15 Facts About Overton James

Overton James was an educator and Governor of the Chickasaw Nation.

Overton James was first appointed Governor in 1963 and served until 1971.

Overton James was then elected to that position and served until his last term ended in 1987.

Overton James was indicted, pleaded guilty, and sentenced to a short prison term.

Overton James was Governor of the Chickasaw Nation from 1963 to 1987.

Overton James spent the next ten years teaching school and coaching athletics in Ravia, Caddo, and Shattuck, Oklahoma.

Overton James was then the youngest person ever to serve in that office.

Overton James has served as president of the Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes, president of the Choctaw-Chickasaw Confederation, past chairman of the State Indian Affairs Commission, trustee of the National Indian Athletic Hall of Fame, member of the Indian Education Subcommittee of the National Council on Indian Opportunity, and member of the National Congress of American Indians.

Concerned about the poor state of health care facilities for the Chickasaws, Overton James began to campaign for improvements and funding from the Federal Government.

Overton James lobbied officials of the Indian Health Service and the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Carl Albert.

Overton James was important in the decision of the Chickasaw Nation to purchase the former Artesian Hotel, renaming it the Chickasaw Motor Inn and turning it into the first business owned and operated by the tribe.

Overton James was inducted into the Chickasaw Hall of Fame in 1987.

In 1989, the Philadelphia Inquirer published a story indicating that Overton James received $94,000 in kickbacks for helping Kraig Kendall, a Shawnee, Oklahoma builder, acquire about $14 million in contracts to perform construction work for the Chickasaw Nation.

Overton James had been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of fraud and extortion in 1985.

Overton James admitted that his company received the money and was sentenced to 9 months in a federal prison in January 1989.