Oklahoma
State Senate
Communications Division
State Capitol
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
For Immediate Release: May 12, 2009
Sen. Ron Justice, Pres. Pro Tem Glenn Coffee, Donna McSpadden
and Sen. Sean
Burrage after Senate passage of SCR 29.
Lawmakers Honor Clem McSpadden
A concurrent resolution asking the Oklahoma Department
of Agriculture to name their complex the “Clem Rogers McSpadden
Agricultural Complex” was approved by the House of Representatives
after winning unanimous approval in the Senate on Monday.
McSpadden was a former President Pro Tempore of the Senate, but
had also won international acclaim as a professional rodeo announcer.
He was a fifth generation rancher and the great-nephew of Oklahoma
humorist Will Rogers. McSpadden, who was also a U.S. Congressman,
died in 2008 at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
Sen. Ron Justice, Senate author of the resolution and chair of
the Senate’s Agriculture and Rural Development Committee,
said naming the Agriculture Department’s complex after McSpadden
was a fitting tribute.
“Clem was an ambassador for our state and for the ranching
and agriculture industries. He was always a gentleman, and he
always stayed true to his roots,” said Justice, R-Chickasha.
Sen. Sean Burrage, a co-author of the concurrent resolution, currently
holds the Senate seat that once belonged to McSpadden. He is also
the McSpadden’s godson.
“It is humbling to follow in the footsteps of such a great
man. He was beloved by all the members of this chamber and by
the people in his Senate district,” said Burrage, D-Claremore.
McSpadden’s wife, Donna, said he never sought any material
things for himself, but she was moved by the tribute to her husband.
She said it was an appropriate honor, but joked the only thing
wrong with it was that the complex should be located at Bushyhead,
McSpadden’s birthplace. “From the bottom of our hearts,
thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Rep. Dale Dewitt, R-Braman, is the House author of SCR 29, and
said it was a privilege to carry legislation honoring McSpadden.
“Clem was a great man, but just as importantly, he was a
good person. Naming this complex for will him help keep that memory
and legacy alive for years to come,” Dewitt said.
In addition to Donna, Clem is survived by his sons Bart and Paul,
his daughter Kay and six grandchildren.
For more information contact:
Sen. Justice's Office - 405-521-5537
