{{Short description|American author, philanthropist and politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Catherine Dunn Keating | image = | caption = | birth_name = Catherine Dunn Heller | order = 24th | office = First Lady of Oklahoma | governor = Frank Keating |term_label = In role | term_start = January 9, 1995 | term_end = January 13, 2003 | predecessor = Rhonda Smith Walters | successor = Kim Henry | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|9|18}} | birth_place = Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | party = Republican Party | spouse = Frank Keating | children = 3, including Chip Keating | relatives = Jesse James Dunn (great-uncle) | education = University of Oklahoma }}
'''Catherine Dunn Heller Keating''' (born September 18, 1950) is an American author, philanthropist, and politician who served as the First Lady of Oklahoma from 1995 to 2003.
Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Keating married Frank Keating and became the First Lady of Oklahoma when he was elected Governor of Oklahoma. During her tenure she organized official ceremonies after the Oklahoma City bombing and ran for the United States House of Representatives in a 2002 special election. She was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame in 2023.
==Early life and education== Catherine Dunn Heller was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma to Harvey Augustus Heller Jr. and Frances Herndon.<ref name="OHF-vid" /> Her great-uncle, Jesse James Dunn, served on the Oklahoma Supreme Court.<ref name="family">{{cite news |last1=Zizzo |first1=David |title=Newest First Family Structured, Diverse |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1994/11/13/newest-first-family-structured-diverse/62408704007/ |access-date=October 1, 2025 |work=The Oklahoman |date=November 13, 1994}}</ref> She attended the University of Oklahoma and majored in elementary education. She was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta.<ref name="OHF-vid">{{cite AV media |date=November 16, 2018 |title=Cathy Keating Biography - Oklahoma Hall of Fame |type=Video |language=en |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY41DnuCdy8 |access-date=October 14, 2023 |archive-url= |archive-date= |format= |time= |location=YouTube |publisher=Oklahoma Hall of Fame}}</ref> She was crowned "Miss Wool" of Oklahoma, Missouri, and Arkansas by Lieutenant Governor George Nigh.<ref name="OK-HOF">{{cite web |title=Cathy Heller Keating, Class of 2011 |url=https://www.oklahomahof.com/hof/inductees/keating-cathy-2011 |website=www.oklahomahof.com |publisher=Oklahoma Hall of Fame |access-date=14 October 2023 |language=en}}</ref> In 1972 she married Francis Anthony Keating II.<ref>{{cite web |title=Keating, Francis Anthony II |url=https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=KE001 |website=okhistory.org |publisher=The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture |access-date=14 October 2023}}</ref> The couple had three children, including Chip Keating.<ref name="family" />
==First Lady of Oklahoma and philanthropy== Keating served as the First Lady of Oklahoma from 1995 to 2003. She planned and organized the International Prayer Service after the Oklahoma City bombing. During her tenure she founded the Friends of the Oklahoma Governor's Mansion, Septemberfest, and created the Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony. She served on the boards of charities such as the Habitat for Humanity International Women's Build and the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. She was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2011 and has authored three books: ''Our Governors Mansions'', ''Ooh La La: Cuisine Presented in a Stately Manner'', and ''In Their Name''.<ref name="OK-HOF" /> She was inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame in 2023.<ref>{{cite web |title=OCSW Names 2023 Women's Hall of Fame Inductees |url=https://oklahoma.gov/ocsw/newsroom/2023/april/ocsw-names-2023-women-s-hall-of-fame-inductees.html |website=oklahoma.gov |publisher=Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women |access-date=14 October 2023 |date=April 11, 2023}}</ref>
===2001 Congressional campaign=== In April 2001 Keating announced her campaign for Oklahoma's 1st congressional district to succeed Steve Largent.<ref>{{cite web |title=Keating Campaign Announcement |url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?163646-1/keating-campaign-announcement |website=c-span.org |publisher=C-SPAN |access-date=14 October 2023 |format=Video}}</ref> She advanced to a run-off alongside John Sullivan, but withdrew from the race citing a desire to not campaign negatively.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lindley |first1=Tom |title=Cathy Keating reflects on loss |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2001/12/23/cathy-keating-reflects-on-loss/62113769007/ |access-date=14 October 2023 |work=The Oklahoman |date=December 23, 2001}}</ref> Her husband Frank Keating controversially called Tulsans "very dumb" for not supporting his wife's campaign.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Martindale |first1=Rob |title=Cathy Keating resumes first role |url=https://tulsaworld.com/archive/cathy-keating-resumes-first-role/article_68b862ad-a4a2-57c3-b0c6-c2971a88294e.html |access-date=14 October 2023 |work=Tulsa World |date=20 December 2001 |language=en}}</ref>
==Electoral history== {{Election box begin no change | title = 2001 Oklahoma's 1st congressional district Republican primary<ref>{{cite web |title=Special Republican Primary Election — December 11, 2001 |url=https://oklahoma.gov/content/dam/ok/en/elections/election-results/2002-election-results/2002-general-election-results/02cd01.pdf |website=oklahoma.gov |publisher=Oklahoma State Election Board |access-date=14 October 2023}}</ref> }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | candidate = John Sullivan | party = Republican Party (United States) | votes = 19,018 | percentage = 45.5% }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | candidate = Cathy Keating | party = Republican Party (United States) | votes = 12,737 | percentage = 30.5% }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | candidate = Scott Pruitt | party = Republican Party (United States) | votes = 9,513 | percentage = 22.8% }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | candidate = George E. Banasky | party = Republican Party (United States) | votes = 296 | percentage = 0.7% }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change | candidate = Evelyn L. Rogers | party = Republican Party (United States) | votes = 210 | percentage = 0.5% }} {{Election box total no change | votes = 41,774 | percentage = 100.00 }} {{Election box end}}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Keating, Catherine Heller}} Category:20th-century American women writers Category:21st-century American women writers Category:First ladies and gentlemen of Oklahoma Category:Oklahoma Republicans Category:Politicians from Tulsa, Oklahoma Category:Philanthropists from Oklahoma Category:Writers from Tulsa, Oklahoma Category:1950 births Category:Living people