1st Oklahoma Legislature

The 1st Oklahoma Legislature was the first meeting of the Oklahoma Legislature. legislative power of Oklahoma, composed of the Oklahoma State Senate and the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The meeting took place from December 2, 1907, to May 26, 1908, in the Guthrie City Hall Building during the first year of the only term of Governor Charles Haskell.A Century to Remember , Okhouse.gov. (accessed June 19, 2013)

Both houses of the state legislature had large Democratic majorities. William H. Murray, who had served as the president of the state constitutional convention, was elected by his colleagues as the first Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.Bryant, Keith L. MURRAY, WILLIAM HENRY DAVID (1869-1956), Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. (accessed July 1, 2013). Archived 2013-07-05. Henry S. Johnston, who had served as the presiding officer of the state constitutional convention, was elected to serve as the first President pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate.Burke, Bob. JOHNSTON, HENRY SIMPSON (1867-1965) , Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. (accessed July 1, 2013)

Dates of session Regular session: December 2, 1907 – May 26, 1908 Next: 2nd Legislature

Major legislation Prohibition - State Senator Richard Billups authored legislation to prohibit the manufacture, transportation and possession of liquor.Wilson, Linda D. "Billups Law ," Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. (accessed July 27, 2013) The bill was amended by William H. Murray to allow state liquor dispensaries for medicinal and scientific purposes. It was signed by the governor on March 24, 1908. Segregation / Jim Crow - The very first bill introduced in both houses once statehood had been achieved was a measure requiring separate coaches and waiting rooms for white and black persons. Oklahoma was admitted to the Union on Saturday, November 16, 1907. The legislature convened two weeks later on Monday December 2. After formalities on the first day, both the House and Senate introduced respective Bill No. 1 on the second legislative day in each chamber, entitled: "An Act for the accommodation, comfort, convenience and protection of passengers on Railroad Trains and Cars." (House) and "An Act to promote the comfort of passengers on railroads, street cars, urban, interurban, suburban cars, and at railroad stations." (Senate). After a suspension of the rules (House) and designation as an emergency bill (Senate), the bill was passed by the House on the fourth legislative day and by the Senate on the fifth by a wide majority of both houses (including many Republicans) and took effect December 18, 1907. The only opposition reported in the record of either chamber was from a Senator that objected "to the section permitting negro nurses and attendants riding in the coach or compartment designated for whites".

Party composition

Senate AffiliationParty (Shading indicates majority caucus)TotalDemocraticRepublican 38 6 44Voting share86.4%13.6%

House of Representatives AffiliationParty (Shading indicates majority caucus)TotalDemocraticRepublican 93 16 109Voting share85.3%14.7%

Leadership

Senate With the Democratic caucus controlling the Oklahoma Senate, Henry S. Johnston of Perry, Oklahoma, was selected to serve as the first President pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate. Johnston had served as the presiding officer of the state constitutional convention. Lieutenant Governor George W. Bellamy served as the President of the Senate, which gave him a tie-breaking vote and allowed him to serve as a presiding officer.

House After much deliberation over who would serve as Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, the Democratic caucus chose William H. Murray of Tishomingo, Oklahoma, a former Chickasaw Nation representative and the president of the state constitutional convention. Sworn into office on November 16, 1907, Murray pushed for legislation to curb business excesses and support agriculture during his single term as speaker. State Representative Albert H. Ellis, of Garfield County, Oklahoma, was elected by his peers to serve as speaker pro tempore.

Staff Charles H. Pittman served as the first chief clerk of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

Members

Senate

District Name PartyLt-Gov George W. Bellamy Dem1 Joe S. Morris Dem2 A. E. Agee Dem2 R. E. Echols Dem3 A. G. Updegraff Rep4 Frank Mathews Dem5 Tom Moore Dem6 J. J. Williams Dem6 Richard Billups Dem7 Richard Curd Rep8 Patrick James Goulding Dem9 Sylvester Soldani Dem9 Edmund Brazell Dem10 Henry S. Johnston Dem11 Clarence Davis Dem12 H. S. Cunningham Rep13 Michael Eggerman Dem13 S. A. Cordell Dem14 Roy Everett Stafford Dem14 W. H. Johnson Dem15 L. K. Taylor Dem15 George Johnson Dem16 Emory Brownlee Rep17 Elmer Thomas Dem17 D. M. Smith Dem18 J. C. Little Dem18 J. C. Graham Dem19 H. S. Blair Dem19 Robert Wynne Dem20 Jessee Hatchett Dem20 Thomas F. Memminger Dem21 Edwin Sorrells Dem22 H. H. Holman Dem23 Reuben Roddie Dem24 W. P. Stewart Dem25 William Redwine Rep26 William M. Franklin Dem27 Eck Brook Dem27 Campbell Russell Dem28 Petway Conn Dem29 J. M. Keyes Dem30 Elias Landrum Dem31 P. J. Yeager Dem32 H. E. P. Stanford Rep33 Joseph Strain Dem Table based on cross-references of three sources.Directory of State of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Election Board (accessed on Google Books on June 23, 2013).All Senate List , Okhouse.gov (accessed on June 23, 2013). 2013-06-30.Oklahoma Almanac, 2005 , Oklahoma Department of Libraries (accessed June 27, 2013)

