Yvonne Kauger
| Yvonne Kauger | |
|---|---|
| Associate Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court | |
|
Assumed office March 11, 1984 | |
| Chief Justice of Oklahoma Supreme Court | |
|
In office January 2007 – December 2008 | |
| Appointed by | Governor George Nigh |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
August 3, 1937 New Cordell, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Spouse(s) | Ned Bastow |
| Education | Colony High School |
| Alma mater | Southwestern Oklahoma State University and Oklahoma City University School of Law |
Yvonne Kauger (born August 3, 1937), is an Associate Justice on the Oklahoma Supreme Court, and was appointed to the Court's District 4 seat by Governor George Nigh in 1984, and served as Chief Justice from 1997 to 1998. She was born in Cordell, Oklahoma, and grew up in Colony, Oklahoma, and is an honorary member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma.[1] Kauger founded the Gallery of the Plains Indian in Colony, Oklahoma and is also the co-founder of Red Earth.[2] Kauger also serves as Symposium Coordinator of the Sovereignty Symposium. Kauger was inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame in 2001.[3]
Early life
Kauger grew up in Colony, Oklahoma, helping her parents John and Alice Kauger with various chores on the family farm. During her childhood, Kauger primarily helped by picking cotton. Upon getting her driver's license, Kauger was hired for the summer by a small law firm. She was the valedictorian of her graduating class at Colony High School. Her time with the small firm inspired her to pursue her law degree.[4]
Education
Kauger attended Southwestern Oklahoma State University where she majored in biology and minored in both chemistry and English. She graduated in three years and worked as a med tech at a Medical Arts Lab for five years after graduating from an internship program at Saint Anthony Hospital. Kauger used this profession to fund her lifelong dream of becoming a lawyer. Kauger received her law degree at Oklahoma City University in 1969, where she was first in her law school class.[5]
Upon graduation, Kauger had many job offers and worked in a private practice for Senator Cleeta John Rogers for two and a half years. After this, Kauger worked for Justice Hodges as a clerk for eleven and a half years before she was appointed to the Supreme Court.
Oklahoma Supreme Court
Appointed by Governor Nigh in 1984, Justice Kauger has served on the Oklahoma Supreme Court ever since. Kauger served as the Chief justice from January 2007 to December 2008.
Achievements
- Kauger was inducted in the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame in 2001.
- Governor's Arts Awards
- Woman of the Year by the Oklahoma City Chapter of Business and Professional Women's Club (1984)
- Adopted by the Cheyenne-Arapaho tribes (1984)
- Selected by High Noon as Woman of the Year (1985)
- Honorary doctorate from Oklahoma City University (1991)
- Herbert Harley Award by the American Judicature Society (1999)
- Inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame (2001)
- District State-Federal Judicial Council Hall of Fame
- Washita County Hall of Fame
References
- ↑ "Justice Yvonne Kauger". The Supreme Court of the State of Oklahoma.
- ↑ "Red Earth". redearth.org. Red Earth Museum. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
- ↑ "Yvonne Kauger". okciviljustice.com. Oklahoma Civil Justice Council. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
- ↑ Nykolaiszyn, Juliana (May 12, 2009). "Oral history interview with Yvonne Kauger". Inductees of the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame Oral History Project. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
- ↑ "Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Yvonne Kauger - 1986". SWOSU Alumni Association. 1986. Retrieved 26 March 2015.