Cleta Deatherage Mitchell was interviewed June 21, 2007 as part of the Women of the Oklahoma Legislature Oral History Project. Mrs. Mitchell (Deatherage while serving) was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 1976 and served through 1984. She held the House District 44 seat and was a member of the Democratic Party. She grew up in northeast Oklahoma City, attended the University of Oklahoma where she earned a law degree. She shares memories of running for office, sponsoring legislation, and having various mentors during her legislative career. Mrs. Mitchell discusses some of the issues she championed while serving such as women’s issues, education reform, universal pre-school, and preservation of the Oklahoma Capitol.

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