John W. Montgomery
John W. Montgomery
“When you’re blessed to have an opportunity to make a change for the better, then you ought to do it.”
Biography
John W. Montgomery, a Texas native, graduated from Prairie View A&M in 1940 with a B.S. in agriculture before serving in the United States Army Corps of Engineers during World War II as first sergeant. After the war he attended the Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University), graduated with his doctorate in veterinary medicine, and worked one year for the U.S. Department of Agriculture before establishing his 50-year veterinary practice in Poteau, Oklahoma. Dr. Montgomery served on the board of regents for OSU and A&M Colleges. He served twice as chairman, and his term included the campaign to raise funds for the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at OSU. He developed a new mission for Langston University, and a multi-purpose building was dedicated in his name as an Honorary Distinguished Alumnus. He received the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture and Leadership Oklahoma’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Fun fact
In 1954 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled racial segregation of schools unconstitutional, Dr. John Montgomery pushed Poteau's school board to desegregate. On June 7, 1955, Poteau became the first school district in Oklahoma to integrate.
Oklahoma connections
Montgomery established his veterinary clinic in Poteau, Oklahoma, in 1951.
Relevant Exhibits
Oklahoma Hall of Fame: Service Members
