My fellow Oklahomans and friends:

Thank you all. Thanks to those who have joined us on this chilly morning, and thanks to those who are with us through the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority; and to those who follow these proceedings through the Fourth Estate.

I also want to thank our special participants today: Our outstanding Mistress of Ceremonies, Miss Langston, Rachel Goff; our State's Living Treasures who have joined us, including the indomitable Dr. N. Scott Momaday; also our state's dynamic diva Leona Mitchell; and the organization that has become our official state inaugural choir, the internationally-known Ambassadors' Concert Choir. Many thanks also to the Rev. Mack Roark, Dr. Bob Long, Rabbi David Packman, the 145th Army Band, and the ubiquitous Judge Robert Henry.

I'd also like to thank and honor our heroic veterans, like the famed Kiowa Black Leggings Society, who performed so inspirationally today, and our Indian Nations and Tribes and their leaders who have joined us today. They were the first governments in what would become Oklahoma.

And, of course, I want to thank all of those who have worked so diligently to make these inaugural festivities so special, as well as all of our friends who provided encouragement and support during the lengthy campaign season. Kim and I appreciate all of you so much.

Oklahoma, today, is a state with unmatched momentum. We've worked hard, and we kept our resolve to build a brighter and stronger state. Together we have done great things. We are proud of our unique past and fearless about our extraordinary future.

Today, Oklahomans are meeting bold new challenges and ascending to brave new heights. We are a state of prosperity and creativity, of cutting-edge research and development, acclaimed and nationally recognized for our efforts in so many areas. Our determination is palpable; our potential is boundless.

As I stand before you today, to deliver my inaugural address in our centennial year of statehood, I cannot help but wonder what was going through the mind of Oklahoma's first governor, Charles Haskell, as he was sworn into office nearly 100 years ago.

On that morning of November 16th, 1907, word arrived in Guthrie by telegraph that President Theodore Roosevelt had signed the proclamation making Oklahoma the 46th state in the Union. By noon, a crowd of some 10,000 people had gathered in glorious celebration outside Guthrie's Carnegie Library to commemorate the milestone and witness Charles Haskell being sworn in as the state's inaugural governor.

The new citizens of the grand new state celebrated in style. Merchants and schools closed for the day. Brass bands struck up the music, while a symphony of other sounds - bells, steam whistles, even the crack of guns - filled the air.

It was a momentous day, indeed. The citizens of Oklahoma understood the implications of statehood. It signaled a new beginning in the ongoing story of this rugged land. But, even more significant, it signaled opportunity, as Oklahoma officially became part of the unique experience that is America.

The Oklahoma of 1907 was fueled by a spirit of adventure and curiosity, optimism and fearlessness. That collective character was evident on that historic November day nearly a century ago. Citizens of a brand new state celebrated a future they envisioned would shine with a fiery brilliance.

And how right they were! Despite a sometimes rocky road, the optimism of our forebears has triumphed even through the most challenging of times.

Now, we gather, in the year of our centennial celebration. Oklahoma is a state of more than three-and-a-half-million strong, a place of creativity and innovation and vibrancy. Oklahoma: A state in which reverence for our heritage intersects with enthusiasm for new ideas and new ways of doing things. A state that, literally and figuratively, is the crossroads of America.

Nearly 100 years after statehood, the Oklahoma of 2007 is still fueled by a spirit of adventure and curiosity, optimism and fearlessness.

We are a diverse people. This land, whose name comes from the Choctaw word for "land of the red people," is inexorably bound with American Indian culture. That legacy is a profound one. Oklahoma today is home to more federally recognized tribes than any other state in the nation - one reason more languages are spoken within the borders of our state than in all of Europe.

We are a devout people. Oklahomans attend a house of worship at nearly double the national average. In times of joy and challenge alike, we draw strength and inspiration from our unwavering faith. It keeps us grounded, and it uplifts us, as well.

We are a compassionate people. Oklahoma consistently ranks as among the most charitable states in the nation. We volunteer our time and energy without hesitation or complaint. We donate blood at twice the national average. And, amid the increasingly frantic pace of life in the 21st century, Oklahomans still revere neighborliness, generosity and kindness - traits that never go out of style here.

We are a bold and ingenious people. Oklahoma's own Will Rogers once noted, "Sometimes you've got to go out on a limb, since that's where the fruit is."

It's a lesson Oklahomans took to heart long ago, as the boldness and ingenuity of our people led to innovations from the desktop computer and the space suit to the shopping cart and voice mail. The pioneering creativity of Oklahomans produced paradigm shifting advances in oil and gas extraction, and even path finding designs in prosthetics.

