James Brooks Ayres Robertson (March 15, 1871 – March 7, 1938), sometimes called J. B. A. Robertson, was an American lawyer, judge and the fourth
governor of Oklahoma
The governor of Oklahoma is the head of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor serves as the head of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma. The governor is the '' ex of ...
. Robertson was appointed by the state's first governor,
Charles N. Haskell, to serve as a district judge.
Passing a
bar exam
A bar examination is an examination administered by the bar association of a jurisdiction that a lawyer must pass in order to be admitted to the bar of that jurisdiction.
Australia
Administering bar exams is the responsibility of the bar associat ...
at the age of 21, Robertson became one of the most resourceful trial lawyers and legal counselors in the Oklahoma and
Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
territories, before statehood.
His gubernatorial term was marked by Oklahoma's ratification of the
Eighteenth Amendment, for Prohibition, and the
Nineteenth Amendment, for women's suffrage, to the
United States Constitution, the
Tulsa Race Massacre
The Tulsa race massacre, also known as the Tulsa race riot or the Black Wall Street massacre, was a two-day-long massacre that took place between May 31 – June 1, 1921, when mobs of white residents, some of whom had been appointed as deput ...
, and scandals. He also served as Grand Sire (now known as Sovereign Grand Master) of the Sovereign Grand Lodge of the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows from 1915 to 1916
Robertson died in 1938 from cancer and is buried in
Chandler, Oklahoma
Chandler ( sac, Chêninêheki) is a city in, and the county seat of, Lincoln County, Oklahoma, United States. and is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area. The population was 3,100 at the 2010 census, an increase over the figure of 2,842 in ...
.
Early life
James Brooks Ayres Robertson the Third was born in
Keokuk County, Iowa
Keokuk County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 10,033. The county seat is Sigourney.
History
Keokuk County was formed in 1837. It was named for the eponymous chief of the Sa ...
, on March 15, 1871, to a father of the same name from
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
and mother Clara Robertson (birth name unknown) from
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
. His paternal grandfather had the same name. In the early 1850s, both of Robertson's parents moved to Iowa, where Robertson's father served as a volunteer soldier in the
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
army during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
. Robertson's Iowa upbringing would instill in him firm
progressive attitudes.
[ ]
The fifth child born to a family of six sons and five daughters, Robertson was educated in the Iowa public school system. Robertson became a licensed teacher when he was 16. While teaching, he was privately studying law and the legal system, and he passed the Iowa
bar exam
A bar examination is an examination administered by the bar association of a jurisdiction that a lawyer must pass in order to be admitted to the bar of that jurisdiction.
Australia
Administering bar exams is the responsibility of the bar associat ...
in 1892 at the age of 21. The following year, Robertson moved to
Chandler in
Oklahoma Territory.
[Thoburn, p. 1251.]
Chandler was newly established by European Americans via the
Land Run
A land run or land rush was an event in which previously restricted land of the United States was opened to homestead on a first-arrival basis. Lands were opened and sold first-come or by bid, or won by lottery, or by means other than a run. The s ...
on September 28, 1891, and the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
of
Lincoln County was developing. Seizing the opportunity, Robertson set up teaching and practicing law in the fledgling city. He won him the office of
county attorney
In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a lo ...
, the chief legal officer of the county. While in Chandler, Robertson met Olive Stubblefield, whom he married in 1898. They had two children: Olive Frances and a boy James Brooks Ayres Robertson IV (referred to as James Brooks Ayers Robertson Jr.), named after his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.
Robertson became known as one of the most resourceful trial lawyers and legal counselors in the Oklahoma and
Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
territories.
In 1906, Robertson became a partner in Hoffman and Robertson, a law firm he practiced with for the next two years.
Political career
Oklahoma was
admitted to the Union as a state in 1907. The first
governor of Oklahoma
The governor of Oklahoma is the head of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor serves as the head of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma. The governor is the '' ex of ...
,
Charles N. Haskell, named Robertson to the District Court of the Tenth Judicial District of Oklahoma in 1908.
[O'Dell, Larry]
Robertson, James Brooks Ayers (1871-1938)
Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
. (accessed June 30, 2013) The job required Robertson to move his family from Chandler to
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
, where he spent the rest of his years.
Before his appointment to the court, Robertson played an active role in the Oklahoma and national Democratic parties. Robertson was a prominent and influential Democrat in Oklahoma. He offered to help any Democratic candidate in any way he could. On a trip with Governor Haskell to
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, Robertson represented the Oklahoma Democratic Party. Robertson zealously supported the Democratic nomination of
William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator and politician. Beginning in 1896, he emerged as a dominant force in the Democratic Party, running three times as the party's nominee for President ...
for the
presidency
A presidency is an administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation. Although often the executive branch of government, and often personified b ...
.
Robertson continued to serve as a judge until Governor Charles Haskell, now his friend, chose not to seek re-election in 1910. Resigning his seat on the court to run for governor, Robertson ultimately withdrew from the Democratic primary to support
Lee Cruce
Lee Cruce (July 8, 1863 – January 16, 1933) was an American lawyer, banker and the second governor of Oklahoma. Losing to Charles N. Haskell in the 1907 Democratic primary election to serve as the first governor of Oklahoma, Cruce successful ...
