T.W. Shannon is Oklahoma’s first African American Speaker of the House

New Oklahoma House Speaker T.W. Shannon. PHOTO/Sue Ogrocki/AP

Republican state representative, T.W. Shannon, 34, has become the first African American Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

Prior to his election as Speaker, Mr. Shannon represented the Lawton, Oklahoma, area in Oklahoma’s legislature for six years.

Shannon is a 6th generation Oklahoman and 3rd generation Lawtonian. He is an alumnus of the Oklahoma City University, where he earned his law degree.

Shannon will be the first African-American in state history to hold the House Speaker post. He is also the sixth Republican in Oklahoma history to be House Speaker and will be one of the youngest House Speakers in the United States.