Henry Bellmon

Henry Bellmon
18th and 23rd Governor of Oklahoma
In office January 12, 1987 – January 14, 1991
Lieutenant	Robert S. Kerr III
Preceded by	George Nigh
Succeeded by	David Walters
In office January 14, 1963 – January 9, 1967
Lieutenant	Leo Winters
Preceded by	George Nigh
Succeeded by	Dewey F. Bartlett
United States Senator from Oklahoma
In office January 3, 1969 – January 3, 1981
Preceded by	Mike Monroney
Succeeded by	Don Nickles
Member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from Noble County
In office January 7, 1947 – January 4, 1949
Preceded by	Robert R. McCubbins
Succeeded by	F. C. Seids
Personal details
Born	Henry Louis Bellmon (1921-09-03)September 3, 1921 Tonkawa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Died	September 29, 2009(2009-09-29) (aged 88) Enid, Oklahoma, U.S.
Resting place	Billings Union Cemetery, Noble County, Oklahoma 36°30′20.2″N 97°24′59″W / 36.505611°N 97.41639°W / 36.505611; -97.41639 (Henry Bellmon Burial Site)
Political party	Republican
Spouses	Shirley Osborn ​ ​ (m. 1947; died 2000)​ Eloise Morsman Bollenbach ​ ​ (m. 2002)​
Alma mater	Oklahoma A & M
Occupation	farmer, politician
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1942–1946
Rank	First lieutenant
Battles/wars	World War II Pacific theater Battle of Iwo Jima
Awards	Silver Star Legion of Merit

Henry Louis Bellmon (September 3, 1921 – September 29, 2009) was an American Republican politician from the U.S. State of Oklahoma. A member of the Oklahoma Legislature, he went on to become both the 18th and 23rd governor of Oklahoma, mainly in the 1960s and again in the 1980s, as well as a two-term United States Senator in the 1970s. He was the first Republican to serve as Governor of Oklahoma and, after his direct predecessor George Nigh, only the second governor to be reelected.

A World War II veteran, Bellmon served a single term in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, before running for governor. After serving in the U.S. Senate, he returned to serve again as governor and was responsible for passing a large education reform package. He died in 2009 after a long struggle with Parkinson's disease.