Yvonne Kauger


Yvonne Kauger is an Associate Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, and was appointed to the Court's District 4 seat by Governor George Nigh in 1984, and served as Chief Justice from 1997 to 1998. She was born in Cordell, Oklahoma, and grew up in Colony, Oklahoma, and is an honorary member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. Kauger founded the Gallery of the Plains Indian in Colony, Oklahoma and is also the co-founder of Red Earth. Kauger also serves as Symposium Coordinator of the Sovereignty Symposium. Kauger was inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame in 2001.

Early life

Kauger was born in New Cordell, Oklahoma, and grew up in Colony, Oklahoma, where she helped her parents John and Alice Kauger with various chores on the family farm including picking cotton. Upon getting her driver's license, Kauger accepted a summer job at a small law firm. She was the valedictorian of her graduating class at Colony High School. Her time with the small firm inspired her to pursue her law degree.

Education

Kauger attended Southwestern Oklahoma State University where she majored in biology and minored in both chemistry and English. She graduated in three years and worked as a med tech at a medical arts lab for five years after graduating from an internship program at Saint Anthony Hospital. Kauger used this profession to fund her lifelong dream of becoming a lawyer. Kauger received her law degree at Oklahoma City University School of Law in 1969, where she was first in her law school class.
Upon graduation, Kauger had received many job offers and worked in a private practice for Senator Cleeta John Rogers for two and a half years. After this, Kauger worked for Justice Ralph B. Hodges as a clerk for eleven and a half years before she was appointed to succeed Justice Hodges on the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

Oklahoma Supreme Court

Kauger was appointed to the Court by Governor George Nigh in 1984. She served as Chief Justice from January 2007 to December 2008.
In 1986, Chief Justice John B. Doolan appointed Justice Kauger to establish and coordinate the Sovereignty Symposium, which has become an annual two-day event sponsored by the Oklahoma Supreme Court. The Symposium is held in the renovated Judicial Center building in Oklahoma City. The symposium attracts national and international experts and tribal leaders to discuss topics connected to art, law and history. Such issues can be exchanged in a scholarly, non-adversarial environment.
After the Judicial Center renovation was complete, Kauger decorated it with 70 pieces of Native American art works that she found in the Oklahoma History Center archives. She then collaborated with professionals Gayleen Rabakukk, MFA and Neil Chapman, EdD, while she served as editor herself.

Achievements

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