Leon Chase "Red" Phillips (December 9, 1890 – March 27, 1958) was an American attorney, a state legislator and the 11th

governor of Oklahoma The governor of Oklahoma is the head of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor serves as the head of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma. The governor is the ''ex officio ...

from 1939 to 1943. As a member of the

Oklahoma House of Representatives The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members introduce and vote on bills and resolutions, provide legislative oversight for state agencies, and help to craft the state' ...

and as

Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives The Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the lower house of the Oklahoma Legislature, the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The speaker exercises administrative and procedural functions, but remains a rep ...

, Phillips made a name for himself as an obstructionist of the proposals of governors William H. Murray and

E.W. Marland Ernest Whitworth Marland, known as E. W. Marland (May 8, 1874 – October 3, 1941), was an American lawyer, oil businessman in Pennsylvania and Oklahoma, and politician who was a U.S. representative and Oklahoma governor. He served in the United ...

, including components of the

New Deal The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Con ...

. As governor, Phillips pushed for deep cuts, but was unable to avoid an unbalanced budget. After retiring from politics, he worked as an attorney before his death from a heart attack. He is buried in Weleetka, Oklahoma.

Early life and career

Phillips was born to Rufus Putnam and Bertha Violet (Bressler) Phillips in Worth County,

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

, and moved to

Foss Fos or FOSS may refer to: Companies * Foss A/S, a Danish analytical instrument company *Foss Brewery, a former brewery in Oslo, Norway * Foss Maritime, a tugboat and shipping company Historic houses *Foss House (New Brighton, Minnesota), United ...

Custer County, Oklahoma Custer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2010 census, the population was 27,469. Its county seat is Arapaho. The county was named in honor of General George Armstrong Custer. Custer County comprises the ...

at an early age. While a student at Epworth University in

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, an ...

, he studied for the ministry, but changed to law and received his LL.B. from the

University of Oklahoma , mottoeng = "For the benefit of the Citizen and the State" , type = Public research university , established = , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.7billion (2021) , pr ...

in 1916. He married Myrtle Ellenberger of Norman, Oklahoma, on June 19, 1916, and they had two children. Phillips was admitted to the State Bar in that year and to practice before the United States Supreme Court later. After service in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, as a private in the US Army, he returned to Okemah, where he practiced law.

Political career

Elected three times to the

from 1933 to 1938, he served as

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hunger ...

in 1935. He led opposition to proposals from governors William H. Murray and

, the latter of which helped him attain his seat as Speaker.A Century to Remember

Oklahoma House of Representatives
(accessed June 28, 2013) Phillips ran against

Ross Rizley Ross Rizley (born Roscoe Rizley) (July 5, 1892March 4, 1969) was an American politician and United States Representative from Oklahoma and a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma. ...

in the 1938 Oklahoma gubernatorial election.Hudson, Geneva Johnston (AuthorHouse, 2005). ''Statesman or Rogue: Elected to Serve''. He was elected Governor of Oklahoma in 1938, and served from January 9, 1939, to January 11, 1943. During his governorship, Phillips was charged with accepting a bribe, was tried twice, but was eventually acquitted. Phillips was the first state representative to be elected as

Governor of Oklahoma The governor of Oklahoma is the head of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor serves as the head of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma. The governor is the ''ex officio ...

and his term was marked by his proposals to trim the state budget. Despite deep cuts, the budget produced by the 17th Oklahoma Legislature was not balanced; it was the last budget not subject to constitutional requirements to balance the budget approved by voters in 1941. Phillips was responsible for the constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget of the Oklahoma Legislature. Phillips considered the New Deal to be federal interference in the state and was an obstructionist.

Later life

After he retired from the office of Governor, Phillips returned to his farm near

Okemah, Oklahoma Okemah ( or ) is the largest city in and the county seat of Okfuskee County, Oklahoma, United States. It is the birthplace of folk music legend Woody Guthrie. Thlopthlocco Tribal Town, a federally recognized Muscogee Indian tribe, is headquarte ...

, and continued to practice law until his death. He died, of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which m ...

, while waiting for a client at the post office in Okmulgee on March 27, 1958.

References

External links

*
The Political Graveyard
{{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Leon 1890 births 1958 deaths People from Grant City, Missouri United States Army personnel of World War I Democratic Party governors of Oklahoma Oklahoma lawyers University of Oklahoma alumni Methodists from Oklahoma Old Right (United States) 20th-century American politicians Speakers of the Oklahoma House of Representatives Democratic Party members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives People from Okemah, Oklahoma