Transcontinental Footrace winner and Secretary of the Oklahoma Supreme Court
Biography
Andrew Hartley “Andy” Payne (1907–1977) was a renowned Cherokee Nation member and farmer from Foyil, Oklahoma, who achieved national fame by winning the 1928 International Trans-Continental Footrace, popularly known as the “Bunion Derby”.
At just 20 years old, Payne outlasted 198 other competitors, running over 3,400 miles from Los Angeles to New York City in 84 days to promote the newly constructed U.S. Route 66. He averaged six miles per hour, finishing first and winning a $25,000 prize, which he used to pay off his family’s farm mortgage and secure his financial future.
Following his victory, Payne briefly attempted a career in entertainment before returning to Oklahoma to pursue public service and legal studies. He was elected as the Clerk of the Oklahoma Supreme Court in 1934, a position he held for 36 years until his retirement in 1973.
Throughout his life, he invested his winnings in land, eventually becoming a wealthy landowner and oil producer before passing away in 1977.