Community leaders honor Wes Watkins at naming ceremonies

Monday, August 30, 2010

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Wesley “Wes” Watkins was honored today at two ceremonies designating the Bennington Postal Building as the Wes Watkins Post Office and the USDA portion of the Agriculture Center at Lane, OK after the former U.S. Representative and Oklahoma State Senator.

The tribute got its start in March 2009, when U.S. Congressman Dan Boren introduced HR 1713 in the U.S. House of Representatives to dedicate both the Bennington Post Office and the USDA portion of the Lane Ag-Center in the name of Congressman Watkins.  The legislation was signed into law on November 30, 2009.

“Congressman Watkins is a devoted Oklahoma leader in many arenas who has served the people of his state and community with distinction,” said Congressman Boren.  “I am pleased to have an opportunity to honor his service at today’s ceremonies.  I have learned a great deal about public service from Wes, and I count myself among the thousands of Oklahomans whom he has had a positive influence.  It is an honor to continue his legacy of rural economic development and job creation in my own Congressional career,” Boren added.

A ceremony and luncheon was held midday at the Lane-Ag Center to name the USDA portion of the center after Congressman Watkins. The Oklahoma State University portion of the agricultural center at Lane already bears the name, Wes Watkins Agriculture Research and Extension Center.  However, Boren’s legislation also named the federal portion, the USDA South Central Agricultural Research Laboratory portion of the Ag Center, after Watkins as well.  Later in the afternoon another ceremony and community reception was held in Bennington, OK for the mounting of a plaque dedicating the Bennington Post Office as the Wesley “Wes” Watkins Post Office Building.  The ceremony also featured a special pictorial postmark commemorating the event.

“Oklahoma State University congratulates Wes on this special honor,” said OSU President Burns Hargis.  “We are proud Wes is a distinguished OSU graduate and thank him for his many contributions to Oklahoma and his unwavering support and devotion to OSU.”

“It is with great pleasure that the Postal Service honor Mr. Watkins, a former U.S. Representative, by having the Bennington Post Office building permanently display the dedication plaque that bears his name,” said Oklahoma District Manager Julie Gosdin.

“I am grateful for the leadership of Congressman Dan Boren who now continues the concern for rural economic and job development.   I am also grateful for the Bennington community leaders who continue to work every day to improve the community so there will be jobs and a thriving environment for young people who want to live and raise their families in the Bennington area.   Most of all, I am grateful for the values instilled in me as a youth, growing up where faith, honesty, hard work, patriotism, and family still matter,” said Watkins.

Wes graduated as Salutatorian from BHS in 1956, having 10 years of perfect attendance and active in athletics, church, 4H and FFA. While obtaining Bachelors and Masters degrees at OSU in Agriculture, he served as State FFA president, president of the Agriculture Student Council, the OSU Student Senate, and the OSU student body.  He became a successful homebuilder and contractor, was elected to the Oklahoma Senate in 1974, and was elected to succeed Speaker Carl Albert in the U.S. Congress in 1976. 

Wes served in Congress for 14 years, then made an unsuccessful run for Governor of Oklahoma, then was reelected to his Congressional seat in 1996 and served 6 more years.  In his last election, Wes received over 87% of the general election vote.  While in Congress, Wes was the only Congressman in U.S. history to serve on all three powerful financial committees (Appropriations, Ways and Means, and Budget). Uppermost in his mind during all his years of service was to reverse the decline of jobs and economic viability in the area he represented. Projects funded for Bennington included the business incubators, the utility infrastructure for a new housing development, street improvements, and funding for the Chitwood Center (a community center and cafetorium named for long-time FFA advisor, community leader, and Wes’ mentor Harold Chitwood).