Bob knew what to do in every situation,” she said. “He’s kinda’ gruff but in reality, he is really a gentle giant. He was always respectful of anyone, regardless of their political affiliation.”
His job was that of a problem solver.
And, his friends said, he was a master.
“He had a deep institutional knowledge,” Barry Moore said. “And he understood the people and the process.”
One story illustrates this.
In 1980, Moore was a young lobbyist and, while reading a bill, noticed language on the documents that read, “by Howard et all of the Senate and Draper et all of the House.”
“I walked over to Bob and asked, ‘what does this mean?” Moore said.
“He said that the phrase was Latin, and I didn’t need to know what it meant,” Moore said. “Then he said, ‘it really means that a whole bunch of these boys are gonna vote for that bill.’”
Craig would answer questions and deal with problems for the next 50 years. Former state Senator Ted Fisher told the Tulsa World that Craig was “as smart as hell, very discrete and nonpartisan.”
Craig, Fisher said, was an institution and knew every Senate rule and every procedure.
Craig said he stayed in the job because he liked people.
“I’ve always been fascinated by people and by what makes them tick,” he said. “I like watching them work the marble.”
Jimmy Durant, the lobbyist, agreed. Craig, he said, has a deep, personal love for the Senate. “That’s his life. He grew up there,” Durant said. “He loves the place. He loves what it stands for and he loves its history.”
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On other occasions, Craig’s work on behalf of the Senate could be more personal. Back in 1988 political newcomer Carl Franklin found himself an elected member of the state Senate.
Franklin, who was 67 when he was elected, wasn’t expected to win.
But by the time the campaign dust had settled, Franklin was the newest state Senator from Pottawatomie County.
He was also unprepared.
“Carl came from pretty modest means and during the Senate orientation, they discovered Carl needed dentures,” Durant said. “He needed teeth.”
Enter Bob Craig.
“Bob took it upon himself to help Senator Franklin,” Durant said. “He wanted Carl to be presentable. Carl needed a good set of teeth and Bob made sure he got them.”
That small act of kindness, like many of Craig’s other efforts, would help make him a legend. On other occasions, he would place himself between warring lawmakers and, when needed, be frank and direct with staff.
He handled disputes and overflowing crowds from protests and teacher walkouts – all while making sure the Senate got its work done.
Still Craig, Durant said, cared deeply about those he worked with.
“He as a soft spot, if you will, for the downtrodden,” Durant said. “I know he worked very closely with (former) Senator Ben Brown’s drug and alcohol recovery program. Bob was really big with that.”
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The years passed quickly.
Craig served as Chief Sergeant under 13 different Senate president pro tempores. He solved problems, helped break in new legislators and made sure that the Senate’s committee and personal staff stayed on task.
Some of his friends move to other careers. Others, like Sen. Stipe, his mentor, died. But Bob Craig remained, a regular on the fourth floor of the Capitol building.
On the rare occasion, he would give out a little political advice.
“A few times he’s given me advice,” Durant said. “There were times he knew I was working on an issue and he would mention to me which senator had concerns. That helped.”
In 2020, Craig retired from his post and became Chief Sergeant Emeritus.
There was a reception and a resolution that recognized his years of work. Politicians from both sides of the political aisle came to celebrate.
Two years later, Bob Craig isn’t at the Capitol as often as he once was.
But the Senate and his long career in politics remain part of him. He stays in touch with his friends and once in a while, he still dons his red jacket.
Today, at 75, he remains busy. He said he enjoys his retirement, but he still remains connected to the Legislature.
The Senate remains his home.
“I’m fascinated by watching a bill become law,” Craig said. “I will tell a few people something and then watch who they talk to. I still like to see the process and the people who make it happen.”