Bob Thomason remembered former Congressman Clem McSpadden as more than a boss and politician Tuesday.

He remembered him most as a man who “enjoyed laughter,” who loved Oklahoma and who was a very good friend.

McSpadden, 82, died late Monday after fighting cancer, his nephew, Herb McSpadden said.

Thomason of Muskogee said he had campaigned for McSpadden when McSpadden ran for congress in 1972 and was very surprised when McSpadden called him the morning after the election to ask Thomason to manage his Muskogee office.

The two had gotten acquainted in sixth grade at Oologah schools after the one-room school Thomason had been attending was merged with the larger district.

They got into a lot of mischief as children, Thomason said.

“We had a lot of fun in high school,” he said. “He believed in playing jokes and having fun.”

McSpadden was always cheerful and always liked everyone, he said.

“But he didn’t like Washington, D.C.,” Thomason said. “He always said the janitor up there had more authority than a freshman congressman. He enjoyed his work in the state senate.”

McSpadden was a state senator from 1955 to 1972 and served one term in the house before seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in 1974.

While he was a well-known politician, McSpadden was even better known as a rodeo announcer, becoming the voice of the National Finals Rodeo, and its equivalent in Canada.

“He knew the people, he knew rodeo and he knew what to say,” said Muskogee attorney Al Matthews, who had known McSpadden for many years. “And he had a very strong voice. As far as I’m concerned, when he got started, all the other rodeo announcers tried to copy after him.”

Matthews also remembered McSpadden as a person who liked people.