It is apparent in the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation and its cutting-edge research on renewable fuels. It's apparent in the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism and its collection of the world's most comprehensive database on terrorism. It's apparent in the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation's life-changing breakthroughs in the treatment of Alzheimer's and sepsis, cancer and lupus. And, of course, it's clear in OU and OSU's world-leading research in areas such as meteorology, sensor technology, and biogenetics.

In the year of our Centennial, let us take stock of just how far we have come in a short 100 years - a virtual blink of an eye in the chronicles of time. But we must do more than look to the past. It is vital that we fully appreciate where we are, and where we are going, for the next 100 years.

Just as our Oklahoma forefathers defined the character of this state for the 20th century, so, too, does it fall on us to define the character of Oklahoma for the century to follow. What will be the legacy we leave our children?

It's a question I find particularly relevant today, as I stand here at the dawn of our second century, blessed to have my family at my side. And speaking of family, it's appropriate that I recognize my wife, Kim - an amazing and gracious first lady who has worked tirelessly on behalf of all Oklahomans, especially the children of our state. Kim, I love you very much, and I know Oklahomans do, too.

Our wonderful daughters - Leah, Laynie and Baylee - are here, too, and I would like to recognize them as well. Girls, you have made your mom and me so very proud, and we love you unfailingly.

I must say, I am eternally grateful, honored and humbled to serve as governor of this amazing state -- and to have the rare opportunity to serve a second four years -- but, unequivocally, my greatest honor is to serve as Kim Henry's husband and Leah, Laynie and Baylee's dad.

Like most Oklahomans, I am deeply concerned about the safety and well-being of my family, and, in particular, my children. I often ask myself, "What is the Oklahoma we will leave for them and their children?"

Four years ago, I stood before you on this very platform, as we faced the worst budget crisis in our state's history, and I said, "It is not in Oklahoma's character to fail." I also said, "With patience, hard work, vision, and pulling together in bipartisan cooperation, we will face the future with courage and confidence. We will emerge from these hard times as we have in the past: stronger than ever before!"

Well, we certainly didn't fail. In fact, through historic bipartisan cooperation, we emerged from the crisis in better shape than ever before. And we accomplished much together during the past four years. But, now, it's time to push the envelope. Now, it's time to dream bigger than ever before.

And Oklahomans do dream big - we always have - but we also match our dreams with dedication, tenacity and the boldness of action. I encourage each of you to thoughtfully consider the Oklahoma you want to leave for future generations.

I see an Oklahoma with the finest schools in the country;

An Oklahoma with the best, most affordable and accessible healthcare in the nation;

An Oklahoma where families thrive and businesses prosper.

Our mission now is to dream big - bigger than ever before - and then get to work, through bipartisan cooperation, and make that dream our reality.

We are Oklahomans, after all, and proud of it. We are a people with great vision, who look ahead with confidence and faith and courage. It is a template that has served us well these past 100 years.

Regarding that landmark day back in 1907, the Saturday Evening Post aptly observed, "It was not merely the birth of a new state; it was the birth of a new kind of state."

Some years later, in 1949, Dr. Angie Debo, our state's greatest historian, also recognized that Oklahoma was a different kind of state and expounded in this way:

"Oklahoma is more than just another state. It is a lens in which the long rays of time are focused into the brightest of light. In its magnifying clarity, dim facets of the American character stand more clearly revealed. For in Oklahoma all the experiences that went into the making of the nation have been speeded up. Here all the American traits have been intensified. The one who can interpret Oklahoma can grasp the meaning of America in the modern world."

Angie Debo was right. All of the best American qualities converge here, at the crossroads of our country, in this proud state that became the nation's 46th star with the bright intensity of a nova.

Much has changed since statehood day, but the ethic and character of Oklahoma has not. As we reflect on the last century and look forward to the next, we must not neglect this moment. We can look to the past for inspiration, and we can look to the future with optimism, but it is in this moment - in our present momentum - that real work must be done. Now is the time for us to dream. Now is the time to chart a course for Oklahoma's zenith. Now is the moment to embrace the exciting opportunities before us and take bold action.

In this endeavor, I echo the words of Scott Momaday and his Oklahoma Centennial Poem:

The coalescence of hope and passage,
Of sacrifice and triumph,
A becoming as bold as thunder above a confluence of rivers,
Roaring between luminous banks of rain - Oklahoma.

God bless you, and God bless Oklahoma.