James C. Nance
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James C. Nance was a newspaper publisher and state legislator in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Nance was an avid Democrat, yet made Oklahoma history in being elected Speaker in 1929 with a coalition of dissident Democrats and the Republican caucus of legislators which voting together defeated House Speaker Allan Street, the Democrat establishment candidate.
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[edit] Career
[edit] Newspaperman
Nance was a publisher of The Purcell Register in Purcell, Oklahoma for 54 years, from 1930 to 1984. Previously, he and wife Ayleene had owned newspapers in Walters and Chandler. A joint partnership with Joe McBride of Anadarko, Nance McBride Newspapers, owned thirteen weekly and daily community newspapers and included a local operator partner in each community.
Nance continued to write weekly editorials for the Purcell Register on public policy matters until he died in September 1984.
[edit] House of Representatives
In his public service career, Nance was twice elected Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, 1929 and 1960, and once President Pro Tem of the Oklahoma Senate. After retiring from legislative service in 1963, Nance was named Chairman of the Interstate Commission on Uniform State Laws, and Nance served as Master of Ceremonies for the Oklahoma Heritage Association's 1963 Hall of Fame awards ceremony. Nance was a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association, and had clerked in a law office in Arkansas, but chose not to practice law.
Nance downplayed ideological labels, and as an experienced businessman favored lawsuit reform, and strongly advocated tax cuts whenever economically feasible. Nance editorialized against the Vietnam War, while advocating a strong national defense and military preparedness. He opposed "Right to Work" type labor legislation.
In Oklahoma politics, Nance was a close ally of Gov. George Nigh and Nance's son in law, Ben Langdon served as senior advisor to Nigh. Nance was a strong supporter of David Boren in his election as Governor and later U.S. Senator.
In 1974, Nance was subpoenaed as a character witness for the defendant Governor David Hall in his 1974 federal trial. Nance testified that newspaper coverage, particularly that of the Daily Oklahoman, did not allow Governor Hall to get a fair or impartial trial by jury.
[edit] Retirement
In his retirement years, Nance was a regular commentator on OETA, the local PBS station, on its public affairs program panel Oklahoma Week in Review. Nance wrote regular weekly editorials on public policy matters in The Purcell Register. Nance favored Democrat candidates, and was a strong advocate of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and funding for roads, bridges, schools and infrastructure.
[edit] Personal life
Nance and his wife, Rosa Ayleene Carr Nance, were both Presbyterians. Although the Nance family were longtime residents of Purcell, his 3 children were mostly raised in Walters prior to moving to Purcell: James C. Nance Jr., Mary Rosamond McCurdy, and Bettye Nance Langdon. The youngest child, Bettye, attended Purcell High School in her senior year.
[edit] Early life
Nance was born in Rogers Arkansas, and enjoyed a rural country upbringing, raising farm animals and horses. He later said that his horse got sick, he knew he had to act fast to sell it before it died. With the money he made from the horse sale, Nance moved to town and began as a law clerk for his older brother John Nance. This educational experience in his formative years proved beneficial, as Nance could recite from memory complex legal descriptions to his real estate investment portfolio. Nance used this law background as a legislator, and in his business transactions.
[edit] Legacy
Nance was named to the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1955, and received the Distinguished Service Citation from the University of Oklahoma in 1982, in honor of his legislative representation of The University of Oklahoma located within his legislative district (Cleveland, McClain, and Garvin counties). In the early portion of Nance's legislative career, he represented Cotton and Stephens Counties.
After his retirement, civic leaders in Purcell and Lexington, led by banker and businessman Sam Ewing, requested the State Highway Commission name the US-77/SH-39 bridge the James C. Nance Bridge, to honor his legislative service.
In 1993 the bridge was renamed "James C. Nance Memorial Bridge" in a move sponsored by Sen. Trish Weedn (D-Purcell), a friend of Nance.
Nance-Boyer Hall at Cameron University in Lawton OK is named jointly for Nance and Mr. Boyer, a former Cameron University President.
source: Daily Oklahoman, September 1984 news article www.newsok.com
