Douglas H. Johnston
Douglas H. Johnston
“Governor Johnston stood as the accredited representative of his Nation in all matters affecting the well-being of his people.”
Biography
Douglas Johnston was only 26 years old when he became the superintendent of Bloomfield Seminary (later moved to Ardmore as Carter Seminary), an educational institute established for girls of the Chickasaw tribe, in 1884. He served in the position for 13 years before being elected as Governor of the Chickasaw Nation, reigning over the southwestern one-fourth of Indian Territory. Honored for his tireless efforts in securing the rights of many Native Americans, Governor Johnston was reelected to the powerful position continuously from 1898, with the exception from 1902 to 1904, until his death.
Fun fact
When an estimated four thousand white settlers made fraudulent claims as benefactors to be listed on tribal rolls and therefore given tribal lands, Governor Johnston appealed directly to the President of the United States and those claims were deemed false and settlers were removed from the area. He was also the first Chickasaw governor to be appointed by the President of the United States in 1906.
Oklahoma connections
Johnston served as Governor of the Chickasaw Nation.