The State Industrial Commission administered the Oklahoma’s workers’ compensation law until the year 1959. Up to 1939, the Governor had appointed three separate Commissioners to head the program. Each Commissioner was allowed to serve six-year terms. This changed in the years 1939-1955 when the five Commissioners during that period were required to serve a term that coincided with the Governor. After 1955, Judges were appointed to head the compensation program in place of Commissioners. Their terms were staggered at first before moving to six-year terms like before.
A Chairman of the Commission was required to be designated by the Governor according to the 1915 workersí compensation laws. This official position disappeared after 1919 and reappeared between 1939 and 1959 when the State Industrial Court was created. After that the Chairman of the Commission position was replaced by the presiding judge who was appointed by the Governor. This continued until 1981 when the Judges of the Court were able to select new presiding judges from people in their membership. This only lasted until 1986 when the Governor was once again made the sole decision as to who the Presiding Judge would be. Each Presiding Judge may serve a two year term. They are not allowed to serve more than two terms in succession.
On June 16, 1959 the State Industrial Court was recognized statutorily as a ìCourt of Recordî. It received a constitutional recognition as a court of record in 1967. In 1978 the State Industrial Court was replaced by the Workersí Compensation Court which consisted of seven judges. During the same year, the legislation required that the Governor select the judges from names that were submitted by the Judicial Nominating Commission.
The position ìAdministratorî was created by the Workersí Compensation Act in 1977. The judges of the court are the ones responsible for determining the qualifications necessary for the Administrator position. This Administrator is appointed by the current Presiding Judge. They are picked from a list that is submitted by the Special Workersí Compensation Administrator Selection Committee.
Over the next 15 years, the court was expanded from six judges to ten judges by the year 1993. As of 1992, the Judicial Nominating Commission submits to the Governor the names of three persons when a vacancy in the Court occurs. In 1994 the court decided that the Workersí Compensation Court may hire senior justices, judges, or active retired judges to help with the heavy burden of workersí compensation cases.