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January 24, 2012

Bill would name portion of Oklahoma 11 for Coppock

Enid News and Eagle

Oklahoma 11 northeast of Cherokee will be named after Donald R. Coppock under a bill to be considered in the upcoming legislative session. He died in September at age 100, spending 14 years as chief of the U.S. Border Patrol.

House Bill 3108, filed by House Speaker Pro Tempore Jeff Hickman, R-Dacoma, would designate a portion of Oklahoma 11 between its junctions with U.S. 64 and Oklahoma 38 as U.S.  Border Patrol Chief Donald R. Coppock Memorial Highway. Born and raised in Cherokee, Coppock entered the Border Patrol in 1941 and served as chief for 14 years until his retirement in 1973.

“I am proud to author this bill honoring an American hero and a legendary figure in northwest Oklahoma,” Hickman said. “Chief Coppock quietly led the security of our country through very tumultuous times, and he was a living history book of some of the most significant historical events in our country during the past century.”

Coppock oversaw the enforcement of civil rights statutes during the turbulent 1960s, as the Border Patrol was called to provide security at the University of Mississippi when the first African-American student enrolled at the university; immediately after the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.; during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom; and the Selma to Montgomery march.

After his retirement, Coppock served as chief administration officer and public information officer for the U.S. House of Representatives Inquiry Committee during the impeachment of President Richard Nixon. At age 95, Coppock wrote “The Journey,” chronicling his experiences in American history.

“I’m grateful I had the opportunity to grow up in Cherokee around Chief Coppock, and I already deeply miss his advice and insight,” Hickman said. “The truth is, for his contributions to our country and to northwest Oklahoma, he should have been honored in even more significant ways long ago, so this legislation is more than overdue.”

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