The history of wrestling is woven into the fabric of the state of Oklahoma. The unique connection between the two dates nearly all the way back to the early days of the state’s founding in 1907. With that, there’s a fairly unique connection between the politics and elected officials and the sport.
There are several former wrestlers who went on to become significant politicians in the state of Oklahoma. Democrats and Republicans alike. Though most of us are probably ready for election season to be over and the world to move on, we do feel it’s significant to acknowledge wrestlers who have had some success in the political arena. Here’s a look at a few of them.
Carl Albert-United States Congressman (1947-1977)
Carl Albert had one of the more impressive and remarkable careers in politics of any Oklahoman ever. Here’s his biography from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame
“One of the most powerful and most respected figures in the history of the United States Congress, Speaker of the House Carl Albert twice stood a heartbeat away from the Presidency.
The Speaker is second in line of succession. For several months in 1973, after the resignation of Vice President Spiro Agnew, and again in 1974, after the resignation of President Richard Nixon and the elevation of Vice President Gerald Ford, Albert became heir apparent.
The “Little Giant from Little Dixie” represented the third Congressional district of Oklahoma for 30 years, beginning with the 80th Congress in 1947. He was House majority whip, House majority leader, and was elected Speaker in 1971. He served on many important committees and supervised the legislative process for such laws as the Civil Rights Act, Secondary Education Act, Voting Rights Act, and War Powers Act.
Albert left Congress in 1976, and three years later, on the 100th anniversary of Will Rogers’ birth, he received the first Will Rogers Award as the person who best exemplified the character of the great humorist. Many other awards followed and his autobiography, Little Giant, published in 1990, was the Oklahoma Book of the Year.
Born in 1908, Albert attended rural school in Bug Tussle, Oklahoma, and high school in nearby McAlester, where he won a Midwest oratorical contest. The prize was a trip to Europe, and a visit with President Coolidge. He entered the University of Oklahoma in 1927, where he was a member of the wrestling team and the debate team. Upon graduation in 1931, he began studies at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, obtaining a degree in law in 1933 and another in civil law in 1934.
Albert joined the U. S. Army as a private in 1941 and was discharged in 1946 as a lieutenant colonel, after serving in the Pacific Theater. He practiced law before his election to Congress in 1946.”
Markwayne Mullin-U.S. Senator
Mullin’s Bio from Senate.gov
Mullin was sworn into office on January 3rd, 2023, following ten years of service to Oklahoma in the U.S. House of Representatives. A lifelong Oklahoman, Senator Mullin grew up on his family’s ranch in Westville where he and his family still reside to this day.
A graduate of Stilwell High School, Mullin went on to attend Missouri Valley College on a wrestling scholarship until the age of 20 years old. At that time, Senator Mullin’s father, Jim, fell ill, and Mullin and his recent bride Christie postponed studies to save the family business, Mullin Plumbing.
Over the past 27 years, Markwayne and Christie Mullin have expanded Mullin Plumbing to become the largest service company in the region, and along the way founded numerous other successful companies ranging from Mullin Environmental to Rowan’s Steakhouse, the latter a bustling restaurant in the neighboring town of Stilwell and named for Christie’s family.
John Talley-Oklahoma Representative District 33
State Representative John Talley was raised in Anadarko, Oklahoma and there discovered his passion for agriculture and hard work through FFA and the sport of wrestling. After graduating high school in 1973, John enrolled at Oklahoma State University where he lettered in wrestling, earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture education, and met his wife Caryl. House District 33 has been his home now for more than 40 years. John and Caryl have two grown children and three grandchildren.
Dale Wells-Oklahoma Representative District 33
Interestingly, the representative for District 33 prior to Talley, was also a wrestler. Wells was a state placer at Cushing in the 1960s.
Bob “Ed” Culver-Oklahoma Representative District 4
Culver was a state champion for Tahlequah in 1976 and later played football at OU for Barry Switzer. He’s the State Representative for District 4 and up for re-election on Tuesday.
There are a number of other wrestler/politicians we’ve had in Oklahoma, but with election day on Tuesday, we thought we’d look at a few here.
