Former Oklahoma Gov. George Nigh has delivered a commencement address in Oklahoma for the 69th consecutive year, choosing his alma mater McAlester High School for this year's speech.
A member of McAlester's 1945 class, the 90-year-old spoke to graduates during a ceremony this month at the Southeast Expo Center.
Nigh told The Oklahoman newspaper he delivered his first graduation speech in 1950 at a rural schoolhouse north of Arpelar in Pittsburg County when he was a college student running for the Legislature. He didn't have a car, so he hitchhiked to the ceremony.
Nigh said he enjoyed speaking to students so much he would block off May on his calendar so he would be available to speak.
Nigh served as governor as a Democrat from 1979 to 1987.