Regent James E Hamilton

Regent James E. Hamilton served Oklahoma as a state senator and a state representative. Hamilton, known as a fiscal conservative and a watchdog against government waste,  checked all legislation before voting.

Hamilton holds the record for having served longer in the House of Representatives than any other legislator.

Hamilton is a graduate of Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma. He was in the U.S. Infantry and then served in the state senate from 1967-1976 and was President Pro Tempore in 1973 and 1974. In 1984, after an eight year retirement, he was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

Hamilton served as chairman of committees on corrections and prisons, revenue and taxation, and the appropriations and budget committee. He prepared the language for a state constitutional amendment on budget balancing and authored a bill to bring many improvements to public schools. He was a strong advocate of new manufacturing jobs and expanded agricultural production.

He and his wife, Nancy, live in Heavener.