Jim L. Barker (June 20, 1935 – April 25, 2005) was a Democratic politician from the U.S. state of

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

. He is the only state representative to serve four times as Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.Legislature considering renaming bridge for area men
''Muskogee Phoenix'', March 8, 2008 (accessed June 15, 2013). Barker authored several bills that became national models and addressed as fiscal crisis in the state during his time as speaker. He was ousted from office during his fourth term, due to political infighting. He died April 25, 2005, of a stroke in Oklahoma City.

Early life

Born in

Muskogee, Oklahoma Muskogee () is the thirteenth-largest city in Oklahoma and the county seat of Muskogee County. Home to Bacone College, it lies approximately southeast of Tulsa. The population of the city was 36,878 as of the 2020 census, a 6.0 percent decrease ...

, on June 20, 1935, Barker graduated from the Oklahoma Military Academy and earned a degree in business administration from Northeastern Oklahoma State University in 1957.Biographical sketch of Jim Barker

University of Oklahoma
(accessed July 14, 2013)

He was the son of Fred and Pearl Barker.political graveyard
(accessed July 14, 2013). He served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army's First Infantry Division and returned to Oklahoma to found Muskogee Restaurant Supply. He married Kay Tucker.

Political career

Barker was first elected to the

Oklahoma House of Representatives The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members introduce and vote on bills and resolutions, provide legislative oversight for state agencies, and help to craft the state's b ...

in 1969, but served only one term, before returning to serve from 1977 through 1990. He was first elected speaker in 1983, following the conviction of the former speaker on fraud charges.House speaker role assumed by Jim Barker
''The Oklahoman'', September 20, 1983 (accessed June 15, 2013). As speaker, he inherited a fiscal crisis brought on by the collapse of the oil boom and a severe depression in the agricultural sector.A Century to Remember
, Okhouse.gov (accessed June 17, 2013) Barker addressed the crisis by diversifying Oklahoma's revenue base and a series of tax increases. Barker authored many bills that became national role models, among them five pieces of legislation titled the Victim Bill of Rights.Jim Barker Obituary on Legacy.com
(accessed July 8, 2013) As speaker he was an early author of the state's Rainy Day Fund legislation, which established a set-aside for state emergencies. Barker was ousted from his post as speaker on May 17, 1989,Morgan, David R
Oklahoma Politics and Policies
University of Nebraska Press, 1991. (accessed via Google Books on June 20, 2013) due to political infighting.Past Oklahoma officials trouble with law
''The Oklahoman'', June 17, 2008 (accessed June 15, 2013).

Later life and death

Barker moved to Edmond, Oklahoma, and worked as a lobbyist after his term as a state representative ended. He died on April 25, 2005, leaving his wife, Kay, a widow. The cause of death was a stroke that occurred while he was at Mercy Health Center in Oklahoma City.

References

External links

Jim Barker Collection
an
Photograph Collection
at the Carl Albert Center
Historic Members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Barker, Jim 1935 births 2005 deaths Politicians from Muskogee, Oklahoma Northeastern State University alumni 20th-century American politicians Speakers of the Oklahoma House of Representatives Democratic Party members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives United States Army officers

Early life

Political career

Later life and death

See also

References

External links