Brad Henry
A pragmatic Oklahoma governor who championed education and navigated his state through economic boom and domestic tragedy.
Born 1963 (age 63)·American politician·Birthday: June 10·Baby Boomers
Biography
Brad Henry arrived at the Oklahoma governor's mansion in 2003 as a soft-spoken state senator from Shawnee, a Democrat in a dark red state who won by the slimmest margin in the history of the office. His tenure, however, proved to be one of consequential moderation. Governing during a period of relative economic prosperity fueled by energy revenues, Henry made his mark by fiercely advocating for education, securing teacher pay raises and pushing for the state's lottery and gaming compacts to directly fund classrooms. His steady hand was tested by profound crises, most notably the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing's long shadow and the devastating tornadoes that regularly scar the plains. Henry operated with a lawyer's careful deliberation, often finding compromise where others saw only partisan walls, which earned him high approval ratings and made him the last Democrat to hold the state's top office. His legacy is that of a consensus-builder who used fiscal good times to invest in Oklahoma's future.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Brad was born in 1963, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Brad Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Brad's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 60
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 63 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Successfully championed the creation of the Oklahoma Lottery and the education-focused gaming compacts with Native American tribes.
- Established the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OHLAP), a statewide college scholarship for students from families earning under $50,000.
- Presided over a period of significant investment in public education, including major pay increases for teachers and state employees.
- Signed into law one of the nation's most comprehensive smoking bans in public places and workplaces.
Did You Know?
He and his wife, Kim, were high school sweethearts and the first couple to both graduate from the University of Oklahoma Law School.
He was a champion high school debater and won the state championship in 1981.
He appointed the first Native American woman, Virginia Henson, to the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
An avid basketball player, he had a full-court gym built at the Governor's Mansion during his term.
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
