Oklahoma native John Clifford Kennedy served two decades as Chairman of the board of directors of Lawton’s Security National Bank and Trust Company. For much of his life he operated a real estate and property insurance firm established by his father and uncle in 1906. During his tenure as Chairman of the Oklahoma Transportation Commission, the Commission developed a long-range, comprehensive highway program in which the federal government ultimately approved the extension of Interstate 44 from Oklahoma City to Wichita Falls, Texas. His most distinguished service to America began in 1977 when U.S. President Jimmy Carter appointed him as a delegate to the United Nations. He was also instrumental in the establishment and expansion of Goodwill Industries across southwestern Oklahoma.