Donna Nigh (born March 9, 1933) is an inductee of the

Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame was established in 1982 by Oklahoma Governor George Nigh "to honor Oklahoma women who are pioneers in their field or in a project that benefits Oklahoma; who have made a significant contribution to the State of Oklahoma ...

and wife of former Oklahoma Governor

George Nigh George Patterson Nigh (born June 9, 1927) is an American politician and civic leader from the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Nigh served as the 17th and the 22nd governor of Oklahoma and as the eighth and tenth lieutenant governor of Oklahoma. He was th ...

. She served as the

First Lady of Oklahoma First Lady or First Gentleman of Oklahoma is the title held by the Marriage, spouse of the sitting governor of Oklahoma. The first lady or first gentleman serves as the official host of the Oklahoma Governor's Mansion. As of 2011, there have been ...

for eight years as well as the first lady of the

University of Central Oklahoma The University of Central Oklahoma (UCO or Central State) is a public university in Edmond, Oklahoma. It is the third largest university in Oklahoma, with more than 17,000 students and approximately 434 full-time and 400 adjunct faculty. Founde ...

. She is well known for her service to Oklahomans with special needs and worked to improve the quality of living for citizens with disabilities.

Early life

Donna Skinner Nigh was born in

Morris, Oklahoma Morris is a city in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,494 at the 2010 census, an increase of 14.3% from the figure of 1,294 recorded in 2000. History The community began as a cattle stop on the Ozark and Cherokee Cen ...

in 1933. She spent her entire childhood in

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...

, attended Oklahoma City public schools, and graduated from

Capitol Hill High School Capitol Hill High School (CHHS) is a public high school in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It is part of the Oklahoma City Public Schools. The high school has recorded a significant history with noteworthy sucess in interscholastic sports activities. ...

in 1951. Nigh was involved with the high school marching band where she was a "twirler" and played the

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...

. Like many women at the time, Nigh married early and had her first son, Berry Michael Mashburn. Her first marriage ended in divorce and Nigh enrolled at Central State Teachers College (now the

). She dropped out to provide for her and her son. Nigh's first occupation was with

Southwestern Bell Telephone Southwestern Bell Telephone Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T. It does business as other d.b.a. names in its operating region, which includes Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, and portions of Illinois. The company is cu ...

. Next she worked for

Trans World Airlines Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a major American airline which operated from 1930 until 2001. It was formed as Transcontinental & Western Air to operate a route from New York City to Los Angeles via St. Louis, Kansas City, and other stops, with F ...

, working in the ticket office located in the Skirvin Hotel. It was at the Skirvin Hotel that Nigh met her future husband

while he was there for business. Six months later they were married in 1963. In 1965 Nigh gave birth to their daughter Georgeann.

Career

While her husband was in office, Nigh was active in public service. In 1982 Nigh played a large role in passing legislation to fund group home projects, now identified as the Donna Nigh Group Home Program. Two years later in 1984, The Donna Nigh Foundation, a non-profit organization that awards grants to citizens with mental disabilities, was formed. She also served as the first lady to her alma mater, the

, from 1992-1997. Nigh and her husband appeared in walk-on roles in episode # 19 of the NBC soap opera ''Texas'' (playing themselves as Governor and First Lady of Oklahoma). The episode aired in August 1980. Cast member

Lisby Larson Lisby Larson (born October 23, 1951, in Washington, D.C.) is an American film, musical theatre, soap opera and television actress. She made multiple appearances on the '' Law & Order'' franchise. Television Her daytime roles include ''Texas'' (Pa ...

(Paige Marshall) serenaded the couple with a rendition of "

Oklahoma! ''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical theater, musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs (play), Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of ...

" On April 28, 2010, Nigh and her husband were robbed at gunpoint in the driveway of their northwest Oklahoma City home. They were uninjured, though her husband's wallet was taken. No suspect has been found.Saylor, Ryan
"Former #OKGov #GeorgeNigh robbed at gunpoint"
''Midnight Politics''April 29, 2010. Retrieved 04-29-10.

Service

Nigh has served on the boards of many organizations, including: *City Rescue Mission *Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence *Friends of the Mansion *

American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. Established in 1913, the society is organized into six geographical regions of both medical and lay volunteers operating in more than ...

American Diabetes Association The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is a United States-based nonprofit that seeks to educate the public about diabetes and to help those affected by it through funding research to manage, cure and prevent diabetes (including type 1 diabetes, ...

*Care-Point *

Special Olympics Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities, providing year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in 1 ...

* Jasmine Moran Children's Museum *

Deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...

at the Westminster Presbyterian Church

Awards and Achievements

*Founder of the Donna Nigh Foundation (1984) *Appointed by President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

as a member of the President's Committee on Mental Retardation. (1997) *

(1995) *

Oklahoma Hall of Fame The Oklahoma Hall of Fame was founded in 1927 by Anna B. Korn to officially celebrate Statehood Day, recognize Oklahomans dedicated to their communities, and provide educational programming for all ages. The first Oklahoma Hall of Fame Induction Cer ...

(2008) *George and Donna Nigh Public Service Scholarship established (1999) *Capitol High School Hall of Fame *Outstanding Volunteer Award from the

Oklahoma Department of Human Services The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) is an agency of the government of Oklahoma. Under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Health and Human Services, OKDHS is responsible for providing help to individuals and families in nee ...

(1999) *Pioneer Woman Award * UCO dedicated the Donna Nigh Gallery in the University Center (1992) *JFK Community Service Award (2012) *ONE Awards honorary co-chair (2012)

References

External links

Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame Oral History Project – OSU Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nigh, Donna 1933 births Living people First Ladies and Gentlemen of Oklahoma People from Morris, Oklahoma University of Central Oklahoma alumni