Robert Lee Williams
| Robert Lee Williams | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit | |
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In office April 21, 1937 – March 31, 1939 |
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| Appointed by | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Preceded by | George Thomas McDermott |
| Succeeded by | Walter A. Huxman |
| Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma | |
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In office January 7, 1919 – April 21, 1937 |
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| Appointed by | Woodrow Wilson |
| Preceded by | Ralph E. Campbell |
| Succeeded by | Eugene Rice |
| 3rd Governor of Oklahoma | |
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In office January 11, 1915 – January 13, 1919 |
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| Lieutenant | Martin E. Trapp |
| Preceded by | Lee Cruce |
| Succeeded by | James Robertson |
| 1st Chief Justice of Oklahoma | |
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In office 1907–1914 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
December 20, 1868 Brundidge, Alabama |
| Died | April 10, 1948 (aged 79) Durant, Oklahoma |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | never married |
| Profession | lawyer, judge |
| Religion | Methodism |
Robert Lee Williams (December 20, 1868 – April 10, 1948) was an American lawyer, judge, and the third governor of Oklahoma. Williams played a role in the drafting of the Oklahoma Constitution and served as the first Oklahoma Supreme Court chief justice. He also served the United States federal government as a district and circuit judge.
As governor, Williams oversaw the state's response to the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling against Jim Crow laws and its involvement in World War I. He instituted the Oklahoma State Board of Affairs, which provided central purchasing services to state agencies. Due to his direct administrative role and concentration of power, Williams counteracted the loss of executive power under Governor Lee Cruce. He was succeeded by James B. A. Robertson.
Williams died in 1948 in Durant, Oklahoma, where he is buried.
Williams was born on December 20, 1868, near Brundidge, Alabama. Williams earned a number of degrees, one included a study of Methodist doctrines, entitling him to become a certified minister. Earning a Doctor of Laws degree, Williams passed the Alabama bar exam in 1891 at the age of 23 and began his practice in Troy, Alabama.
At the age of 25, Williams, in 1893, moved to the Cherokee Outlet in Indian Territory following its opening where he briefly practiced law in Orlando. After briefly moving back to Alabama, Williams returned to Indian Territory in 1897 and settled in Durant. He became increasingly involved in local politics and a driving force behind the Democratic Party in modern-day eastern Oklahoma in his role as the national committeeman from Indian Territory.
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