Robert Lee Williams (December 20, 1868 – April 10, 1948) was an American lawyer, judge, and the third

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 (government), executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma. The gover ...

. Williams played a role in the drafting of the

Oklahoma Constitution The Constitution of the State of Oklahoma is the governing document of the United States, U.S. State of Oklahoma. Adopted in 1907, Oklahoma ratified the United States Constitution on November 16, 1907, as the 46th U.S. state. At its ratificatio ...

and served as the first

Oklahoma Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Oklahoma is a court of appeal for non-criminal cases, one of the two highest judicial bodies in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, and leads the judiciary of Oklahoma, the judicial branch of the government of Oklahoma.

chief justice. He also served as a

United States circuit judge In the United States, a federal judge is a judge who serves on a court established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. Often called "Article III judges", federal judges include the chief justice and associate justices of the U.S. Su ...

of the

United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (in case citations, 10th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts: * District of Colorado * District of Kansas * Dist ...

and as a United States district judge of the

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma (in case citations, E.D. Okla. or E.D. Ok.) is a federal court in the Tenth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, whic ...

. As third Governor, Williams oversaw the state's response to the recent

United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...

's ruling against

Jim Crow laws The Jim Crow laws were U.S. state, state and local laws introduced in the Southern United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that enforced Racial segregation in the United States, racial segregation, "Jim Crow (character), Ji ...

and its involvement in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

(1914/1917-1918). He instituted the Oklahoma State Board of Affairs (later reorganized into the current Oklahoma Department of Central Services) which provided central purchasing services to various state departments, agencies, boards and bureaus. Due to his direct administrative role and concentration of power, Governor Williams counteracted the previous loss of executive power and disagreements with the

Oklahoma Legislature The Legislature of the State of Oklahoma is the state legislative branch of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma House of Representatives and Oklahoma Senate are the two houses that make up the bicameral state legislature. There are 101 ...

under previous second Governor

Lee Cruce Lee Cruce (July 8, 1863 – January 16, 1933) was an American lawyer, banker and the second governor of Oklahoma. Losing to Charles N. Haskell in the 1907 Democratic primary election to serve as the first governor of Oklahoma, Cruce successful ...

(1863-1933, served 1911-1915).

Early life and education

Williams was born on December 20, 1868, near Brundidge, ( Pike County),

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

.Norris, L. David
Williams, Robert Lee (1868-1948)
,
Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
'' (accessed May 22, 2013) Williams earned a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

academic degree in 1892 and a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

degree in 1894, both from the old Southern University, (founded 1856) then located in

Greensboro, Alabama Greensboro is a city in Hale County, Alabama, Hale County, Alabama, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census the population was 2,497, down from 2,731 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Hale County, Alabama, ...

.Not to be confused with the present day historically black (HBCU)

Southern University Southern University and A&M College (Southern University, Southern, SUBR or SU) is a Public university, public historically black colleges and universities, historically black land-grant university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States. It i ...

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

. Later the old Southern University consolidated in 1918 with the former Birmingham College (founded 1898) in

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama, Jefferson County. The population was 200,733 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List ...

to become the current

Birmingham–Southern College Birmingham–Southern College (BSC) was a private liberal arts college in Birmingham, Alabama. Founded in 1856, the college was affiliated with the United Methodist Church and was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SA ...

. currently still located in

. One degree studied for by young Williams included a study of

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

(

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

) religious / theological doctrines, entitling him after graduation to become an ordained minister ( elder /

presbyter Presbyter () is an honorific title for Christian clergy. The word derives from the Greek ''presbyteros'', which means elder or senior, although many in Christian antiquity understood ''presbyteros'' to refer to the bishop functioning as overseer ...

pastor A pastor (abbreviated to "Ps","Pr", "Pstr.", "Ptr." or "Psa" (both singular), or "Ps" (plural)) is the leader of a Christianity, Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutherani ...

) in the old

Methodist Church Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

, if he so chose. He however also

read law Reading law was the primary method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship un ...

and passed the Alabama

bar exam A bar examination is an examination administered by the bar association of a jurisdiction that a lawyer must pass in order to be admitted to the bar of that jurisdiction. Australia Administering bar exams is the responsibility of the bar associat ...

in 1891 at the age of 23 and began his practice in

Troy Troy (/; ; ) or Ilion (; ) was an ancient city located in present-day Hisarlik, Turkey. It is best known as the setting for the Greek mythology, Greek myth of the Trojan War. The archaeological site is open to the public as a tourist destina ...