. The latter won the party's nomination and served as the second governor of Oklahoma.
Not satisfied with returning to private life, Robertson ran for Congress. Reapportionment after the
1910 Federal Census had resulted in Oklahoma being granted three seats in the
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
. Robertson ran in the Democratic primary for his district's seat, but he failed to receive the party's nomination.
Robertson returned to private law practice in Oklahoma City. In 1914, Governor Cruce, like Haskell before him, decided against running for a second term. Robertson tried to get the Democratic nomination for governor, but
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 ...
, the popular former
Chief Justice of Oklahoma, won it instead.
Robertson's beloved wife Olive died on June 1, 1914, leaving Robertson to raise their two children.
Gubernatorial campaign
Robertson's persistence in politics paid off. In 1918, seeking the Democratic gubernatorial nomination for the third consecutive time, Robertson defeated the colorful and popular
William H. Murray.
The popularity of former Governor
Charles N. Haskell had strengthened the already strong position of the
Oklahoma Democratic Party
The Oklahoma Democratic Party is an Oklahoma political party affiliated with the Democratic Party. Along with the Oklahoma Republican Party, it is one of the two major parties in Oklahoma politics.
The party dominated local politics in Oklahoma ...
in the state. In 1910 a new party had appeared in Oklahoma politics, the
Socialist Party of America. For the first time in Oklahoma's history, the two major parties were joined by a
third party
Third party may refer to:
Business
* Third-party source, a supplier company not owned by the buyer or seller
* Third-party beneficiary, a person who could sue on a contract, despite not being an active party
* Third-party insurance, such as a V ...
in the contest for governor. Robertson faced
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
Horace G. McKeever, and
Socialist
Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...
Patrick Nagle. A major factor in the election was the infamous
Green Corn Rebellion of 1917, which the Socialist Party had helped cause. Many voters considered them unpatriotic.
Robertson won in a landslide, and other state Democratic candidates won considerable majorities in both the
Oklahoma House of Representatives and
Oklahoma Senate.
Governor of Oklahoma
Robertson was inaugurated on January 13, 1919, as Oklahoma's fourth governor. He was soon faced with two national issues: nationwide
prohibition
Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcohol ...
and
women's suffrage
Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...
.
Under Governor Haskell, Oklahoma had already adopted a firm policy against alcohol. Robertson worked to build on Haskell's policies, leading Oklahoma to overwhelmingly ratify the
Eighteenth Amendment, which was added to the
United States Constitution on January 16, 1919.
Written with progressivism in mind, Oklahoma's constitution enshrined the right to vote for all races and both women and men. But the state had passed amendments and laws that in practice
disenfranchised most blacks by creating barriers to voter registration. Robertson called a special session of the white-dominated legislature that led to the state's ratification of the
Nineteenth Amendment. It became part of the national Constitution on August 18, 1920.
Among Robertson's accomplishments was the creation of the office of Oklahoma Commissioner of Pensions. He also established cooperative marketing agencies to serve the state's farmers, who suffered low prices due to agricultural overproduction continuing after World War I had driven up demand. Robertson also ushered a bill through the legislature providing for the addition of over of paved roads, more than had been paved in all three previous administrations.
Partly using his experience as a teacher, Robertson also focused on improving Oklahoma's school system. First, he worked to change how colleges operated in Oklahoma. Before his administration, colleges had been supervised by the State Board of Education under the
State School Superintendent. Under Robertson, the governor's power over colleges increased with the creation of a
Board of State Regents, its members appointed by the governor, to oversee all institutions of higher education. In his budgets, Robertson also funded improvements in teacher certification, higher standards for school performance and accreditation, consolidation of many rural schools, and institution of a subsidized textbook program. He proposed increased funding for schools with apparent inadequacies, but this measure was rejected by the legislature.
Robertson also had setbacks. His administration's work on Oklahoma's highways was a vast improvement to what the state had had, but it was not sufficient to catch up to the need. He failed to get voter support for the $50 million in necessary highway improvements. Although the Socialist Party was no longer a political threat, it advocated strikes. In 1919, telephone workers struck in
Drumright, Oklahoma
Drumright is a city in Creek and Payne counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It began as an oil boom town. However, the population has declined as oil production has waned in the area. The population was 2,907 at the 2010 census, a figure alm ...
, and a massive strike of coal miners took place in eastern Oklahoma. Governor Robertson, in his position as
Commander-in-Chief, declared
martial law
Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory.
Use
Marti ...
in these regions. The Bank Guaranty Program, which Governor Haskell had instituted, collapsed following Oklahoma's recession in 1920, resulting in the closure of many state banks.
Robertson's administration struggled with the economic effects of a downturn in the oil industry, and nationwide recession, and the poor economy added to racial tensions in the state. The postwar period was one of the worst in race relations in Oklahoma's history. To help confront this issue, Robertson created a commission on racial relations composed of both white and black members, but it did little to improve things.
