Billie Jean Floyd

Billie Jean Floyd (December 24, 1929) has been a longtime educator, Oklahoma state senator, and civic leader. Floyd served in the Oklahoma Senate from 1984 to 1988, representing district 13. After her time in office, Floyd has remained active in historical preservation and several other community service projects. After her term, she served both as P.T. Supervisor for first year teachers at her alma mater, East Central University and P.T. Field Representative for the US Census Bureau.

Billie Jean Floyd
Member of the Oklahoma Senate
from the 13 district
In office
1984–1988
Preceded byJames McDaniel
Succeeded byDick Wilkerson
Personal details
Born
Billie Jean Fathree

(1929-12-24)December 24, 1929
Ada, OK
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Ben Floyd
Alma materEast Central University, University of Oklahoma
ProfessionFormer educator

Early life

Billie Jean Floyd was born on Christmas Eve in 1929 at the very beginning of the Great Depression. Raised in Ada, OK, Floyd's family did not experience the Depression as many others did, in that her father was employed with Railway Express Agency. Floyd graduated from Ada High School in 1947. Her parents were very encouraging of her education, so after graduation from high school, Floyd attended East Central University.

Education and Career

Floyd graduated with her bachelor's degree in education in 1951. Immediately after, she pursued graduate school at the Texas Women's University. She stayed there for a short time and then returned to her home state where she taught her first year in Duncan, Oklahoma. After that first year, Floyd signed a contract with East Central University and began to teach at the college. In 1952, Floyd married her high school sweetheart, Ben Floyd. She earned her Master's in Education from OU in 1955. Her two daughters were born in 1958 and 1961.

After a long career in education, Floyd decided to run for the state senate in district 13.

Oklahoma Senate (1984-1988)

Floyd was actively involved with politics before she decided to run for office. During her childhood, religion and politics were daily discussions at the dinner table and her family members openly supported political campaigns. Floyd teamed up with Lou and Wes Watkins to petition for the Equal Rights Amendment before she decided to campaign for office. They were told that if they received enough signatures, senator Roy Boatner would change his vote from a "no" to a "yes." Floyd and her companions did not succeed in completing the petition. Soon after, Floyd ran for office and was elected in 1984.[1] She learned that their earlier petition would have not changed senator Boatner's vote, and this recognition majorly influenced some of her political decisions later on in her life.[2]

While campaigning, Floyd would hand peppermints to the public saying, "“Hello, my name is Billie Floyd and I’m running for the State Senate, and I just want to tell you that your vote would mean a mint to me, and here it is to show you."[3]

Committees
  • Tourism Committee Chairman
  • Education
  • Agriculture
  • Transportation
  • Appropriations
  • Rules

Floyd's old botany professor from East Central, Dr. Doyle McCoy, approached her in order to establish a state flower. Floyd carried the bill in the senate that inaugurated the Indian Blanket as the state flower of Oklahoma.[4]

Floyd was eventually defeated in the 1988 Democratic primary by Dick Wilkerson.

Retirement

Since leaving office, Floyd has served her community in several other capacities. She worked as a first-year residency teacher supervisor for East Central University. She also conducted interviews for the U.S. Census Bureau. Aside from these two positions, Floyd busies herself with many community service projects and organizations. FLoyd wrote the grant that established the Tri-County Indian Nations Community Development Corp., an Enterprise Community serving Coal, Johnston and Pontotoc counties. She is responsible for establishing the first Special Olympics Games in Oklahoma as well as both the Pontotoc Animal Welfare Society and PAST (Preserving Area Stories in Time.[5] Floyd is also a member of the Retired Educators Association, New Horizons, and PAWS.

Floyd also enjoys spending time with her two grandsons.

  • In 2009, Floyd was inducted into the ECU Gene and Evelyn Keefer Educators Hall of Fame.[5]

References
  1. "Senate Members". oksenate.gov. Oklahoma State Legislature. Archived from the original on 30 April 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  2. "Senator Stresses Tourism" (April 12, 1987). The Oklahoman. online digital archives. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  3. Finchum, Tanya (October 3, 2007). "Oral history interview with Billie Jean Floyd". Women of the Oklahoma Legislature. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  4. "Indian Blanket". okhistory.org. Oklahoma Historical Society. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  5. "Billie Fathree Floyd Elementary Physical Education Scholarship Established at East Central University". ecok.edu. East Central University. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
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