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Politicians in Trouble or Disgrace

Politicians in Trouble or Disgrace: Oklahoma

in chronological order   William Miller Jenkins (1856-1941) — also known as William M. Jenkins — of Arkansas City, Cowley County, Kan.; Kay County, Okla.; Sapulpa, Creek County, Okla. Born in Alliance, Stark County, Ohio, April 25, 1856. Republican. Lawyer; delegate to Republican National Convention from Kansas, 1888; secretary of Oklahoma Territory, 1897-1901; Governor of Oklahoma Territory, 1901. Presbyterian. Removed from office as Governor in a scandal over a sanitarium contract; a later investigation exonerated him. Died in Sapulpa, Creek County, Okla., October 19, 1941 (age 85 years, 177 days). Interment at South Heights Cemetery, Sapulpa, Okla.   Relatives: Son of William Jenkins and Lydia (Miller) Jenkins; married, December 31, 1878, to Delphina White.   See also Find-A-Grave memorial Jake Louis Hamon (1873-1920) — also known as Jake L. Hamon — of Ardmore, Carter County, Okla. Born in Grenola, Elk County, Kan., June 5, 1873. Republican. Lawyer; oil business; member of Republican National Committee from North Dakota, 1920. Shot and killed by Clara Smith Hamon, his secretary, mistress, and the wife of his nephew, in Ardmore, Carter County, Okla., November 26, 1920 (age 47 years, 174 days). The scandal received national publicity. She was tried and found not guilty of murder, on grounds of self-defense. Interment at Rose Hill Cemetery, Ardmore, Okla.   Relatives: Son of Nancy (Tuggle) Hamon and Franklin Hamon; married 1898 to Georgia Worth Perkins.   See also Find-A-Grave memorial   Image source: The Daily Ardmoreite (Ardmore, Okla.), November 29, 1920 John Calloway Walton (1881-1949) — also known as Jack C. Walton; "Rarin' Jack" — of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Okla. Born near Indianapolis, Marion County, Ind., March 6, 1881. Democrat. Served in the U.S. Army during the Spanish-American War; engineer; mayor of Oklahoma City, Okla., 1919-23; Governor of Oklahoma, 1923; impeached and removed from office as Governor, 1923; candidate for U.S. Senator from Oklahoma, 1924. Died in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Okla., November 25, 1949 (age 68 years, 264 days). Interment at Rose Hill Burial Park, Oklahoma City, Okla.   Relatives: Son of Lewis W. Walton and Emma Sarah (Calloway) Walton; married, February 3, 1905, to Madeline Cecile Orrick.   See also National Governors Association biography — Find-A-Grave memorial   Image source: City of Oklahoma City   Henry Simpson Johnston (1867-1965) — also known as Henry S. Johnston — of Perry, Noble County, Okla. Born near Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Ind., December 30, 1867. Democrat. Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Oklahoma, 1912; Governor of Oklahoma, 1927-29. Impeached and removed from office as Governor in 1929. Died in Perry, Noble County, Okla., January 7, 1965 (age 97 years, 8 days). Interment somewhere in Perry, Okla.   See also National Governors Association biography   Manuel Herrick (1876-1952) — also known as Emanuel Herrick — of Perry, Noble County, Okla.; Plumas County, Calif. Born in Perry Township, Tuscarawas County, Ohio, September 20, 1876. Republican. U.S. Representative from Oklahoma 8th District, 1921-23; defeated, 1918 (Independent), 1922 (primary), 1924 (primary), 1926 (primary), 1928 (primary), 1930 (primary); on August 6, 1930, he was caught by prohibition agents near Great Mills, Maryland, while filling and fueling an illegal still; he fled the scene, but was soon apprehended; he claimed he was an undercover agent, but that was not taken seriously; arraigned in federal court on charges of manufacturing and possessing alcohol; in October, 1930, he was tried and convicted; sentenced to six months in jail; candidate for U.S. Representative from California, 1948. While on a trip to his mining claim; he died, probably from exposure, during a Sierra blizzard, near Quincy, Plumas County, Calif., January 11, 1952 (age 75 years, 113 days). His body was found in a snowbank, six weeks later. Cremated; ashes interred at Quincy Cemetery, Quincy, Calif.   Relatives: Son of John Herrick and Belinda (Kail) Herrick.   See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — Wikipedia article — Find-A-Grave memorial — Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture   Books about Manuel Herrick: Gene Aldrich, The Okie Jesus Congressman: the life of Manuel Herrick   Leon Chase Phillips (1890-1958) — also known as Leon C. Phillips; Red Phillips — of Okemah, Okfuskee County, Okla. Born in Worth County, Mo., December 9, 1890. Democrat. Member of Oklahoma state house of representatives; elected 1932, 1934, 1936; Speaker of the Oklahoma State House of Representatives, 1935; Governor of Oklahoma, 1939-43; delegate to Democratic National Convention from Oklahoma, 1940. Charged with accepting a bribe while governor; tried twice and ultimately acquitted. Died, of a heart attack, while waiting for a client at the post office in Okmulgee, Okmulgee County, Okla., March 27, 1958 (age 67 years, 108 days). Interment at Hillcrest Cemetery, Weleetka, Okla.   See also National Governors Association biography — NNDB dossier   David Hall (b. 1930) — of Tulsa County, Okla. Born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Okla., October 20, 1930. Democrat. Lawyer; Tulsa County District Attorney, 1962-66; law professor; Governor of Oklahoma, 1971-75; defeated in primary, 1966, 1974. Presbyterian. Member, Phi Beta Kappa; Freemasons; Shriners. Indicted in 1975 on extortion and conspiracy charges; later convicted, sentenced to three years in prison, and served 19 months; disbarred in 1978. Still living as of 2014.   Relatives: Son of William A. Hall; married to Jo Evans.   See also National Governors Association biography — Wikipedia article — NNDB dossier   David Lee Walters (b. 1951) — also known as David Walters — of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Okla. Born in Canute, Washita County, Okla., November 20, 1951. Democrat. Governor of Oklahoma, 1991-95; candidate for U.S. Senator from Oklahoma, 2002; member, Rules Committee, Democratic National Convention, 2008. While Governor, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor election law violation. Still living as of 2014.   See also National Governors Association biography — NNDB dossier   Hollis Earl Roberts (1943-2011) — also known as Hollis E. Roberts — of Hugo, Choctaw County, Okla. Born in Hochatown, McCurtain County, Okla., May 9, 1943. Member of Oklahoma state house of representatives, 1970; chief of the Choctaw Nation, 1978-97. Choctaw Indian ancestry. Convicted in 1997 of aggravated sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact, involving two female employees. Died in Hugo, Choctaw County, Okla., October 19, 2011 (age 68 years, 163 days). Burial location unknown.   Relatives: Son of Darrell E. Roberts and Laura (Beam) Roberts; married, May 17, 1963, to Helen R. Rodriguez.   See also Wikipedia article   Sally Kern (b. 1946) — of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Okla. Born in Jonesboro, Craighead County, Ark., November 27, 1946. Republican. School teacher; member of Oklahoma state house of representatives 84th District, 2005-17; delegate to Republican National Convention from Oklahoma, 2008; in 2008, her statements about homosexuality as worse than terrorism a furor; in 2011, her derogatory comments about African-Americans and women led the Oklahoma House to reprimand her by a vote of 76-17. Female. Still living as of 2017.   Relatives: Married 1970 to Stephen D. Kern.   See also Wikipedia article — Encyclopedia of American Loons   Books by Sally Kern: The Stoning of Sally Kern: The Liberal Attack on Christian Conservatism -- And Why We Must Take A Stand (2011)

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