Xenophon Overton Pindall

Xenophon Overton Pindall (born August 21, 1873 in Monroe County , Missouri , † January 2, 1935 in Little Rock , Arkansas ) was an American politician and between 1907 and 1909 governor of the state of Arkansas.

Early years and political advancement

Pindall attended Central College in Missouri and then studied law at the University of Arkansas . There he took his exam in 1896. After his admission to the bar, he practiced in Arkansas City , where he was also the assistant prosecutor. Pindall was a member of the Democratic Party and was elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives in 1902 . He stayed there until 1906. That year he unsuccessfully applied for the post of Attorney General of Arkansas. Instead he was elected to the State Senate.

Arkansas Governor

In 1906, John Sebastian Little had been elected as the new governor. He took office in January 1907 and had to resign in February after a nervous breakdown. The then President of the Senate, John Isaac Moore , served as governor until May 14, 1907. The legislative period of the State Senate ended on this day. Xenophon Pindall became president of the newly elected Senate and thus also acting governor. As President of the Senate, he had to end Little's tenure, which ran until January 1909.

Pindall served as governor of Arkansas between May 14, 1907 and January 11, 1909. During his tenure, he took care of the prison system, among other things. He visited the evacuated convicts who had to work on so-called "convict farms" and requested an investigation into the terms of the sentence. This was the beginning of a development that years later would lead to the abolition of the convict loan system. It was also around this time that a Food Protection Act was passed and the Ozark National Forest was established. Domestically, he fought a bitter battle with former governor Jeff Davis . This tried, but unsuccessfully, to remove Pindall from his office. On January 11, 1911, Pindall's time as President of the Senate ended and with it that as incumbent governor. At this point in time, the elected governor George Donaghey was exactly three days away . The new Senate President Jesse M. Martin had to bridge these three days .

Late years

After his tenure ended, Pindall began practicing law. He made a particularly good name for himself as a criminal defense attorney. He died in January 1935 and was buried in Arkansas City.

Web links

• Xenophon Pindall in the National Governors Association (English)
• Online biography in the Arkansas Encyclopedia (English)