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Under legislation filed by Speaker Pro Tempore Jeff Hickman, State Highway 11 northeast of Cherokee will be named for United States Border Patrol Chief Donald R. Coppock, Ret., who passed away in September at the age of 100.
House Bill 3108 designates a portion of SH 11 between its junctions with U.S. Highway 64 and State Highway 38 as the U.S. Border Patrol Chief Donald R. Coppock Memorial Highway. Born and raised in Cherokee, Coppock entered the Border Patrol in 1941, ultimately serving 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,” said Hickman, who is also a native of Cherokee. “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 Ole Miss when the first African-American enrolled at the university, immediately after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., during the Poor People’s March in Washington, D.C., and the Selma to Montgomery march, and led the security efforts during the negotiations that brought about the return of prisoners after the Bay of Pigs war in Cuba. After his retirement, Coppock served as the chief administration officer and the public information officer for the U.S. House of Representatives Inquiry Committee for the impeachment of President Richard Nixon. At age 95, Coppock authored The Journey chronicling his experiences in American history from his vantage point as Border Patrol Chief.
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.”
Coppock was instrumental in the establishment of the Border Patrol Museum and Library Foundation in El Paso, Texas, and a founding member of the Fraternal Order of Retired Border Patrol Officers. He coordinated the association’s annual executive board meeting in Oklahoma City in 2008 so other former Border Patrol officers could offer input and thanks for the steps Oklahoma lawmakers took in 2007 to deal with illegal immigration in light of the failure of the federal government to do so.
House Bill 3108 will be assigned to a House committee in the coming weeks to be considered for approval after the 2012 legislative session begins Feb. 6.
Under legislation filed by Speaker Pro Tempore Jeff Hickman, State Highway 11 northeast of Cherokee will be named for United States Border Patrol Chief Donald R. Coppock, Ret., who passed away in September at the age of 100.
House Bill 3108 designates a portion of SH 11 between its junctions with U.S. Highway 64 and State Highway 38 as the U.S. Border Patrol Chief Donald R. Coppock Memorial Highway. Born and raised in Cherokee, Coppock entered the Border Patrol in 1941, ultimately serving 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,” said Hickman, who is also a native of Cherokee. “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 Ole Miss when the first African-American enrolled at the university, immediately after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., during the Poor People’s March in Washington, D.C., and the Selma to Montgomery march, and led the security efforts during the negotiations that brought about the return of prisoners after the Bay of Pigs war in Cuba. After his retirement, Coppock served as the chief administration officer and the public information officer for the U.S. House of Representatives Inquiry Committee for the impeachment of President Richard Nixon. At age 95, Coppock authored The Journey chronicling his experiences in American history from his vantage point as Border Patrol Chief.
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.”
Coppock was instrumental in the establishment of the Border Patrol Museum and Library Foundation in El Paso, Texas, and a founding member of the Fraternal Order of Retired Border Patrol Officers. He coordinated the association’s annual executive board meeting in Oklahoma City in 2008 so other former Border Patrol officers could offer input and thanks for the steps Oklahoma lawmakers took in 2007 to deal with illegal immigration in light of the failure of the federal government to do so.
House Bill 3108 will be assigned to a House committee in the coming weeks to be considered for approval after the 2012 legislative session begins Feb. 6.
