William R. Higgins

William Higgins “Bill Higgins”, was born to Robert Higgins and Denise Higgins in El Paso, Texas. His father was in the United States Army and as such Bill lived in several locations growing up including the states of Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas as well as time spent in Germany. At the time of his father’s retirement he moved to Claremore, Oklahoma in 1958 and has been here since that time.

Bill graduated from Claremore High School in 1967 and attended his freshmen year in college at George Washington University in Washington D.C. while working for Fred Harris, Democratic Senator from the State of Oklahoma. While in Washington he worked in the senate document room in the United States Capital. After his first year of college, he transferred to the University of Arkansas where he graduated in 1971 and obtained his juris doctorate from Oklahoma City University in 1974.

During Bill’s practice he has practiced as an Assistant District Attorney for the Twelfth Judicial District of Oklahoma, town attorney for the town of Oologah, City Prosecutor for the town of Oologah, Prosecutor for the City of Claremore, attorney for Claremore Industrial Authority, Northwest Rogers County Fire Protection District, Rural Water District Number 4, Rogers County, Oklahoma and several other governmental offices.

He is a member of the Rogers County Bar Association, Oklahoma Bar Association, Oklahoma Criminal Defense Association, and the American Bar Association.

While growing up in Claremore, Bill spent a substantial amount of time in the Mason Hotel which at one time housed the JM Davis Arms Collection. JM Davis, known to Bill as Uncle Monroe, amassed the collection which now comprises the artifacts of the JM Davis Arms and Historical Museum in Claremore. With his relationship with Uncle Monroe, he has great interest in the preservation of the collection amassed by his great uncle and has served with pride in the past on the Commission. JM Davis was Bill’s Great Uncle, his Great Aunt Addie Davis’s husband.

During the time Bill has lived in Claremore he has served on the following boards: Oologah-Talala Public Schools, Claremore United Way; Chelsea Boys and Girls Club; Heritage Hills Golf Trust; Citizens Committee for Construction of the new Courthouse in Rogers County; JM Davis Arms and Historical Museum, Claremore Rotary Club and many other committees and sub-committees.

Bill is married to Cheryl Higgins and they have four (4) sons. He coached all of his sons in baseball, soccer, and basketball and has acted as a basketball coach for the Claremore Optimist Basketball League for more than fifteen years.

Living in Claremore since 1958, Bill has seen a great change in the city and takes great pride in being from being from Claremore, known as a museum city, and continues to work for the betterment of the community.