Mirabeau. Lamar Looney (January 16, 1871 – September 3, 1935) was the first female member of the
Oklahoma Senate. Looney was elected to public office as the
registrar of deeds for Harmon County in 1912 and later as Harmon
County Clerk in 1916 before women received the right to vote. In 1920, an
amendment An amendment is a formal or official change made to a law, contract, constitution, or other legal document. It is based on the verb to amend, which means to change for better. Amendments can add, remove, or update parts of these agreements. The ...
to the
U.S. Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven articles, it delineates the nation ...
gave all women of the United States voting privileges, the same year that Looney ran for and was elected to the Oklahoma Senate. Looney served from 1920 until 1928, representing District 4.
In 1926, she considered running for
Lieutenant Governor but abandoned the race knowing that the courts would hold to the
Oklahoma constitutional requirement that a man hold the office. Looney then decided to run for a spot in the
U.S. 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 ...
but lost her bid and returned to her fourth and final term in the Oklahoma Senate. Looney would remain the only woman in the Oklahoma Senate until 1975.
Early life
Lamar Looney was born Mirabeau Lamar Cole on January 16, 1871 in
Talladega, Alabama
Talladega (, also ) is the county seat of Talladega County, Alabama, United States. It was incorporated in 1835. At the 2020 census, the population was 15,861. Talladega is approximately east of one of the state’s biggest cities, Birmingham.
...
. She was named after the second president of the sovereign
Republic of Texas, Mirabeau B. Lamar. Looney's father was a lawyer and as a child she enjoyed reading his law books in her spare time. In 1891, Looney married "Doc" Tourney Looney and the two crossed into the future
Greer/Harmon County area in the southwestern part of
Oklahoma Territory. Soon after, Looney was widowed, left to raise five children all under the age of ten by herself. Doc had served as the
postmaster of
Hollis, Oklahoma
Hollis is a city in and the county seat of Harmon County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,060 at the 2010 census.
History
The city was named for George W. Hollis, a local businessman and member of the townsite committee that laid ...
, and in the event of his death, Looney succeeded him in that job and became the postmistress. In addition to the postmistress position, she taught music at their home for a year to provide for herself and her children.
Looney sold her musical instruments in order to purchase farming equipment and filed a claim on a quarter section of land one mile from Hollis and with the help of her ten-year-old son planted their first crop of 20 acres. In 1906, a year prior to statehood, she received the land patent for the farm and Looney moved her family to Hollis in order for the children to attend better schools.
Career
In 1912, Looney was elected as the registrar of deeds for Harmon County and was later elected as the county treasurer. In 1916, she was elected as the Harmon County Clerk, and served in all of these public offices before women had received the constitutional right to vote.
With women's suffrage on the horizon, several friends convinced Looney to run for the Oklahoma Senate. Looney purchased a car and drove around to campaign for votes. Looney was for universal suffrage and was an advocate for care of the elderly and children.
Oklahoma Senate
During her campaign, Looney's expenditures totaled $149.80. On the ballot she used her middle name, Lamar, because it is generally considered a masculine name and she figured this would be a successful tactic for voting.
She was a progressive democrat that fought for women's right to vote and serve in public offices.
She was also passionate about increasing funding for rural schools, as she was for helping the Oklahoma farmer.
During her first term in office, Looney introduced 28 bills. On December 10, 1923, while in office, Looney was admitted to the
Oklahoma Bar Association
The Oklahoma Bar Association (OBA) is the integrated (mandatory) bar association of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.
History
The Oklahoma Territory Bar Association and the Indian Territory Bar Association merged in 1904 to form the Oklahoma Bar A ...
. Looney was idealistically practical and was always searching for ways to save taxpayer's money.
Senate Committees
*Chair of the State and County Affairs Committee
*Chair of the Agricultural Committee
*Chair of the Prohibition Enforcement Committee
On September 3, 1935, Looney died due to a heart disease in a hospital in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
['Woman Politician Dies,' Miami Daily News-Record (Miami, Oklahoma), September 4, 1935, pg. 1] Her casket was placed in the Capitol Rotunda and the flags were flown at half-mast in her honor. Her portrait now hangs on the fourth floor of the
Oklahoma State Capitol
The Oklahoma State Capitol is the house of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is the building that houses the Oklahoma Legislature and executive branch offices. It is located along Lincoln Boulevard in Oklahoma City and contains 452,5 ...
.
References
External links
Women of the Oklahoma Legislature Oral History Project -- OSU LibraryHollis Post-Herald Vol. 21, No. 38*
Looney, Lamar (1871–1935)in the
Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
The Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS) is an agency of the government of Oklahoma dedicated to promotion and preservation of Oklahoma's history and its people by collecting, interpreting, and disseminating knowledge and artifacts of Oklahoma. ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Looney, Lamar
1871 births
1935 deaths
People from Talladega, Alabama
People from Hollis, Oklahoma
Farmers from Oklahoma
Oklahoma postmasters
Democratic Party Oklahoma state senators
County clerks in Oklahoma
Women state legislators in Oklahoma