M. John Kane IV from Pawhuska, Oklahoma, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics and accounting from OSU in 1984, where he was recognized as one of the top 10 men of his graduating class. Following his time at OSU, he received his law degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Law.

 

In 2019, he was appointed to the Oklahoma Supreme Court by Gov. Kevin Stitt and has served as the chief justice and the vice-chief justice. Before his service on the Supreme Court, Kane served on the trial bench as the District Judge of Osage County, where he was reelected four times, and was responsible for the creation of Osage County’s first Drug Court.

 

An active second-generation OSU alumnus, Kane comes from a long line of public servants. Kane’s father earned an agricultural economics degree at OSU before pursuing a legal career. His great-grandmother was the assistant secretary of the treasury in the Truman Administration, and his great-grandfather was on Oklahoma’s first Supreme Court.

 

Kane’s distinguished legal career reflects positively on OSU, showcasing the university’s role in preparing leaders for public service. Practicing law alongside his father and grandfather and reflecting on the value of OSU’s education and community serve as an inspiration to current and prospective students.

 

With deep family ties to OSU, Kane and his wife, Cyndi, who also graduated from OSU, have expressed hope that their grandchildren will continue the family legacy at OSU as fourth-generation Cowboys and follow in the footsteps of two of their four children, Matthew and Patrick.