James C. Nance

references listed at end of page

James C. Nance was a newspaper publisher and state legislator in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Nance was a lifelong registered 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. Nance is one of two men in Oklahoma who have been elected both Speaker of the House of Representatives and President Pro Tempore of the Senate. Tom Anglin is the other former official, and Nance has the additional distinction of serving twice as Speaker (1929-30 and 1960-62)

Career

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 at the age of 91.

House of Representatives and State Senate

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 in 1947-49. After retiring from legislative service in 1963, Nance was named Chairman of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, the policy group which drafted the landmark legislation Uniform Commercial Code (UCC).Back home in Oklahoma,Nance served as Master of Ceremonies for the Oklahoma Heritage Association 1963 Hall of Fame awards ceremony. Nance was a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association and had clerked in a law office in Arkansas, and used his legal background in drafting legislation while serving in the legislature. Nance used his legal knowledge to in business transactions, yet did not 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 in his campaigns. Also, Nance's son in law, Ben Langdon served as senior advisor to Gov.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.

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 mostly wrote non-partisan public policy articles and yet tended to favor Democrat candidates, and was a strong advocate of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and funding for infrastructure projects including highways and county roads, bridges, schools and other infrastructure.

Personal life

Nance and his wife, Rosa Ayleene Carr Nance, were both Presbyterian. 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 Nance McCurdy, and Bettye Nance Langdon. The youngest child, Bettye, attended Purcell High School in her senior year. Nance had 6 grandchildren, 27 great grandchildren, and 3 great great grandchildren. Other close family members included nephew Bob McBrinn,Editor of the El Paso Times; cousin Mary Frances Newbern of Fayetteville, AR and her son David Newbern, Supreme Court Justice in Arkansas; and cousin Loretta Nance Pace, wife of District Judge Tom Pace of Norman, OK

Early life

Nance was born in 1893 in Rogers Arkansas, and enjoyed a rural country upbringing, raising farm animals and horses. In a speech to the Norman Rotary Club in 1982, Nance said that when he was a teenager his horse got sick and 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, began buying and selling produce during the daytime and working as a law clerk in the night time, for his older brother John Nance, an attorney in Rogers. The educational experience of the legal clerkship 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, as a real estate investor and small business owner.Nance's son James C. Nance Jr. was born in Rogers Arkansas, and his birth certificate lists Nance's occupation as Produce Salesman.

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.

On July 1, 1968 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, as OK title 69, Chapter 1, Article 16 Section 1612 established the James C. Nance Bridge.

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. Dave Boyer, a former state Senator in Lawton, the action was announced by Cameron President John Coffey.

A small park area along from 7th street to 8th street near Jefferson on a dry area of Walnut Creek in Purcell was named Jim and Ayleene Nance Park in 2000

sources:

Directory of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State Election Board

Daily Oklahoman, September 1984 news article

Daily Oklahoman, September 1981 news article

James C. Nance, Newpaperman and LawmakerNorman Transcript Newspaper3-07-05

Story of Oklahoma Newspapersauthored by Ed CarterPublished by Oklahoma Press Association

When Both Sides Worked TogetherNorman Transcript Newspaper2-27-05

Nance Speech to Norman Rotary Club, Oct. 1982Norman Transcript

Oklahoma Statues Citationized 1968Title 69. Roads, bridgesChapter 1, Art. 16, Sec. 1612 James C. Nance Bridge

www.cameron.edu/info/campus_map/buildings/nance_boyer

Oklahoma Heritage Association