Changes

|term_star7=January 2, 1979

|term_star7=January 2, 1979

|term_end7=January 3, 1981

|term_end7=January 3, 1981

|preceded7=Roy Grantham<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/47741429/helm-race-outcome-pends/ |title=Helm Race Outcome Pends |first=Ed |last=Kelley |newspaper=[[The Oklahoman]] |page=15 |date=1978-11-09 |access-date=2020-03-31 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

|preceded7=Roy Grantham<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/47741429/helm-race-outcome-pends/|title=Helm Race Outcome Pends}author=Ed Kelley|publisher=''The Oklahoman'' on Newspapers.com|page=15|date=November 9, 1978|accessdate=July 15, 2021}}</ref>

|succeeded7=William O'Connor<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/47741702/new-senator/ |title=New Senator |newspaper=[[The Oklahoman]] |page=93 |date=January 20, 1981|accessdate=March 31, 2020|publisher=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

|succeeded7=William O'Connor<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/47741702/new-senator|title=New Senator|publisher=''The Oklahoman''|page=93 |date=January 20, 1981|accessdate=July 15, 2021}}</ref>

|birth_date=December 6, 1948

|birth_date=December 6, 1948

|birth_place=Ponca City, Kay County, Oklahoma

|birth_place=Ponca City, Kay County, Oklahoma

'''Donald Lee Nickles''', known as '''Don Nickles'''  (born December 6, 1948), is the president of the Nickles Group, a [[Lobbyists|lobbying]] firm in [[Washington, D.C.]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://newsok.com/nickles-plans-to-launch-lobbying-venture-group/article/2876952|title=Nickles plans to launch lobbying, venture group |publisher=NewsOK.com |accessdate=December 20, 2014}}</ref> and a [[Republican Party|Republican]] former [[United States Senator]] for his native [[Oklahoma]]. He served from 1981 until 2005 and was  considered both a fiscal and social [[conservative]]. When he retired from the Senate, he was the longest serving senator from Oklahoma. Initially elected at the age of thirty-one, he remains the youngest Republican ever elected to the Senate.

'''Donald Lee Nickles''', known as '''Don Nickles'''  (born December 6, 1948), is the president of the Nickles Group, a [[Lobbyists|lobbying]] firm in [[Washington, D.C.]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://newsok.com/nickles-plans-to-launch-lobbying-venture-group/article/2876952|title=Nickles plans to launch lobbying, venture group |publisher=NewsOK.com |accessdate=December 20, 2014}}</ref> and a [[Republican Party|Republican]] former [[United States Senator]] for his native [[Oklahoma]]. He served from 1981 until 2005 and was  considered both a fiscal and social [[conservative]]. When he retired from the Senate, he was the longest serving senator from Oklahoma. Initially elected at the age of thirty-one, he remains the youngest Republican ever elected to the Senate.

Born and reared in Ponca City in Kay County in northern Oklahoma, he was the son of Robert C. Nichols and the former Coeweene Bryan.<ref>https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=NI005</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VwvScLjCam4C&q=Coeweene+Robert+Nichols|title=Who's who in the South and Southwest|date=October 1984|isbn = 9780837908199}}</ref> He attended Ponca City public schools. While studying at [[Oklahoma State University]] at Stillwater, from which he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in business administration in 1971, he and his wife, the former Linda Lou Morrison, operated Don Nickles Professional Cleaning Service there. After college, he worked for Nickles Machine Corporation in Ponca City, a business begun in 1918 by his grandfather, Clair A. Nichols (1887-1984).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/N/NI005.html|title=Nickles, Donald Lee|accessdate=July 3, 2008|author=Dianna Everett|publisher=Oklahoma Historical Society, ''The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture}}</ref>

Born and reared in Ponca City in Kay County in northern Oklahoma, he was the son of Robert C. Nichols and the former Coeweene Bryan.<ref>https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=NI005</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VwvScLjCam4C&q=Coeweene+Robert+Nichols|title=Who's who in the South and Southwest|date=October 1984|isbn = 9780837908199}}</ref> He attended Ponca City public schools. While studying at [[Oklahoma State University]] at Stillwater, from which he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in business administration in 1971, he and his wife, the former Linda Lou Morrison, operated Don Nickles Professional Cleaning Service there. After college, he worked for Nickles Machine Corporation in Ponca City, a business begun in 1918 by his grandfather, Clair A. Nichols (1887-1984).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/N/NI005.html|title=Nickles, Donald Lee|accessdate=July 3, 2008|author=Dianna Everett|publisher=Oklahoma Historical Society, ''The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture}}</ref>

Prior to his U.S. Senate election, a post which he filled for four terms, Nickles served for two years in the state Senate for District 20. Nickles had determined that nearly half of his profits from the dry-cleaning business went to federal taxes. When his father died in 1961, when Nickles was only twelve years of age, the family had to sell off some business assets to meet the federal estate tax. These two events led to Nickles becoming a strong defender of [[capitalism]].

