Volume 16 , Issue 33

1960s Politics In Oklahoma

Remember the 1959 "prairie fire" and "Big Red E" campaigns of J. Howard Edmondson, who was inaugurated in January 1959? Edmondson won the general election by the largest majority ever given a governor in the state of Oklahoma. He was also the state's youngest governor in history, at age of 33 years.

Back in the 1960's, even though the country had repealed Prohibition years earlier, the state of Oklahoma was still "dry." But the state did not enforce the law. Edmondson promised he would either enforce or repeal Prohibition, and ended up doing both. Edmondson said that "every Oklahoman who votes dry will drink dry." It was a time when Law enforcement officials raided bars and nightclubs which illegally served liquor. The law enforcement also targeted bootleggers for breaking the law.

For the first time, citizens knew what it meant to be "dry." The people learned what true Prohibition meant. The actual enforcement of Prohibition was expensive. Most sheriffs and police were busy full-time with busting bars. But who was going after the real criminals?

Any teenager, previously, with the right information and enough money could buy alcohol. Adults began thinking regulations might protect teenagers better. Legislators wrote a referendum for a Liquor Control Act. They suggested an Alcoholic Beverage Control Board could license liquor stores. It was on 7 April 1959, the question went to the people in an election. It carried 386,845 votes to 314,830 votes, and added the 27th Amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution. The first package (Liquor) stores opened on 1 September 1959.

In 1960, the voters approved Question 391, forming the Oklahoma Industrial Finance Authority, that allowed it to issue up to $10 million in bonds to develop industry, and also approved a $35 million bond issue for state buildings.

The "winds of politics" changed directions midway through Governor Edmondson's term. And opposition to his programs began to grow. Because of the population shift from rural to urban areas, the governor asked for reapportionment. Gov. Edmondson wanted to re-map congressional districts to give urban areas more votes. Edmondson also asked for a highway commission set up by the State Constitution. It would have administered funds and handled other matters usually handled at the county level. The legislature refused these proposals, and the governor took them to the people. The voters turned down Edmondson's ideas, too.

The governor and legislature reached a stalemate or stand-off. Edmondson became less active. Legislators made changes to weaken the State Merit System and Central Purchasing System, but the programs survived. A federal court ordered reapportionment of the state.

Senator Robert S. Kerr died in 1963, and the Oklahoma Governor had the power to appoint someone to finish the senator's term. First, Edmondson resigned from the governor's office. The lieutenant governor, George Nigh, succeeded him. Then, as governor, Nigh appointed Edmondson to finish the senator's term in Congress. Edmondson served two years as a U.S. Senator. Then he ran for the office in 1964, and was defeated.

The youthful energy of Governor J. Howard Edmondson appealed to many Oklahomans. When President John F. Kennedy won the presidential race in 1960, he was a great contrast to his predecessor, Dwight D. Eisenhower. Kennedy urged young people to make the world a better place through programs like the Peace Corps overseas and VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America) at home. Kennedy also challenged America to enter the Space Race and put a man on the moon within 10 years, and made the younger generation feel hopeful and powerful.

In the 1960's political passions ran high in Oklahoma. At one point, a near riot occurred in a confrontation between Democrats and Republicans. It was on 5 November 1962, Republicans marched through downtown Oklahoma City in a pre-election, torchlight parade. They met up with a group of Democrats, and both sides jeered at each other. There was pushing and shoving, and the police reported two hundred people involved.

Then there was the time that the Republican party unloaded three elephants in front of the democratic headquarters. This, naturally, angered the democrats and helped stir the battle, and the police arrested the elephants and held them in a local garage until Clyde Brothers Circus reclaimed them.

Henry Bellmon achieved, accomplished what many people thought impossible in Oklahoma in 1962, he became its first Republican governor.

It was during Bellmon's campaign that he told a story about a farmer with a cow for sale. It went something like this, "The first man who looked at the cow wanted to know about her pedigree. The next fellow inquired about the butterfat content of her milk, and another one asked about her annual milk production. 'All I can tell,' said the farmer, 'is that she's and honest, hard working old cow, and she'll give you all the milk she's got.'" Bellmon promised to be like the cow - honest and hard working.

As for the democratic primary, it had several candidates, including former governor Raymond Gary. Gary lost to W.P. "Bill" Atkinson, who became the Democratic candidate. Atkinson supported a one-cent increase in sales tax. Bellmon preached no new taxes and won the election.

It was on 14 January 1963, when Bellmon took office, He was younger than all but one previous Oklahoma governor, J. Howard Edmondson.

Gov. Bellmon did prove to be hard working, even though he served with a Democratic legislature, he signed more bills than any of the three previous administrations. One was a public housing bill. Despite pressure, Bellmon kept his word about no general tax increases. But Bellmon did increase the cigarette tax as a fund raiser for education.

Many changes in the legal field as a result of the work of the 30th legislature. It replaced the county attorney system. The new system divided the state into 27 districts, each one hired a district attorney, instead of having 77 counties with their own attorney.

Scandal also shook the State Supreme Court in the early 1960's, when a federal court convicted Vice-chief Justice Nelson Corn of income tax evasion. Corn gave evidence of other justices accepting bribes. Justice Earl Welch resigned from office to avoid impeachment, but was later convicted. Justice N. B. Johnson was impeached, convicted and removed from office.

Gov. Bellmon inherited the problem of reapportionment, and with the legislature tried to work out a solution. They passed a law in 1963, but a three judge panel ruled that it was unfair. The judges themselves divided the state. The first elections under the new plan were in September of 1964.

The Oklahoma schools operated in the Bellmon years by getting a lot of attention. The Oklahoma Education Association (OEA) called for a $1,000 raise for teachers. The legislature refused. The OEA asked the NEA (National Education Association) to investigate the state's schools. NEA report placed Oklahoma on a national blacklist. It imposed professional sanctions, saying working conditions were sub-minimal. The report also pointed out that Oklahoma was fortieth among states in spending per student and 37th in salaries for teachers.

It was during Gov. Bartlett's term, the OEA specifically demanded statewide kindergarten system. But Bartlett vetoed that plan. The OEA asked for more funds for a special education program. They asked the state to improve school libraries and to require smaller teacher-student ratios. The OEA again sanctioned Oklahoma because of what was a disinterested legislature. Bartlett and several legislative leaders were later able to pass a program to improve the schools, including a $1,300 annual salary increase for teachers.

It was during Governor Bellmon's term that nationally, the most controversial issue was civil rights for African-Americans. President Kennedy won election during Edmondson's term of office. Kennedy pushed for a bill granting equality of Citizenship and rights to African-Americans. Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963, but Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

A young African-American minister named Martin Luther King Jr. urged people to use non-violence to claim their rights, and whites began to join their cause.

Clara Luper continued leading students in local protests. It was 5 years after their first sit-in at the Katz Drug Store, all restaurants in downtown Oklahoma City were integrated. Bishop's restaurant was the last one.

The protests, marches began drawing attention to all kinds of civil rights as women and sexual minorities spoke out against discrimination. Latino migrants organized a union to protect their rights. Their efforts were peaceful but controversial as they angered some and gave hope to others.

The 2nd republican governor was Dewey Bartlett. Bartlett became the second Republican governor in 1967.

The court scandals in the early 1960's brought about the legislature wanting to reform the courts. It sent proposal to the public soon after Bartlett took office in 1967, and the measure passed. It eliminated the justice-of-the peace system in Oklahoma. It also created nonpartisan election of judges.

Bartlett's administration was on of investigation. It charged several officials, including State Corporation Commissioners, with conflict of interest. Bartlett vetoed a bill to increase salaries for state officials.

Mike Monroney was a long time senator from the 5th district. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives form 1939 to 1951. He served in the U.S. Senate from 1951 through 1968. He also received Collier's award for distinguished congressional service in 1945. Monroney had a great personal interest in aviation, and sponsored legislation to protect, develop the industry.

By 1963, there were thousands of American advisors in South Vietnam, but the general public barely heard of the place. It was in 1964, the Maddox, an American ship, was attacked by North Vietnamese torpedo boats in the Gulf of Tonkin. The Viet Cong (communists from North Vietnam) thought the ship had been sent to assist the South Vietnamese. In truth, the ship was only on a scientific mission.

As a result of the attack, Congress sent a message to President Johnson to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the force of the United States, and to prevent further aggression. The American involvement escalated. Within the year, Johnson sent 30 thousand troops to Southeast Asia.

When Gov. Bartlett took office, in 1967, Vietnam was a household word in Oklahoma. In 1968 there were 540,000 Americans fighting the war, part of an international force of 1.6 million soldiers. But the U.S. officials were committed to "limited involvement." It was the same kind of policy that had existed during the Korean war. The draft called up more and more young men.

Since the war was a central issue of the presidential campaign of 1968, the Democratic Convention in Chicago was disrupted with a week long protest. That protest brought on more protest, and bonfires were lit so young men could burn their draft cards; musicians played anti-war songs. Veterans of WWII could not understand how people could criticize their own country, but the opposition was too large to ignore in the 1960's. The tension in America grew worse, as did the gap between the generations.

It was in 1968 and 1972 that Nixon began the first and second terms as President of the United States. Nixon's administration was riddle with scandals, as his running mate Spiro Agnew was investigated for accepting bribes and not reporting income while governor of Maryland. Agnew resigned in 1973, and Nixon appointed Gerald Ford as new vice-president.

Nixon's campaign for re-election in 1972 included authorizing a break-in at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, DC. It was a series of dirty tricks that became more obvious, and Congress had to consider impeaching the President. Instead, Nixon resigned in August of 1974.

In the midst of those dramatic events, leaders of great integrity stood out. One was Carl Albert from Bugtussle, Oklahoma, who achieved the highest office ever attained by an Oklahoman. In 1971, Albert became Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.

Carl Albert was a man of small stature that held great power. Albert was known affectionately as "The Little Giant from Little Dixie." Albert retired in 1972, but continued to be influential in Oklahoma political circles until his death in 2000.   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

---