Murray, William Henry (Alfalfa Bill), 9th Governor of Oklahoma (1931-1935); U.S. House of Representatives from Oklahoma (1913-1917); 1st Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives (1907-1909), 1869-1956

Biographical:

One of the most colorful politicians of Oklahoma history was William Henry Davis "Alfalfa Bill" Murray (1869-1956). A teacher, farmer, journalist, and lawyer, Murray first entered Democratic Party politics with the movement for Oklahoma statehood. Having served as the president of the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention and playing a major role in the drafting of the state's constitution, the "Sage of Tishomingo" became the first speaker of the new state's house of representatives. In 1912, Murray won one of the state's at-large seats in the United States House of Representatives. Two years later, he was elected as the representative of Oklahoma's Fourth District. During his four years in Congress, Murray served on three committees: Coinage, Weights, and Measures; Pensions; and Indian Affairs. Known as a debater, Murray opposed segments of the Federal Reserve bill, called for American intervention in Mexico, advocated agricultural education, proposed amendments to the Clayton Anti-Trust bill, and promoted preparedness for American involvement in World War I. Following his defeat in the 1916 primary, Murray dabbled in various pursuits, including establishing an agricultural colony in Bolivia. Upon his return to Oklahoma in 1929, he reentered the political arena and won the 1930 gubernatorial general election. (He had run unsuccessfully for the office in 1910 and 1918.) Although Governor Murray helped create the Oklahoma Tax Commission and instituted corporate income taxes to help finance schools, he was best known for his excessive use of executive orders and martial law. Projecting an image as the protector of the little man, he did little to develop programs to fight the effects of the Great Depression. In fact, he thwarted many New Deal programs, possibly because they threatened his control over patronage. After leaving office in 1935, Murray organized the anti-New Deal Association for Economy and Tax Equality. Some charged that his opposition to the federal programs was in retaliation for losing the 1932 presidential nomination to Franklin D. Roosevelt. Murray lost a bid for the governorship in 1938. He also waged unsuccessful campaigns for the United States House and the United States Senate in 1940 and 1942, respectively.

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