Senator Nickles hence sponsored legislation to cut taxes, reduce government spending, enhance national defense, and to try to ameliorate the official U.S. government's hostility to religion. He sponsored the [[Defense of Marriage Act]], which permitted states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages conducted in other states. DOMA was partially struck down in 2013 and completely so in 2015 with the ''[[Obergefell v. Hodges]],'' which legalized same-sex marriages.

Prior to his U.S. Senate election, a post which he filled for four terms, Nickles served for two years in the state Senate for District 20. Nickles had determined that nearly half of his profits from the dry-cleaning business went to federal taxes. When his father died in 1961, when Nickles was only twelve years of age, the family had to sell off some business assets to meet the federal estate tax. These two events led to Nickles becoming a strong defender of [[capitalism]]. Senator Nickles hence sponsored legislation to cut taxes, reduce government spending, enhance national defense, and to try to ameliorate the official U.S. government's hostility to religion. He sponsored the [[Defense of Marriage Act]], which permitted states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages conducted in other states. DOMA was partially struck down in 2013 and completely so in 2015 with the ''[[Obergefell v. Hodges]],'' which legalized same-sex marriages.

As the Republican Whip, Nickles called for the resignation of fellow Republican [[Trent Lott]] of [[Mississippi]] as majority leader (after succeeding [[Bob Dole]]) because of remarks Lott made at the 100th birthday celebration of Senator [[Strom Thurmond]] of [[South Carolina]] in December 2002. The statements were considered by Lott's critics to have been insensitive to [[civil rights]] issues though Lott said that he never realized that his remarks were unacceptable. Lott was replaced after then President [[George W. Bush]] came out against the Mississippian.

As the Republican Whip, Nickles called for the resignation of fellow Republican [[Trent Lott]] of [[Mississippi]] as majority leader (after succeeding [[Bob Dole]]) because of remarks Lott made at the 100th birthday celebration of retiring Senator [[Strom Thurmond]] of [[South Carolina]] in December 2002. The statements were considered by Lott's critics to have been insensitive to [[civil rights]] issues though Lott said that he never realized that his remarks were unacceptable. Lott was replaced after then President [[George W. Bush]] came out against the Mississippian.

After the election of [[Ronald Reagan]], a group of conservative senators, including the freshman Don Nickles, questioned the conservative credentials of [[Sandra Day O'Connor]], the first woman nominated to the Supreme Court. The opponents noted that O'Connor had been an [[abortion]] supporter while serving in the Arizona State Senate, and they expected her to join the liberal bloc on the court. Reagan, however, stubbornly stood behind O'Connor, who was confirmed 99-0, after those hesitating to confirm her followed Reagan's lead. In time the O'Connor's critics proved right and Reagan wrong because in 1991, O'Connor, who relished her role as a "swing justice," joined a 5-4 court majority in the opinion,''Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey'' which upheld ''[[Roe v. Wade]].Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey | Oyez, accessed July 15, 2021.</ref>

After the election of [[Ronald Reagan]], a group of conservative senators, including the freshman Don Nickles, questioned the conservative credentials of [[Sandra Day O'Connor]], the first woman nominated to the Supreme Court. The opponents noted that O'Connor had been an [[abortion]] supporter while serving in the Arizona State Senate, and they expected her to join the liberal bloc on the court. Reagan, however, stubbornly stood behind O'Connor, who was confirmed 99-0, after those hesitating to confirm her followed Reagan's lead. In time the O'Connor's critics proved right and Reagan wrong because in 1991, O'Connor, who relished her role as a "swing justice," joined a 5-4 court majority in the opinion,''Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey'' which upheld ''[[Roe v. Wade]].Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey | Oyez, accessed July 15, 2021.</ref>