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Senator Keith Leftwich
1954 - 2003
Senator Keith Leftwich was born to John V. and Paulyne Leftwich July 6, 1954, at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City. He grew up in Choctaw, Oklahoma, and graduated from Choctaw High School where he received the William Randolph Hearst Award for High School Seniors. He attended the University of Oklahoma and was awarded the Nora Wells Award for Outstanding Junior Man. While attending OU he was active in the Young Democrats and Student Government. He received his Bachelor of Liberal Arts Degree from Oklahoma City University.
His public service began in 1982 when he was elected to the State House of Representatives for District 91 in south Oklahoma City. He served three terms in the House where he chaired The Committee on Government Operations and interim Committee on Legislative Procedures. He left the House in 1988.
From 1989-1991, Keith Leftwich worked as Executive Vice President at the Del City Chamber of Commerce. During 1992-1993 he worked as the Economic Development Director at the Beacon Publishing Company. From 2000-2002 he was the Executive Director of Coles Garden.
In 1990, Leftwich won election to the State Senate, representing District 44. He served as the Chairman of the Transportation Committee, and Chairman of the General Government & Transportation Subcommittee on Appropriations, as well as being a member of Appropriations, the Business and Labor Committee, the Human Resources Committee, the Retirement and Group Health Committee, and the Rules Committee. He was a Majority Whip in the Senate.
During his life in public service, he authored bills that put prisoners to work, fought juvenile crime & gangs, created stiffer penalties on prostitution, stopped unwanted telemarketing harassment, reformed utility regulations, and bills that have improved business practices in state government.
Among his many involvements were the South OKC Chamber of Commerce, the OU Alumni Association, Project KIDS, South OKC Optimists, The Salvation Army, National Youth Sports Coaches Association, The State Central Committee of the Oklahoma Democratic Party, PTA's, and Neighborhood Associations. He served as Chairman of NASCO (North America's Superhighway Coalition), former Chairman of the Hillcrest Senior Center Board, and former Chairman of the Oklahoma County Election Board. He was a member of Southern Hills United Methodist Church where he was a former Youth Director and Coach of their Basketball teams.
To those he left behind he will be remembered as a courageous, thoughtful, and inspiring human being. To his people on the Southside, in the State Capitol, and the State of Oklahoma, he will be remembered as the model state lawmaker, whose motto was, "The only life worth living is one of service to others."
Senator Keith Leftwich, 49, passed away Friday, September 19, 2003, after a valiant battle with cancer.
College Dedicates Library to Senator Keith Leftwich
The dedication ceremony for the Keith Leftwich Memorial Library held on March 25, 2004.
A love of books, a love of education, a love of politics, a love for south Oklahoma City, and a love for Oklahoma City Community College. These sentiments of Keith Leftwich led the Oklahoma City Community College Board of Regents to name the College Library after the late senator. Approximately 300 people, including Governor Brad Henry, attended the dedication ceremony.
Senator Debbe Leftwich said her late husband wanted others to enjoy reading as much as he did. "He was a virtual knowledge sponge. He knew knowledge was power. I hope this memorial serves to inspire students present and future to inquire about the man the library
is named after."
College President Robert P. Todd said Senator Leftwich advocated legislation that provided $6.2 million of initial funding for the construction of the College's Library which opened in 1996. He also sponsored legislation that enabled the College to establish college revenue bonds to complete construction of the Library in 2001.
"Senator Leftwich continually sponsored legislation throughout the years that enabled Oklahoma City Community College to grow in service to its community," said Oklahoma City Community College Board Chair Darrel Lanier. The legislative initiatives allowed the College to expand facilities, offer new and innovative programs, and increase the number of students it served.
Oklahoma State Senator President Pro Tempore Cal Hobson said Keith was devoted to south Oklahoma City and his friends, neighbors and constituents, including the students at Oklahoma City Community College. "Affixing his name to this Library is a great honor and fitting tribute to one of the greatest supporters the College has ever known."
Senator Leftwich, who passed away last September, served the people of south Oklahoma City for more than 21 years. He served from 1982 to 1988 in the State House of Representatives for District 91, and from 1990 to 2003 in the State Senate, representing District 44.
The 109,000 square foot Library offers information services and computing resources for students and the community. The facility also houses the Division of Information Technology and the Training Center.