Andrew P. Watson was an American farmer, politician, and confederate officer who served as one of the first

Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner The Oklahoma Corporation Commission is the public utilities commission of the U.S state of Oklahoma run by three statewide elected commissioners. Authorized to employ more than 400 employees, it regulates oil and gas drilling, utilities and tele ...

s from 1907 to 1915. He was frequently referred to as the "Potato King of Oklahoma" and was a member of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

. After being impeached in 1915, he was later elected a

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

in Tulsa in the 1920s and was appointed as the Oklahoma Pension Commissioner by

William H. Murray William Henry Davis "Alfalfa Bill" Murray (November 21, 1869 – October 15, 1956) was an American educator, lawyer, and politician who became active in Oklahoma before statehood as legal adviser to Governor Douglas H. Johnston of the Chic ...

on January 14, 1931, serving until November 26, 1932.

Early life and career

Andrew P. Watson was born in Acworth, Georgia on June 11, 1848, to James M. Watson and Nancy S. Mayes. Watson joined the Confederate States Army as a teenager and was one of the youngest commissioned officers, commanding a

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

regiment at sixteen. His regiment fought in the American Civil War in South Carolina. By the end of war he was a colonel. At 19, he moved with his family to Mississippi. He moved to Shawnee in Indian Territory in 1901. By 1902 he owned a 75-acre potato farm northwest of Shawnee. In 1902, he was elected vice-president of the Oklahoma and Indian Territories Agricultural Horticulture and Irrigation Society. In 1905, he served as the group's secretary. He was sometimes referred to by the press as the "Potato King of Oklahoma." In 1904, he was the general of the territorial

United Confederate Veterans The United Confederate Veterans (UCV, or simply Confederate Veterans) was an American Civil War veterans' organization headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was organized on June 10, 1889, by ex-soldiers and sailors of the Confederate Sta ...

association. He was also a member of the Woodsmen of the World.

Political career

He ran in the Democratic primary to be

for Shawnee, Oklahoma in 1904. In 1907, he was one of the

's nominees for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, defeating D.A. Crafton and Roy Hays in the September general election. He was described as a

Jacksonian Democrat Jacksonian democracy was a 19th-century political philosophy in the United States that expanded suffrage to most white men over the age of 21, and restructured a number of federal institutions. Originating with the seventh U.S. president, Andr ...

during his first election campaign.

Impeachment

In February 1915, the

Oklahoma House of Representatives The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members introduce and vote on bills and resolutions, provide legislative oversight for state agencies, and help to craft the state's b ...

opened an investigation into the corporation commission. After investigating the commission, the house impeached Watson. Washington E. Hudson served as one of his prosecutors during his impeachment trial. In April, the

Oklahoma Senate The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution.Walter Davis Humphrey was appointed by Governor

Robert L. Williams 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 ch ...

to replace him on the commission. He immediately launched a re-election campaign for the office. In August 1916, he placed fifth and last in the Democratic primary.

Return to politics after impeachment

In March 1921, state senator Bob Wallace attempted to reopen the senate impeachment inquiry into Watson in order to 'reverse' his impeachment. ''The Oklahoma News'' described the actions as an attempt to "whitewash" the conviction. Watson served two terms as the

for Tulsa, Oklahoma between from 1924 to 1930. He briefly resigned in 1928 due to illness, but won re-election. On January 14, 1931, Governor

appointed Watson as the Oklahoma Commissioner of Pensions to succeed C.J. Stewart. He resigned on November 26, 1932. He was succeeded by J.E. Stinson on December 1, 1932. Watson died in the veterans hospital in

Ardmore, Oklahoma Ardmore is the county seat of Carter County, Oklahoma, United States. According to the 2010 census, the city had a population of 24,283, with an estimated population of 24,698 in 2019. The Ardmore micropolitan statistical area had an estimated ...

on October 24, 1936.

Electoral history

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, A.P. 1848 births 1936 deaths 20th-century American politicians Confederate States Army officers Corporation Commissioners of Oklahoma County judges in Oklahoma Farmers from Oklahoma Heads of Oklahoma state agencies Impeached state and territorial constitutional officers of the United States removed from office Oklahoma Democrats People from Cobb County, Georgia