District 6
Justice Tom Colbert, the first African-American to serve on the Supreme Court of Oklahoma, was born in Oklahoma City. He graduated from Sapulpa High School, earned an associate’s degree from Eastern Oklahoma State College in 1970, and a bachelor of science degree from Kentucky State University in 1973. While at Kentucky State, Justice Colbert was named an All-American in track and field. Justice Colbert served in the United States Army and received an honorable discharge in 1975. He earned a master of education degree from Eastern Kentucky University in 1976 and taught in the public schools in Chicago. Justice Colbert received his juris doctorate from the University of Oklahoma in 1982. He was an Assistant Dean at Marquette University Law School from 1982-1984, and an Assistant District Attorney in Oklahoma County from 1984-1986, before entering private law practice at Miles-LaGrange & Colbert from 1986-1989. Justice Colbert continued his practice under the name Colbert and Associates from 1989-2000. He also served as an attorney for the Oklahoma Department of Human Services from 1988-89 and in 1999. In March of 2000, Justice Colbert became the first African-American appointed to the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals. He was appointed by Governor Frank Keating. He served as Chief Judge of that Court in 2004. On October 7, 2004, Governor Brad Henry appointed Justice Colbert to the Supreme Court of Oklahoma. In January 2011, Justice Colbert was sworn in as the first African-American Vice Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court. On January 1, 2013, Justice Colbert became the first African-American to be sworn in as Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court. Justice Colbert is a member of the American Bar Association, the National Bar Association, the Oklahoma Bar Association, and the Tulsa County Bar Association. He participates in the Track & Field Masters Level, a mentoring program for young men, and a summer reading program for children, and is a frequent speaker at schools. Justice Colbert has been honored with many distinguished awards such as: Tulsa Community College Service Award (2004), Eastern Oklahoma State College Hall of Fame (2005), Thurgood Marshall Award of Excellence (2005), OU Black Alumni Society?Trailblazer Award (2005), Kentucky State University Athletic Hall of Fame (2006), Black Heritage Trailblazer Award (2006 and 2011), St. Louis Gateway Classic Sports Foundation?Lifetime Achievement Award (2009), NABCJ?Oklahoma Criminal Justice Hall of Fame (2012), HBCU Awards – Male Alumnus of the Year (2013), Oklahoma Association of Community Colleges?Hall of Fame (2013), Oklahoma City/County Historical Society?Pathmaker Award (2013), the Urban League?Vilona P. Cutler Award (2013), and Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher Diversity Award (2013)