 | The article's lead section may need to be rewritten. (November 2024) |
Johnston Murray | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 14th Governor of Oklahoma | |
| In office January 8, 1951 – January 10, 1955 | |
| Lieutenant | James E. Berry |
| Preceded by | Roy J. Turner |
| Succeeded by | Raymond D. Gary |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 21, 1902 Emet, Indian Territory, U.S. (now Oklahoma) |
| Died | April 16, 1974 (aged 71) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic (before 1956) Republican (after 1956) |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 1 |
| Parents | |
| Education | Murray State College Oklahoma City University (LLB) |
Johnston Murray (July 21, 1902 – April 16, 1974)[1] was an American lawyer, politician, and the 14th governor of Oklahoma from 1951 to 1955. He was a member of the Democratic Party. In 1956, Murray switched parties and joined the Republican Party.
Murray was the first Native American to be elected as governor in the United States but he was not an enrolled member of any nation.[2] Murray's mother, Mary Alice Hearrell Murray, was a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation.[3] His father, William H. Murray, by virtue of his marriage to Hearrell in 1899, also became a citizen of the nation under Chickasaw law. The elder Murray was an advisor to Governor Douglas H. Johnston of the Chickasaw Nation, and later served in numerous political offices after Oklahoma was admitted as a state.[3] He served as the ninth governor of Oklahoma (1931–1935).
As governor 20 years later, Johnston Murray attempted to reduce state spending but was blocked by state legislators, although they were part of the Democratic majority.[4] The state constitution prohibited a second succeeding term. His second wife Willie Murray ran for governor in 1954. She failed to win. They broke up in a bitter public divorce proceeding, which began a few months later.[4] The divorce was final in 1956.
Murray later married Helen Shutt. They moved to Fort Worth, Texas, where he worked for an oil well servicing company and later a limousine service.[4]
After returning to Oklahoma City, Murray formed a law partnership with Whit Pate in February 1960. He ran for Oklahoma State Treasurer in 1962, but finished last in the four-man Democratic primary field.[5]
He later worked for the remainder of his career as a consulting attorney for the Oklahoma Department of Welfare.[6] Both he and his father were buried in Tishomingo, Oklahoma.
- ^ Erin Dowell. "Murray, Johnston". Oklahoma Historical Society. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
- ^ This is controversial among some Natives because Murray was a blood Chickasaw but was not a registered member of the Chickasaw Nation.
- ^ a b Lovegrove, Michael W. (1999). "Douglas Henry Johnston and the Chickasaw Nation, 1898-1938" (PDF). UMI: 37 – via ShareOK.
- ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference
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- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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