, Alabama. At the age of 25, Williams, in 1893, moved west to the

Cherokee Outlet The Cherokee Outlet, or Cherokee Strip, was located in what is now the state of Oklahoma in the United States. It was a parcel of land south of the Oklahoma–Kansas border between 96th meridian west, 96 and 100th meridian west, 100°W. The Che ...

section in the

Indian Territory Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United States, ...

following its opening where he briefly practiced law in

Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...

. After briefly moving back to

, Williams returned to the Indian Territory shortly afterwards in 1897 and settled in Durant. He became increasingly involved in local politics and a driving force behind the Democratic Party in modern-day eastern Oklahoma in his earlier role as a member (National Committeeman) of the

Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the principal executive leadership board of the United States's Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party. According to the party charter, it has "general responsibility for the affairs of the ...

, representing the old

in the political party's councils.

Statehood convention delegate

Selected to represent Durant and the surrounding area at the

Oklahoma Constitutional Convention The Constitution of the State of Oklahoma is the governing document of the U.S. State of Oklahoma. Adopted in 1907, Oklahoma ratified the United States Constitution on November 16, 1907, as the 46th U.S. state. At its ratification, the Oklahoma ...

, Williams traveled to Guthrie where he would meet two men that would have profound effects on both his and Oklahoma's future:

Charles N. Haskell Charles Nathaniel Haskell (March 13, 1860 – July 5, 1933) was an American lawyer, oilman, and politician who was the first governor of Oklahoma. As a delegate to Oklahoma's constitutional convention in 1906, he played a crucial role in draftin ...

and William H. Murray. Through their labors, Oklahoma's Constitution was established and

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

became a state on November 16, 1907. On that same day, Haskell was inaugurated as the first

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 (government), executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma. The gover ...

Oklahoma Supreme Court Chief Justice

Through his friendship with Haskell and his own skill as an attorney, Williams was appointed by Haskell to the

. Once on the Court, Williams was selected to serve as the Court's first chief justice. He was reappointed that post again in 1908 and would serve in that office until 1914, the only position he would hold on Oklahoma's highest court. In 1914, before the end of Oklahoma's second governor's term, Governor

, Williams resigned from his position as chief justice in order to place his name in the Democratic primaries for Governor of Oklahoma. His fame as Chief Justice easily won him the Democratic nomination. Williams was fiercely conservative, possessed an assertive personality, and held a high sense of duty. Williams' Republican opponent was John Fields, the editor of a farm-related newspaper based in

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Oklahoma, most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat ...

. Williams faced a difficult fight for the governorship with Fields' paper granting him the majority of the farm-related voters' vote. Despite this Williams' popularity won him the victory by a narrow margin. He was inaugurated as the third

on January 11, 1915.

Governor of Oklahoma

On January 1, 1917, Williams officially moved into the new

Oklahoma State Capitol The Oklahoma State Capitol is the house of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is the building that houses the Oklahoma Legislature and executive branch offices. It is located along Lincoln Boulevard in Oklahoma City and contains 452,50 ...

, which had been under construction since June 1914, before it was completed and dedicated later that summer. On July 1 of that year the state officially took control of the building. The next year on March 18, 1918, the

would hold its first sessions, meeting in the two elaborately decorated chambers of its new permanent home. Despite the state's adoption of the building, it was not actually really totally completed until two years later in 1919, because of wartime conditions and supply problems. Even upon its completion, it still lacked a crowning dome or tower. In 2000, Governor

Frank Keating Francis Anthony Keating II (born February 10, 1944, as David Rowland Keating) is an American attorney, politician and a former FBI special agent who served as the 25th governor of Oklahoma from 1995 to 2003. , Keating is one of only five gover ...

proposed that a dome be finally added. Two years after Governor Keating's proposal, the building was finally "completed" with the erection 85 years later of the originally envisioned dome (from

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

Solomon Layton's plans and drawings) on November 16, 2002. When Williams took office, Oklahoma was suffering terrible economic troubles. Hoping to save the state, he implemented policies that he believed would solve the problems and bring improvement. First, Williams proposed legislation levying new taxes while appropriations for various state institutions were decreased in order to reduce the state's budget deficit.Biographical Note Robert Lee Williams
Oklahoma Department of Libraries. (accessed July 18, 2013) President Woodrow Wilson portrait December 2 1912

President Woodrow Wilson portrait December 2 1912

One of William's greatest advances in the state's economy came when he instituted the Oklahoma State Board of Affairs, (later reorganized into the current Oklahoma Department of Central Services) which provided central purchasing services to state agencies. The board's existence allowed for the consolidation of the purchasing of all of the numerous state departments, boards, commissions, and other agencies, and institutions. Williams influenced Oklahoma's budget by making appointments and setting salaries. Due to his direct administrative role and concentration of power, Williams would regain a measure of the executive power that previous second Governor Cruce's administration had lost. William's main mindset throughout his administration was reform. Through legislative action and program policy changes, Oklahoma instituted a highway construction bill, a state insurance bond, the office of pardon and parole, and a State fiscal agency. Williams and state legislators amended the laws regarding the

impeachment Impeachment is a process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements. In Eur ...

of state officials, provided for the aid of agriculture, created oil and gas divisions within the

Oklahoma Corporation Commission The Oklahoma Corporation Commission is the public utilities commission of the U.S state of Oklahoma run by three statewide elected commissioners. Authorized to employ more than 500 employees, it regulates oil and gas drilling, utilities and tele ...

