By Steve Byas

"Just who is this Clyde Rollins?," asked one member.

Several members were holding the Oklahoma Constitution newspaper, with our first ever edition of the Oklahoma Conservative Index. The "honorable" members of the House, mostly Democrats, were unhappy with their low Conservative Index scores, but mostly they were just arrogant, oozing condescension, considering the newspaper a flash-in-the-pan, and its editor, Clyde Rollins as beneath them.

Clyde Rollins and I enjoyed the moment, the members not knowing the object of their contempt was in the gallery.

I was sad to hear of the passing of the first editor of the Oklahoma Constitution, Clyde Rollins, who would become a thorn in the side of the liberals of the Oklahoma Legislature.

It is difficult to say for sure how I first met Clyde Eugene Rollins (his more long-term friends knew him as Gene, I always knew him as Clyde), but it was in college. Clyde was a history major at the University of Oklahoma, and he enlisted my help in getting his limited government student group, which he called Students for Responsible Expression, off the ground at OU in the spring of 1975. Clyde was always in favor of expression, that was for sure.

We worked together in the Mickey Edwards campaign the next year, but Clyde was always looking for ways to advance the cause.

It was following the elections of 1978 that Clyde, along with Ron McWhirter and two other young men, founded the Oklahoma Constitution. Knowing I was always an easy mark to suck into his schemes, Clyde soon enlisted me to join the paper.

Clyde's passion for politics (because he had such a passion for liberty) was hardly equaled by anyone else I knew. Yet, Clyde's relationship with the Lord eventually redirected his passion for spreading the gospel, and he eventually left the newspaper for a church of Christ bible college in Austin, Texas (Southwest School of Biblical Studies), from which he graduated in August, 1983.

After that, I rarely saw Clyde, but his contribution to the launching of the Oklahoma Constitution cannot be over-stated.

Clyde graduated from Putnam City West, then later the University of Oklahoma, but he always thirsted for knowledge. He studied Spanish at UCO in Edmond. He taught himself Greek so he could read the New Testament in the original language.

He worked in the Reservations Division of Hertz Corporation for a quarter of a century, but that was to make a living. His passion was reaching others for Christ, leading him to travel on missions to India and the Philippines. It was in the Philippines that he met Ruby Lisa Madarang, who soon became his wife. Their marriage produced one daughter, Kayla Grace Rollins.

They were faithful members of the Cherokee Hills Church of Christ in Oklahoma City.

"Who is Clyde Rollins?," is still a better question than "Who was Clyde Rollins?" Although Clyde and I sometimes disagreed on some finer point of political philosophy (I miss those hours-long discussions that were never heated, but always passionate), and we certainly had some theological differences (I being a Southern Baptist), Clyde Rollins is, I believe, gone home to be with the Lord. Clyde's passion was strong for the Lord Jesus Christ, and I hope to see him again someday.

Who is Clyde Rollins? He was my friend, and I will miss him. My life is better for having known him.

Clyde E. Rollins, born December 17, 1952-November 13, 2012.