Growing up in southeast Oklahoma there are many titans from our region who transformed Little Dixie’s landscape to look up to for inspiration. Few though changed people’s minds and viewpoints on racial fairness, quite like Dr. John Montgomery, who would become not just a veterinarian but a transformative figure in “Little Dixie” politics for generations to come.
When Dr. John arrived in Poteau in 1951, it was still a time where African American professionals would still not be welcomed to dine at the same lunch counter as their counterparts or their children attend the same school. Many rural Oklahoma communities were not exactly friendly to African Americans visiting or some outright restricting it by being a “sundown town”. The bottom-line was very few people thought it was a good idea for an educated man like Dr. John and his wife Doris to start a new life in a community that might be outright hostile to the idea of them living in their community – let alone listening to his medical advice.
Thankfully, for my hometown community, this did not deter Dr. John. Turns out ranchers in southeast Oklahoma need the advice and assistance of a qualified veterinarian to ensure cattle gets to market to get paid and keep the family ranch afloat. Quicky, Le Flore County ranchers would become to trust Dr. John and he would become a well-respected pillar of not just our community but across the Sooner State.
Dr. John’s influence in Poteau would include convincing the school board president to integrate the schools to all races, becoming the first in Oklahoma to do so. Poteau would also integrate other areas of the city, like the town pool, well before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ever passed. He did these things by pointing out the value all Oklahomans bring to the community – and that his taxpayer dollars were no less valued than his white neighbors down the road.
The good doctors influence also reflected positively on our state as well. He would lead the political push to build a veterinary teaching hospital and would serve on the Board of Regents for Oklahoma State University and Oklahoma A&M Colleges. His wife, Doris, just as importantly would become the first woman in our great state to serve on the Pardon and Parole Board during Gov. David Boren’s Administration.
Yes, the Montgomery Family didn’t just leave an impact on Oklahoma, they left a legacy of uplifting and the belief that the common good can prevail if we just try to make an effort. I became to know Dr. John and his wife on a personal level during my time in the State Legislature. His advice and wisdom in my professional life are irreplaceable.
Dr. John was a believer in the Gospel music of, “Brighten the Corner Where You Are.” So, we should all say, “why not small towns like Poteau, and why not Oklahoma.”
Now in my capacity of State Director for Rural Development in Oklahoma, I want to live by Dr. John’s words of wisdom to brighten my corner of where I come from, by investing our taxpayer dollars in a force for good for rural Oklahoma in our schools, water systems, tribal communities, emergency responders and healthcare providers. Black History Month isn’t just a time to reflect on those giants of history, but a call for action to continue the good work and service of a dedicated Servant Leader like my friend and mentor from Poteau - Dr. John.