House of Representatives

Name Party CountyThomas LaFayette Rider Dem AdairDan G. Murley Dem AlfalfaJohn R. Evans Rep Alfalfa, GrantRobert M. Rainey Dem AtokaWilliam A. Durant Dem Atoka, BryanAbel J. Sands Rep BeaverGeorge Whitehurst Dem BeckhamWilliam H. Bowdre Rep BlaineJ. H. Baldwin Dem BryanA. F. Ross Dem BryanCharles C. Fisher Dem CaddoFrank Stevens Dem CaddoBen Wilson Dem Caddo, Canadian, ClevelandMilton B. Cope Dem CanadianLeo Harris Dem CarterJ. F. McCants Dem CarterJoseph L. Manus Dem CherokeeWilliam H. Armstrong Dem ChoctawFrank L. Casteel Dem CimarronJ. Vandaveer Dem ClevelandGeorge W. O'Neal Dem CoalC. A. Skeen Dem Coal, JohnstonRoy J. Williams Dem ComancheAmil H. Japp Dem Comanche, StephensE. J. Hobdy Dem CraigJohn T. Ezzard Dem Craig, RogersW. B. Stone Dem CreekWoodson Norvell Dem Creek, TulsaHowell Smith Dem CusterL. L. Reeves Dem Custer, WashitaLee B. Smith Dem DelawareW. G. Smith Rep DeweyElmer V. Jesse Dem EllisAlbert H. Ellis Dem GarfieldJoseph M. Porter Rep GarfieldEugene Watrous Rep Garfield, KingfisherW. M. Lindsay Dem GarvinWilliam Tabor Dem GarvinRobert M. Johnson Dem GradyAlbert S. Riddle Dem GradyJoseph W. Smith Dem Grant George W. Briggs Dem GreerW. C. Pendegraft Dem GreerJohn W. Durst Dem Harper Ed Boyle Dem HaskellJ. B. Crouch Dem Haskell, MuskogeeEdward Swengal Dem HughesBen F. Harrison Dem Hughes, PittsburgWilliam A. Banks Dem JacksonCharles M. London Dem JeffersonWilliam H. Murray Dem JohnstonQ. T. Brown Dem KayLogan Hawkins Dem KayHarvey Utterback Rep KingfisherJesse T. Armstrong Dem KiowaJ. V. Faulkner Dem KiowaJames E. Stivers Dem LatimerCharles W. Broome Dem LeFloreE. A. Moore Dem LeFlore, SequoyahH. M. Jarrett Dem LincolnJames H. Lockwood Rep LincolnH. G. Stettmund Dem Lincoln, PottawatomieWill H. Chappell Rep LoganJohn S. Shearer Rep LoganGeorge H. Stagner Rep LoganJohn McCalla Dem LoveJoe R. Sherman Rep MajorH.S.P. Ashby Dem MarshallHenry N. Butler Dem MayesThomas C. Whitson Dem McClainWilliam H. Harrison Dem McCurtainWilliam B. Beck Dem McIntoshM. Turner Dem MurrayFred P. Branson Dem MuskogeeA. J. Snelson Dem MuskogeeCharles A. Fraser Rep NobleJ. A. Tillotson Dem NowataThomas B. Wortman Dem OkfuskeeCurtis R. Day Rep OklahomaA. T. Earley Dem OklahomaCharles G. Jones Rep OklahomaI. M. Putnam Dem OklahomaWilliam C. McAdoo Dem OkmulgeeJohn D. Deyerle Dem OsageA. G. Martin Dem OttawaWilliam Murdock Dem PawneeGeorge D. Hudson Dem Pawnee, PayneP. A. Ballard Dem PayneJ. L. Hendrickson Dem PittsburgHenry M. McElhaney Dem PittsburgFrank Huddleston Dem PontotocEdgar S. Ratliff Dem Pontotoc, SeminoleMilton Bryan Dem PottawatomieWilliam S. Carson Dem PottawatomieWilliam F. Durham Dem PottawatomieBen T. Williams Dem PushmatahaJoseph L. Paschal Dem Roger MillsJohn F. Tandy Dem RogersJesse Chastain Dem SeminoleGeorge Winchester Allen Dem SequoyahW. B. Anthony Dem StephensE. J. Earle Dem TexasHenry R. King Dem TillmanCicero Holland Dem TulsaA. D. Orcutt Rep WagonerA. F. Vandeventer Dem WashingtonDavid L. Smith Dem WashitaWilliam T. Abbott Dem WoodsIrving Hart Dem Woodward Table based on government database.Historic Members, Okhouse.gov (accessed June 20, 2013). Archived 2013-06-22.

See also List of Oklahoma state legislatures

References

External links First State of the State Address Oklahoma Legislature Oklahoma House of Representatives Oklahoma Senate