Kim Henry

Kimberley Diane "Kim" Henry is an American teacher who is married to the 26th governor of Oklahoma, Brad Henry. She was the first lady of Oklahoma from January 13, 2003 to January 10, 2011.

Henry began her career as a teacher by joining the staff of her alma mater, Shawnee High School in Shawnee, Oklahoma, in 1993. While there, she taught Oklahoma History, Economics, Government and American History. When her husband Brad Henry was elected Governor of Oklahoma in 2003, Henry became the First Lady of Oklahoma.

Henry serves on board of directors for the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and the Jasmine Moran Children's Museum. She previously served on the board of directors for Science Museum Oklahoma, Leadership Oklahoma, and the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.

Henry was active in the First Baptist Church of Shawnee, and met a boy named Brad Henry at a Halloween party sponsored by the church youth group. They dated until he went off to school, broke up, then reconnected when he returned to Shawnee during his first Christmas break. They soon married and moved to Norman, Oklahoma, where Brad was studying law. Kim became pregnant with twin girls in 1989. They moved back to Shawnee, where the girls, Leah and Lindsey, were born in August. By October, Lindsay became very ill. Doctors diagnosed the cause as spinal muscular atrophy, and she died five months later. The Henrys now have two other girls, Laynie and Baylee. She said that she decided to become a teacher because she loved children and history. She spent eight years teaching history and government in Shawnee High School. When Brad decided to run for governor, she quit teaching to help in the campaign. She recalls that she really did not expect him to win election. When he did win, she became First Lady of Oklahoma.

The foundation was created by S. J. Sarkeys, who immigrated from Lebanon in 1891, at the age of 17, and sold carbide lamps throughout Oklahoma Territory. Meanwhile, he bought land and oil leases whenever he had the opportunity and money to do so. He prospered, and at the age of 87, he created the foundation with the stated goal of "improving the quality of life in Oklahoma."

The Sarkeys Foundation awarded $1 million, to be paid in five annual installments, to OU's Stephenson Cancer Center.