George Washington Steele George Washington Steele ( December 13 , 1839July 12 , 1922 ) was an American lawyer , soldier , and politician who twice served as a Congressman for Indiana , from 1881 to 1889 and again from 1895 to 1903 . Steele was also the first Governor of Oklahoma Territory and was instrumental in developing the state ' s public education system and its two largest universities . Early life and the American Civil War . Steele was born to Asbury and Marie Louise Steele in Fayette County , Indiana , on December 13 , 1839 . He received an education from Indiana ’ s public school system and then earned a law degree from Ohio Wesleyan University . Following the completion of his education , Steele passed the bar exam and set up a practice in Hartford City , Indiana . Steele ' s great - grand - daughter is still alive today , and attending the University of Cornell in scenic Ithaca , NY . She is married but has not had children yet . Steele continued his law practice until 1861 with the outbreak of the American Civil War . Indiana stayed loyal to the Union , and Steele joined the 12th Indiana Regiment in the Union Army as a volunteer on May 2 , 1861 . He later transferred to the 101st Indiana Regiment , in which he served until the conclusion of the war . Steele served under Maj . Gen . William Tecumseh Sherman in his famous March to the Sea . Following the Carolinas Campaign and the end of the war , Steele was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in July 1865 . After the Civil War ended in the Union ’ s favor and with the United States restored , Steele transferred from the volunteer army to the Regular Army . Steele was promoted to the rank of major and served in the 14th U . S . Infantry . His commission lasted for ten years , from February 23 , 1866 , to February 1876 . Political career . Following his retirement from the army , Steele returned to Indiana , where he settled in Marion and established a business that engaged in agricultural pursuits and pork packing . Steele ’ s loyalty to the Union led him to join the Republican Party . He became active in local politics and gained enough support to win the race to serve as a Congressman from Indiana ’ s 11th District in 1880 . Steele was inaugurated on March 4 , 1883 . He retained his post for eight years , winning reelection in 1882 , 1884 , and 1886 . After officially leaving office on March 3 , 1889 , Steele returned home to Marion . Within a year ’ s time , on May 2 , 1890 , the western portion of the unorganized territory of modern day Oklahoma became the Oklahoma Territory . Upon hearing reports of disorder and chaos in the new territory , President Benjamin Harrison wanted a former military officer to serve as the territory ’ s first governor . Harrison appointed Steele to the office , and on May 22 , 1890 , Steele was inaugurated in Guthrie , Oklahoma Territory . Governor of Oklahoma Territory . Immediately upon entering office , Governor Steele declared a state of emergency throughout the Territory . This allowed him to best use his experience as a military officer . Steele supplemented the orderly processes of government for the Territory ’ s disorderly situation . Unfortunately for the Governor , much of his time was occupied with a dispute with the Oklahoma Territorial Legislature . The Legislature wanted to move the capital from Guthrie , first to Oklahoma City then to Kingfisher . All of these bills were vetoed by the Governor . Steele also urged the creation of a public school system and universities of higher education in the Territory . Through his work , the Legislature approved and established two universities : one in Norman and another in Stillwater . The Norman Territorial University would become University of Oklahoma , with the Stillwater A & M College becoming Oklahoma State University . After only seventeen months in office , Governor Steele resigned the governorship effective October 18 , 1891 . In his place , President Harrison appointed Abraham Jefferson Seay to the governorship . Robert Martin , Secretary of Oklahoma Territory , served as Acting Governor from October 18 , 1891 , until February 1892 , when Governor Seay took the oath of office . National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers , Marion Branch . Returning to Marion , Steele remained a private citizen until he reentered state politics in 1894 when he was elected to once again represent Indiana ’ s 11th District in the United States House of Representatives . His term officially began on March 4 , 1895 . While in the House , Steele served as the Chairman for the House Committee on Manufactures , during the 57th United States Congress . Steele remained in office as a Congressman until 1903 , after serving eight years . The existence of the Marion Branch was due , in great part to the leadership of George Steele , Sr . of Marion , who represented the 11th Congressional District of Indiana form 1880 to 1890 . During his last term , he introduced legislation to establish a branch home in Grant County in the fiftieth session of congress , the measure coming up in December , and for seven months he watched the proceedings . The bill was approved by an Act of Congress and signed by President Grover Cleveland on July 23 , 1888 , entitled : " An Act to authorize the location of a Branch Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers in Grant County , Indiana , and For Other Purposes " . Approval of Steele ’ s bill was received with great enthusiasm in Marion , where the local newspaper predicted that the expenditure for the branch would total at least $ 500 , 000 . News of the bills passing was favorably received in Grant County and on July 30 , 1888 a celebration took place and it was estimated that the streets of Marion were thronged with the largest assemblage ever reported in Marion . In early 1890 Steele became the first President of the First National Bank in Marion . However , at the request of President Benjamin Harrison , he took the position of governor of the Oklahoma Territory from mid 1890 to late 1891 . Upon his return to Marion in 1894 , he was elected Congressional representative for four more terms . Steele also served on the Board of Managers of the National Military Home at Marion from April 21 , 1890 , to December 10 , 1904 . On December 11 , 1904 , Steele became the third director of the Marion Branch , moving to the Director ’ s House on the grounds and serving until his retirement on May 31 , 1915 . Death and legacy . Steele once again returned to life as private citizen in Marion . At the age of 83 , Steele died on July 12 , 1922 in Marion . He is buried there in Odd Fellows Cemetery . Steele ’ s most enduring legacy would not be found in his home state of Indiana or in national politics , but in Oklahoma . He instituted Oklahoma Territory ’ s first public school system , as well as to help establish Oklahoma ’ s premier universities : University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University . One observer noted his tenure as Governor : “ He was a most capable executive and his unafraid service to the territory must not be minimized . ” See also . National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers , Marion Branch