Robert L. Williams

Robert Lee Williams (born December 20, 1868 in Brundidge , Pike County , Alabama , † April 10, 1948 in Durant , Oklahoma ) was an American lawyer and politician and from 1915 to 1919 the third governor of the state of Oklahoma; then he became a federal judge .

Early years and political advancement

Robert Williams attended Southern University , after which he worked briefly as a teacher. After completing a law degree, he began practicing law in Troy . In 1893 he moved to Guthrie in what was then Indian territory that is now part of Oklahoma. After a brief return to Alabama, Williams settled permanently in Oklahoma.

He was a member of the Democratic Party and was a member of the Democratic National Committee from 1904 to 1908 . In 1906 he was a delegate to the Oklahoma Constituent Assembly. He was instrumental in founding the state of Oklahoma. The first governor, Charles N. Haskell , appointed him to the Oklahoma Supreme Court . There he became the presiding judge of this body. He held this office until 1914.

Governor of Oklahoma

In 1914, Williams was elected governor of Oklahoma, with 39.7 percent of the vote just ahead of Republican John Fields. He began his four-year term on January 11, 1915. During his tenure, most of the government buildings in the new capital, Oklahoma City, were completed and occupied. Some administrative bodies were merged and partially incorporated into a new ministry ( State Board of Affairs ). Williams tried to consolidate the budget through tax increases. In 1915, following a ruling by the US Supreme Court, Oklahoma's suffrage had to be changed because it discriminated against black voters. During Williams' tenure, the United States entered the First World War. There was great resistance in Oklahoma to the conscription introduced in all US states, but the governor prevailed against it.

Federal judge

After his governorship ended, Williams became a federal district court judge for the eastern district of Oklahoma. He held this office between 1919 and 1937. He was then appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to succeed the late George Thomas McDermott at the Federal Court of Appeals for the tenth district and remained there from April 21, 1937 until his transition to senior status on March 31, 1939. From 1938 to 1948 he was president of the Oklahoma Historical Society .

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personal data
SURNAME	Williams, Robert L.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Williams, Robert Lee
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American lawyer and politician
DATE OF BIRTH	December 20, 1868
PLACE OF BIRTH	Brundidge , Alabama
DATE OF DEATH	April 10, 1948
Place of death	Durant , Oklahoma