Yvonne Kauger

Yvonne Kauger (born August 3, 1937) was an associate justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, and was appointed to the Court's District 4 seat by Governor George Nigh in 1984, and served as chief justice from 1997 to 1998. She was born in New Cordell, Oklahoma, and grew up in Colony, Oklahoma, and is an honorary member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. Kauger founded the Gallery of the Plains Indian in Colony, Oklahoma and is also the co-founder of the Red Earth organization. Kauger also serves as Symposium Coordinator of the Sovereignty Symposium. Kauger was inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame in 2001.^[1]

Kauger was born in New Cordell, Oklahoma, on August 3, 1937, to John and Alice Kauger. She grew up on her family's farm in Colony, Oklahoma.^[1] Upon getting her driver's license, Kauger accepted a summer job at a small law firm.^[2] She was the valedictorian of her graduating class at Colony High School in 1955.^[1]

Kauger attended Southwestern Oklahoma State University where she majored in biology and minored in both chemistry and English. She graduated in three years and worked as a medical technician at a medical arts lab for five years after graduating from an internship program at Saint Anthony Hospital. Kauger used this profession to fund her dream of becoming a lawyer. Kauger received her Juris Doctor degree at Oklahoma City University School of Law in 1969, where she graduated first in her law school class.^[3]

Upon graduation from law school, Kauger had received many job offers and worked in a private practice for Senator Cleeta John Rogers for two and a half years.^{[citation needed]} Starting in 1972, Kauger worked as a staff attorney for Justice Ralph B. Hodges until she was appointed to succeed him on the Oklahoma Supreme Court.^[1]

Kauger was appointed to the Court by Governor George Nigh in 1984,^[4] and was one of the first two women appointed to the Court along with Alma Wilson. She served as chief justice from January 1997 to January of 1999.^[1]

In 1986, Chief Justice John B. Doolin appointed Justice Kauger to establish and coordinate the Sovereignty Symposium, which has become an annual two-day event sponsored by the Oklahoma Supreme Court.^[a] The Symposium was held in the renovated Judicial Center building^[b] in Oklahoma City. The symposium attracts national and international experts and tribal leaders to discuss topics connected to art, law and history. Such issues can be exchanged in a scholarly, non-adversarial environment.^[5]

After the Judicial Center renovation was complete, Kauger decorated the building with 70 pieces of Native American art works that she found in the Oklahoma History Center archives. She then collaborated with writer Gayleen Rabakukk and photographer Neil Chapman, while she served as editor herself.^[5]

On March 21, 2023, Kauger was in a 5-4 majority to declare the constitutional right to abortion in the state of Oklahoma. Kauger wrote a concurrence, discussing how women had the right to abortion even when they lacked many other rights such as the right to vote. Kauger wrote that because of doctors' reluctance to perform even emergency abortions, "the draconian law which allows no exception, in the absence of a medical emergency to preserve the life of the mother, may be a death sentence".^[6]

On May 31, 2023, Kauger was in a 6-3 majority striking down 2 Oklahoma abortion laws, one banning abortion after a fetal heartbeat without exceptions and the other being a total ban with some exceptions.^[7][8]

On November 14, 2023, by the original 5-4 vote, the Oklahoma Supreme Court maintained the "life of mother" exception for the abortion ban. Kauger wrote a 1 sentence concurrence:

"One of the dissents states:"Any analysis of an abortion statute that proceeds under the proposition that the life of the unborn is unworthy of consideration is defective."

Any analysis of an abortion statute that proceeds under the proposition that the life of the mother is unworthy of consideration is defective."^[9][10]

• Governor's Arts Awards
• Woman of the Year by the Oklahoma City Chapter of Business and Professional Women's Club (1984)
• Adopted by the Cheyenne-Arapaho tribes (1984)
• Selected by High Noon as Woman of the Year (1985)
• Honorary doctorate from Oklahoma City University (1991)
• Herbert Harley Award by the American Judicature Society (1999)^[4]
• Inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame (2001)^[4]
• District State-Federal Judicial Council Hall of Fame
• Co-founded annual Red Earth Festival.^[11]
• Washita County Hall of Fame^[4]
• First Coordinator of the Sovereignty Symposium (2016)

• List of female state supreme court justices

• Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame Oral History Collection