1st Oklahoma Legislature


The First Oklahoma Legislature was the first meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma, composed of the Oklahoma 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.
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. 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.

Dates of session

Next: 2nd Legislature

Major legislation

Senate

House of Representatives

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 A. 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

DistrictNameParty
Lt-GovGeorge W. BellamyDem
1Joe S. MorrisDem
2A. E. AgeeDem
2R. E. EcholsDem
3A. G. UpdegraffRep
4Frank MathewsDem
5Tom MooreDem
6J. J. WilliamsDem
6Richard BillupsDem
7Richard CurdRep
8P. J. GouldingDem
9S. J. SoldaniDem
9Edmund BrazellDem
10Henry S. JohnstonDem
11Clarence DavisDem
12H. S. CunninghamRep
13Michael EggermanDem
13S. A. CordellDem
14Roy Everett StaffordDem
14W. H. JohnsonDem
15L. K. TaylorDem
15George JohnsonDem
16Emory BrownleeRep
17Elmer ThomasDem
17D. M. SmithDem
18J. C. LittleDem
18J.C. GrahamDem
19H. S. BlairDem
19Robert WynneDem
20Jesse HatchettDem
20T. F. MemmingerDem
21Edwin SorrelsDem
22H. H. HolmanDem
23Reuben RoddieDem
24W. P. StewartDem
25William RedwineRep
26William M. FranklinDem
27Eck BrookDem
27Campbell RussellDem
28Petway ConnDem
29J. M. KeyesDem
30Elias LandrumDem
31P. J. YeagerDem
32H. E. P. StanfordRep
33Joseph StrainDem

NamePartyCounty
T. L. RiderDemAdair
Dan G. MurleyDemAlfalfa
John R. EvansRepAlfalfa, Grant
Robert M. RaineyDemAtoka
William A. DurantDemAtoka, Bryan
Abel J. SandsRepBeaver
George WhitehurstDemBeckham
William H. BowdreRepBlaine
J. H. BaldwinDemBryan
A. F. RossDemBryan
Charles C. FisherDemCaddo
Frank StevensDemCaddo
Ben WilsonDemCaddo, Canadian, Cleveland
Milton B. CopeDemCanadian
Leo HarrisDemCarter
J. F. McCantsDemCarter
Joseph L. ManusDemCherokee
William H. ArmstrongDemChoctaw
Frank L. CasteelDemCimarron
J. VandaveerDemCleveland
George W. O'NealDemCoal
C. A. SkeenDemCoal, Johnston
Roy J. WilliamsDemComanche
Amil H. JappDemComanche, Stephens
E. J. HobdyDemCraig
John T. EzzardDemCraig, Rogers
W. B. StoneDemCreek
Woodson E. NorvellDemCreek, Tulsa
Howell SmithDemCuster
L. L. ReevesDemCuster, Washita
Lee B. SmithDemDelaware
W. G. SmithRepDewey
Elmer V. JesseDemEllis
Albert H. EllisDemGarfield
Joseph M. PorterRepGarfield
Eugene WatrousRepGarfield, Kingfisher
W. M. LindsayDemGarvin
William TaborDemGarvin
Robert M. JohnsonDemGrady
Albert S. RiddleDemGrady
Joseph W. SmithDemGrant
George W. BriggsDemGreer
W. C. PendegraftDemGreer
John W. DurstDemHarper
Ed D. BoyleDemHaskell
J. B. CrouchDemHaskell, Muskogee
Edward SwengalDemHughes
Benjamin F. HarrisonDemHughes, Pittsburg
William A. BanksDemJackson
Charles M. LondonDemJefferson
William H. MurrayDemJohnston
Q. T. BrownDemKay
Logan HawkinsDemKay
Harvey UtterbackRepKingfisher
Jesse T. ArmstrongDemKiowa
J. V. FaulknerDemKiowa
James E. StiversDemLatimer
Charles W. BroomeDemLeFlore
E. A. MooreDemLeFlore, Sequoyah
H. M. JarrettDemLincoln
James H. LockwoodRepLincoln
H. G. StettmundDemLincoln, Pottawatomie
Will H. ChappellRepLogan
John S. ShearerRepLogan
George H. StagnerRepLogan
John McCallaDemLove
Joe R. ShermanRepMajor
H.S.P. AshbyDemMarshall
Henry N. ButlerDemMayes
Thomas C. WhitsonDemMcClain
William H. HarrisonDemMcCurtain
William B. BeckDemMcIntosh
M. TurnerDemMurray
Fred P. BransonDemMuskogee
A. J. SnelsonDemMuskogee
Charles A. FraserRepNoble
J. A. TillotsonDemNowata
Thomas B. WortmanDemOkfuskee
Curtis R. DayRepOklahoma
A. T. EarleyDemOklahoma
Charles G. JonesRepOklahoma
I. M. PutnamDemOklahoma
William C. McAdooDemOkmulgee
John D. DeyerleDemOsage
A. G. MartinDemOttawa
William MurdockDemPawnee
George D. HudsonDemPawnee, Payne
P. A. BullardDemPayne
J. L. HendricksonDemPittsburg
Henry M. McElhaneyDemPittsburg
Frank HuddlestonDemPontotoc
Edgar S. RatliffDemPontotoc, Seminole
Milton BryanDemPottawatomie
William S. CarsonDemPottawatomie
William F. DurhamDemPottawatomie
Ben T. WilliamsDemPushmataha
Joseph PaschalDemRoger Mills
John F. TandyDemRogers
Jesse ChastainDemSeminole
George Winchester AllenDemSequoyah
W. B. AnthonyDemStephens
E. J. EarleDemTexas
Henry R. KingDemTillman
Cicero L. HollandDemTulsa
A. D. OrcuttRepWagoner
A. F. VandeventerDemWashington
David L. SmithDemWashita
William T. AbbottDemWoods
Irving W. HartDemWoodward