Mary L. Easley served as the Oklahoma Senator representing District 18, which includes
Mayes Mayes is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Adrian Mayes (born 1980), American football player
* Alan Mayes (born 1953), English footballer
* Bernard Mayes (1929–2014), British-American lecturer and author
* Clifford Mayes (bor ...
,
Tulsa
Tulsa ( ) is the second-most-populous city in the state of Oklahoma, after Oklahoma City, and the 48th-most-populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tul ...
and Wagoner counties from her win in a special election in 2004 until 2010. She previously served in the
Oklahoma House of Representatives
The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members introduce and vote on bills and resolutions, provide legislative oversight for state agencies, and help to craft the state's ...
Cassville, Missouri
Cassville is a city in Flat Creek Township, Barry County, Missouri, United States. According to the 2020 census, the population of Cassville was 3,186. Cassville is one of the primary markets and job centers for an estimated 14,000 people livin ...
, where her parents were farmers. She grew up around the majority of her extended family and has fond memories of being raised in rural Missouri. After high school, Easley attended
Southwest Baptist University
Southwest Baptist University (SBU) is a private Baptist university in Bolivar, Missouri, United States. It is affiliated with the Missouri Baptist Convention, which is part of the Southern Baptist Convention. In 2023, it had a total enrollment ...
. She met her husband, Truman, and moved to
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita ( ) is the List of cities in Kansas, most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397, ...
, with him for his job at
Boeing Aircraft
The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support s ...
. Easley completed her undergraduate degree at
Friends University
Friends University is a Private university, private Nondenominational Christianity, nondenominational Christian university in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It was founded in 1898. The main building was originally built in 1886 for Garfield Uni ...
as well as began to work on her master's. For about a year, she worked on her degree while teaching. After that year Easley went to
Wichita State
Wichita State University (WSU) is a public university, public research university in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate degree programs in more than 200 ...
. Her first teaching position was in
Valley Center, Kansas
Valley Center is a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States, and a suburb of Wichita. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 7,340.
History
Valley Center was incorporated on September 29, 1885, and was named for its loc ...
.
In 1967, the couple moved to
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa ( ) is the List of municipalities in Oklahoma, second-most-populous city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma, after Oklahoma City, and the List of United States cities by population, 48th-most-populous city in the United States. The po ...
. Easley began teaching in
Owasso, Oklahoma
Owasso () is a city in Rogers and Tulsa Counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, and the largest northern suburb of Tulsa. The population was 39,328 persons as of the 2022 census estimate, compared to 28,915 at the 2010 census, a gain of 36 per ...
and remained there for 24 more years. Easley taught English at
Owasso High School
Owasso High School is a high school located within Tulsa County in Owasso, Oklahoma, United States. It is among the largest high schools in Oklahoma by enrollment with nearly 3,000 students. In 2024, the school received international attention f ...
.
Oklahoma House of Representatives (1997-2004)
Toward the end of her teaching career, Easley's son
Kevin
Kevin is the anglicized form of the Irish masculine given name (; ; ; Latinized as ). It is composed of "dear; noble"; Old Irish and ("birth"; Old Irish ).
The variant ''Kevan'' is anglicised from , an Irish diminutive form.''A Dictiona ...
was a state senator. This started to inspire Easley to become involved with politics in order to attempt to pass legislation that she was concerned about. Soon Easley decided to retire from education and begin campaigning. Her campaign slogan was the same one her son used: "Easley the Best Choice." Easley was elected to the
Oklahoma House of Representatives
The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members introduce and vote on bills and resolutions, provide legislative oversight for state agencies, and help to craft the state's ...
in 1997. It was the first time that a mother and son served simultaneously, though Kevin was in the Senate at the time. She served until 2004, when she took her son Kevin's
Oklahoma Senate
The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution. Easley worked on passing several bills concerned with education during her terms in the Senate. She authored the Autism Insurance Bill, which did not pass. The bill would essentially help to provide insurance for families struggling with an
autistic
Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing di ...
child. Easley was especially dedicated to bettering the education of children with disabilities.
Committees
*Education committee
* Vice-chair of the Energy committee
*Vice-chair of the Transportation committee