Chickasaws Elect a Governor

Under the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968, as well as other federal legislation, the right to hold popular elections was restored. Governor Overton James had been appointed Governor in 1963, the youngest governor to hold the position, and served the appointment until 1971. Then, in 1971, James became the first elected Chickasaw governor since 1904, and he served the nation until 1987.