, and changed the composition of the

from six to add three more totalling nine justices, similar to the

U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...

. Monetary support for confederate veterans, orphans and widows was also introduced, along with

Mothers' pensions Mothers' pensions, also referred to as mothers' aid or widows' aid, were cash payments distributed to impoverished single mothers in the United States during the first three decades of the 20th century. Introduced during the Progressive Era, they ...

and several labor laws. The Williams administration was marked by two events. The first was the landmark

Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all Federal tribunals in the United States, U.S. federal court cases, and over Stat ...

case '' Guinn v. United States'' in 1915. When state officials enforced Oklahoma's discriminatory

, an appeal was made to the United States Supreme Court. When the court ruled that laws that "serve no rational purpose other than to disadvantage the right of African-American citizens to vote violated the Fifteenth Amendment," many state officials were subsequently indicted and sentenced for violation of federal election laws. This prompted Williams to call the state legislature into special session in 1916 to determine constitutional methods of black suffrage. They enacted a constitutional amendment that asked voters to approve a literary test in Oklahoma as a voting requirement. The proposal, however, was rejected by voters in a referendum, enabling many African-Americans in Oklahoma the right to vote for the first time. The second major event in his gubernatorial term was when the United States was forced to deal with the approaching possible American involvement in the

(1914/1917-1918), in his first year of 1916. The Great War would cast its shadow over the remainder of the governor's term. Numerous domestic priorities were dropped in favor of the state's mobilization in preparation for overseas war. The Oklahoma military was swelled through the efforts of local draft boards that were quickly established, the maximum food production was encouraged to feed United States citizens, along with foreign overseas

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are calle ...

, the promotion of fuel and food conservation was enacted, and Williams acted as a moderator between the pro-war and anti-war factions of the state's population. By the time January 13, 1919 rolled around, Williams was uninterested in running again. Oklahoma had elected to replace him with James B. A. Robertson, whom Williams had earlier defeated in the previous 1914 Democratic primaries for governor.

Federal judicial service

Williams was nominated by President

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...

on December 3, 1918, to a seat on the

being vacated by Judge Ralph E. Campbell (1867-1921, served 1907-1918), who was retiring. Judge Williams was confirmed by vote of the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

on January 7, 1919, and received his commission the same day. His service on that federal bench terminated 18 years later on April 21, 1937, due to his following nomination on March 25, 1937, and elevation to the higher level

, appointed by another fellow Democrat, 32nd

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

(1882-1945, served 1933-1945). He was filling the seat being vacated by the death of Judge

George Thomas McDermott George Thomas McDermott (October 21, 1886 – January 19, 1937) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and previously was a United States district judge of the United States District Court fo ...

(1886-1937). Judge Williams was confirmed by the

on April 20, 1937, and received his commission the next day of April 21. Two years later, he assumed senior status (semi-retirement) on the federal bench on March 31, 1939, with his service to the nation's judicial system ending nine years later on April 10, 1948, with his unfortunate death.

Death

Williams died at his home in Durant, Oklahoma, on April 10, 1948, after a stay in Wilson N. Jones Hospital in

Sherman Sherman most commonly refers to: *Sherman (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname ** William Tecumseh Sherman (1820–1891), American Civil War General *M4 Sherman, a World War II American tank S ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. He is buried in City Cemetery in Durant.Governor Robert L. Williams
Governor's Office Records, Oklahoma State Archives, Oklahoma Department of Libraries. (accessed July 18, 2013)

Electoral history

State of the State Speeches

First State of State speechSecond State of the State speechThird State of the State speech

Note

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Robert L. 1868 births 1948 deaths Alabama lawyers People from Brundidge, Alabama Democratic Party governors of Oklahoma Chief justices of the Oklahoma Supreme Court Judges of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma United States district court judges appointed by Woodrow Wilson Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit United States court of appeals judges appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt Methodists from Oklahoma Oklahoma lawyers People from Durant, Oklahoma United States federal judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law Birmingham–Southern College alumni 20th-century Oklahoma politicians Members of the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention