Robert A. Hefner
| Robert A Hefner | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Oklahoma City | |
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In office April 11, 1939 – April 8, 1947 |
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| Preceded by | John F Martin |
| Succeeded by | Allen Street |
| Supreme Court of Oklahoma Justice | |
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In office 1927–1933 |
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| Mayor of Ardmore | |
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In office 1920–1926 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
7 February 1874 Hunt County, Texas |
| Died | 1 January 1971 (aged 96) |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse(s) | Eva Johnson |
| Children | Robert A Hefner Jr William Johnson Hefner Margaret Evelyn Hefner |
| Alma mater | North Texas Baptist College University of Texas |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Robert Alexander Hefner ("The Judge"), born in Texas to William Lafayette Hefner and Sarah Jane Masters Hefner, was a lawyer-turned-politician. He served terms as mayor of Ardmore OK and of Oklahoma City, and as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Oklahoma. He was the originator of the mineral transfer deed known as the Hefner Form. Herner was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1949.
Hefner was born on February 7, 1874 in the community of Hefner Chapel four miles (6.4 km) north of Lone Oak, Hunt County, Texas to William Lafayette Hefner and Sarah Jane Masters Hefner. Growing up in poverty, self-teaching was the only education Hefner could afford. By the age of 21, he had received only nine months of formal education, primarily from books received from a cousin at College Station which he read "at night while I was working on the farm and also when I was out herding sheep".
In 1895, the family had to sell the farm to pay off debts, though the proceeds were insufficient to settle them in full. Just after Herner's 21st birthday, his father died. Hefner then resolved to work the farm for the following year to clear the family debts. He received $15 per month credited against the debt and studied at night under a kerosene lamp given to him by his father in the hope of passing the entrance exams for college. In 1896, Hefner passed the examination and gained entrance to North Texas Baptist College at Jacksboro. He paid off the remaining family debts.
Hefner went to college with only the clothes on his back and 35 cents, but found work splitting wood to pay his way. At Jacksboro, he met his wife, Eva Johnson, daughter of a banker. She spoke four languages fluently and became valedictorian of Baylor University in 1905 after gaining her third degree. On graduation, he decided he would study law at the University of Texas in Austin, but once again found funding to be a problem. As a result, he worked for a while to save up enough to pay his way and, at the age of 25, he enrolled at the University of Texas and found himself only the second student from the "South Prairie" to do so. His hard work was rewarded in 1902 when he graduated near the top of his law class.
The philosophy of hard work, which he taught to his children as "hit the ball hard", didn't always pay off. When he tried to take up golfing to be able to spend more time with his son, Hefner swung so hard at the ball that he broke two ribs, ending his golfing career on his first swing.
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