Cowboy Pink Williams, born James Pinckney Williams (April 9, 1892 – April 1, 1976), was an American politician who was the seventh lieutenant governor of Oklahoma from 1955 to 1959 and

Oklahoma State Treasurer The State Treasurer of Oklahoma is the chief custodian of Oklahoma’s cash deposits, monies from bond sales, and other securities and collateral and directs the investments of those assets. The treasurer provides for the safe and efficient operat ...

from 1963 to 1967.

Early life

Williams was born in 1892. His father was in the hardware business and, according to Williams, the demand for tents in

Caddo, Oklahoma Caddo is a town in Bryan County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 997 at the 2010 census, a 5.6 percent gain over the figure of 944 recorded in 2000. The name is derived from a Caddo word, ''ka do hada’ cho'', meaning "real chief" i ...

where he grew up at the turn of the century was such that they were purchased before they had even been unloaded from wagons. James (''sic'') Williams was reported in Oklahoma City, working as a delivery driver in 1910, but returned to Caddo in 1911. He married Daisy Lane (1894–1988) in Caddo in 1913. The couple had three children. Soon after marriage, they moved to Durant, Oklahoma and opened a furniture store. They moved to Ardmore, Oklahoma in 1922, where he opened some unspecified business, but soon returned again to Caddo.

Political career

Williams used a humorous postcard in opposition to President

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

in his campaign for lieutenant governor, a gimmick that the post office stopped.Hudston, Geneva Johnston (AuthorHouse, 2005). ''Statesman or Rogue: Elected to Serve''. He also legally changed his name from Simeon Pinckney Williams to Cowboy Pink Williams. He won the run-off to get the Democratic nomination, defeating incumbent James Berry. Williams ran for Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma in 1954. He finished second in the Democratic primary with 78,981 votes (19.16%), behind incumbent five-term Lieutenant Governor

James E. Berry James Edward Berry (October 2, 1881 – November 22, 1966) was an American politician who served as the sixth lieutenant governor of Oklahoma from 1935 to 1955.

's 148,406 votes (36.00%). Williams defeated Berry in the runoff by 222,784 votes (52.23%) to 203,747 (47.77%). He defeated Republican Kenneth W. Gray in the general election with 336,311 votes (58.36%) and served from 1955 to 1959. He ran for a second term in 1958 and this time placed first in the Democratic primary with 176,171 votes (40.97%) to State Representative

George Nigh George Patterson Nigh (born June 9, 1927) is an American politician and civic leader from the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Nigh served as the 17th and the 22nd governor of Oklahoma and as the eighth and tenth lieutenant governor of Oklahoma. He was th ...

's 80,727 (18.77%). Nigh defeated Williams in the runoff with 302,050 votes (61.32%) to 190,530 (38.68%). Williams ran for

in 1962, coming first with 165,055 votes (38.67%) and advancing to the runoff with Glen R. Key, who took 105,479 votes (24.71%). Former Governor

Johnston Murray Johnston Murray (July 21, 1902 – April 16, 1974) was an American lawyer, politician, and the 14th governor of Oklahoma from 1951 to 1955. He was a member of the Democratic Party. Murray was the first Native American to be elected as governor ...

surprisingly finished last in the four-man field with 77,881 votes (18.24%). Williams won the runoff with 214,055 votes (50.37%) to Key's 210,881 (49.63%) and then won the general election against Republican Tom R. Moore with 331,644 votes (51.42%). After leaving the state treasurer's office due to term limits, Williams announced an intention to seek office in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

, but never ran.

Later life

In 1972, when Caddo celebrated its centennial, Williams served as the planning committee chair.Brimage, Lucille. "Caddo", Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/C/CA004.html (accessed April 16, 2013)

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Pink 1892 births 1976 deaths Lieutenant Governors of Oklahoma State treasurers of Oklahoma Oklahoma Democrats People from Bryan County, Oklahoma 20th-century American politicians People from Newberry, South Carolina