oohrp's video: Betty Boyd: Women of the Oklahoma Legislature

Betty Boyd, Oklahoma state representative from 1991 to 2000 and member of the Democratic Party, served in the House District 23 seat. She was also a Tulsa area television broadcaster prior to entering the political arena. She talks about her childhood growing up in an all-woman household parented by her aunt and mother. Boyd shares that her husband contracted polio after World War II which prompted her to accept a position outside of the home as a television broadcaster for a local news station in Tulsa. She talks about developing into a well-known television personality and discusses how that helped when she campaigned for a seat in the state House of Representatives in 1990 at the age of sixty-six. Boyd recalls some of her experiences as chair of different committees and the bills she was able to get passed, noting her experience in public speaking was an asset. She also speaks on the daily life of a state politician, her various assistants, and the social life she was able to experience through her office. Boyd also offers advice to women aspiring to be in politics and the importance of keeping up your energy at an older age. This interview was conducted as part of the Women of the Oklahoma Legislature Collection at the OSU Library. For more information on this interview or to view the transcript, visit [link to CDM]. To learn more about the collection or the Oklahoma Oral History Research Program, visit http://library.okstate.edu/history/ © Oklahoma State University Don't forget to like this video and subscribe to our channel!