In the early morning hours of June 1, 1921, a race riot broke out in Tulsa, where white mobs looted and burned most of Greenwood, the prosperous center of the African-American community in the city. During the 16 hours of rioting, an estimated 300 people were killed (mostly black Republicans), more than 800 people were admitted to local hospitals with injuries, thousands of blacks were left homeless, as 35 city blocks with 1,256 residences were destroyed by fire, and property damage totaled $1.8 million (nearly $17 million as of 2001 after adjustment for inflation). Robertson finally regained control in the city by declaring martial law and sending in the
Oklahoma National Guard
The Oklahoma National Guard, a division of the Oklahoma Military Department, is the component of the United States National Guard in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It comprises both Army (OKARNG) and Air (OKANG) National Guard components. The Governo ...
to police the area and end the chaos. The governor condemned actions by the city and Sheriff's Office and ordered a Grand Jury to investigate,
["Tulsa In Remorse to Rebuild Homes; Dead Now Put at 30"](_blank)
''New York Times,'' 3 June 1921; accessed 31 December 2016 but no one was prosecuted for the deaths, injuries, or damage. An estimated 3,000 blacks fled the city at the time.
The riot affected Oklahoma for generations to come, promoting
nativism, stimulating growth of the
white supremacist
White supremacy or white supremacism is the belief that white people are superior to those of other races and thus should dominate them. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any power and privilege held by white people. White s ...
Ku Klux Klan for the first time in Oklahoma, and suppressing blacks' hopes for their lives in the state.
To make matters worse politically, under Robertson's guard the Democrats lost control of the Oklahoma Legislature. Following the 1920 midterm elections, the Republicans gained control of the
Oklahoma House of Representatives. Also, the U.S. presidency shifted from Democrat
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...
to Republican
Warren G. Harding
Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party, he was one of the most popular sitting U.S. presidents. A ...
.
Oklahoma lost its Democratic U.S. senator,
Thomas Gore
Thomas Pryor Gore (December 10, 1870March 16, 1949) was an American politician who served as one of the first two United States senators from Oklahoma, from 1907 to 1921 and again from 1931 to 1937. He first entered politics as an activist for ...
, who was replaced by
John W. Harreld, the first Republican from Oklahoma to serve in the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
. Robertson was left with a divided legislature. He was not successful in gaining passage for his proposed policies for the remaining two years of his term.
Scandals haunted Robertson's administration during the remainder of his term. Disputes between the Republican House and Democratic Senate resulted in the House's investigation of the executive branch, most notably Robertson himself.
As in the case of Governor
Lee Cruce
Lee Cruce (July 8, 1863 – January 16, 1933) was an American lawyer, banker and the second governor of Oklahoma. Losing to Charles N. Haskell in the 1907 Democratic primary election to serve as the first governor of Oklahoma, Cruce successful ...
before him, the House came within one vote of impeaching Robertson.
In 1921 the House adjourned without voting on appropriation bills. This forced Robertson to operate the government on
deficit spending
Within the budgetary process, deficit spending is the amount by which spending exceeds revenue over a particular period of time, also called simply deficit, or budget deficit; the opposite of budget surplus. The term may be applied to the budget ...
until he called a special session of the legislature to resolve the issue. Robertson also faced considerable opposition from the Republican
Corporation Commissioner Campbell Russell, who exposed what the Republicans believed to be a scandal in Robertson's handling of
pardons and paroles.
With the inauguration of
John C. Walton as the fifth governor, Robertson left office on January 8, 1923.
Later life, arrest, and death
As a private citizen, Robertson resumed practicing law. Following his leave from office, Robertson, along with some 30 current and former state officials, was charged with bribery in a bank scandal.
On the evening of March 22, 1922, Robertson submitted to his arrest in
Okmulgee County. Earlier that day a grand jury which investigated the failure of state banks in Okmulgee County, named Robertson and Fred G. Dennis, former state banking commissioner, in an indictment.
["OKLAHOMA GOVERNOR PUT UNDER ARREST; J.B. Robertson Is Accused of Accepting Bribes in Connection With Bank Failures." - New York Times]
March 23, 1922
/ref> He was acquitted, but the episode hurt his political career. He ran for governor again, for Oklahoma Supreme Court justice, and for U.S. senator, but he never held another political office, appointed or elected.
Robertson died of cancer on March 7, 1938 in Oklahoma City. He was buried in his adoptive hometown of Chandler in Oak Park Cemetery.
State of the State Speeches
*
*
*
*
References
Sources
* Thoburn, Joseph B. ''A Standard History of Oklahoma''.vol. 3, p. 1054. American Historical Society. Chicago and New York. 1916. Available on Google Books
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robertson, James
1871 births
1938 deaths
People from Keokuk County, Iowa
People from Chandler, Oklahoma
Democratic Party governors of Oklahoma
Oklahoma state court judges
Oklahoma lawyers
Deaths from cancer in Oklahoma
Methodists from Oklahoma