Background
Twyla was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma to Willard and Mildred Mason. Gray grew up attending political events with her politically active father and in 1976, worked in a campaign when James R. Jones was running for re-election to Congress.
Twyla was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma to Willard and Mildred Mason. Gray grew up attending political events with her politically active father and in 1976, worked in a campaign when James R. Jones was running for re-election to Congress.
Gray received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Central Oklahoma.
She was an advocate for cancer related health care as well as the raising of the drinking age in Oklahoma to 19 years old. After her time in the House, Twyla received her law degree from the University of Tulsa and was a municipal judge from 1994-1999. She was elected as for Oklahoma County in 1999 and served in that position until her death in 2011 after battling with breast cancer.
She was the middle child of three and spent a large portion of her childhood summers reading books while recovering from knee surgeries.
After Jones" campaign, Gray went to work as an assistant at his Tulsa office for a year and a half before she decided to run for office in 1980. Gray was twenty six years of age when she was sworn into office in 1980.
When elected, four other women from Tulsa served alongside Gray, including Penny Williams, Helen Arnold, Arlene Baker, and Joan Hastings. Gray was a strong advocate for cancer related health care while in office.
She was also integral in raising the drinking age to 19, as well as making it legal to charge a spouse with rape.
She graduated with her Juris Doctor from the University of Tulsa. After taking over the financial management of several companies after receiving her Juris Doctor from the University of Tulsa, Gray found out she had breast cancer in 1990. She recovered for approximately a year and was then appointed as a municipal judge for the City of Oklahoma City in 1994.
In 1998, Gray decided to run for office again and was elected as a district judge in Oklahoma County, and was re-elected twice since that first election.
She is credited as being a plain-spoken and independent in her position. Gray served in this position up until her death in 2011 after a lengthy battle with breast cancer.
Gray is now laid to rest at the Floral Haven Cemetery in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
Member of the Oklahoma and Oklahoma County Bar Associations
Member of the Oklahoma Judicial Conference.
