Stigler, William Grady, U.S. House of Representatives from Oklahoma's 2nd district (1944-1952); Member of the Oklahoma Senate (1924-1932), 1891-1952

Biographical:

William Grady Stigler, a quarter-blood Choctaw Indian, was born in Newman, Indian Territory (now Stigler, Oklahoma), on July 7, 1891. He received a teaching certificate from Northeastern Oklahoma State College (Tahlequah) in 1912 and legal education from the University of Oklahoma. During World War I, he served in the U.S. Army; afterward, he attended the University of Grenoble (Grenoble, France). Stigler was admitted to the Oklahoma state bar and practiced law for several years. He served in various political and legal positions: city attorney of Stigler (1920-1924), state senator for the twenty-seventh district (1924-1932) and president pro tempore in 1931, member of the state Pardon and Parole Advisory Board, and attorney for the Choctaw Nation. In March 1944, Stigler, a Democrat, was elected to represent Oklahoma's Second District in the U.S. Congress, filling the seat vacated by John C. "Jack" Nichols. He served on several standing committees in the House, including Claims, Flood Control, Indian Affairs, Roads, World War Veterans' Legislation, Public Works, and Appropriations. In 1946, he was also a member of the Select Committee to Investigate Supplies and Shortages of Food, Particularly Meat. Stigler served in Congress until his death on August 22, 1952, at Stigler, Oklahoma.

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