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Governor Henry Bellmon, September 3, 1921 – September 29, 2009


November, 1986.

As a young photographer for the Stillwater NewsPress I was assigned to photograph former Governor Bellmon voting in his hometown of Billings, Oklahoma.

The polling place was a tiny spot in the gymnasium of Billings High School. The polling spot was dark, lit only by a single bulb.

Governor Bellmom and his wife came in and greeted every precinct worker by name. He walked over to the polling booth and began to vote. I asked him if he minded if I took his photograph and he smiled and said warmly, "not at all," but ask me if I would "make him look good."

I laughed.

There were other photographers there, but none spoke him at the time, and they all used flashes because the room was so dark.

When I looked through the viewfinder I saw this image.

I was struck by the glow of the single bulb, the serious look of the governor's face, and the imposing nature of his body.

I shot several frames, then turned and thanked the governor (and Mrs. Bellmom) and left.

The photo ran on the front page of the next day's NewsPress and I received several compliments from our subscribers.

Fast forward to March of 1990.

Bellmon is ending his second term as governor and I'm a new employee of the Oklahoma State Senate who is still trying to figure out where the restrooms are in the Capitol building.

One cold morning, I'm in the basement of the Capitol (trying to find the restroom) and I bump into Governor Bellmom. He walks over to me, sticks out a large paw and says, "Hi, I'm Henry Bellmom."

We talk for a second, and I re-introduce myself. The governor chuckles and says, "I remember you, Scott, you took my picture when I was voting in Billings."

You could have picked my jaw up off the floor.

I started to stammer a thank you, when he added, "I always liked that picture."

I guess that's why I always liked Governor Bellmom. He was kind and decent and he remembered my name.

While I worked for the Senate I saw David Walters a million times and he didn't give a damn who I was. Frank Keating wouldn't even speak to me in an elevator, and George Nigh was always too busy working the room for even a handshake.

But Henry Bellmom would stop and make it a point to smile and talk, and make a young Senate employee feel welcomed at the Capitol.

I guess that's why I like this photograph. For me, it's a very personal photo and, to me, it shows Governor Bellmon at his best — simply being a decent man from a small, Oklahoma town.

Comments

@okieprof said…
Bravo Scott...great photo and story, and a great man
October 2, 2009 at 8:52 PM
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