Richard James (February 8, 1926 – July 17, 2013) was a native of Oklahoma and an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

politician and lawyer. He was the long-time city attorney for Stroud, Oklahoma. He was described as, "...the longest serving public servant in the state of Oklahoma." He served two terms in the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

Early life

Born near

Prague, Oklahoma Prague () is a city in Lincoln County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,346 at the 2020 census, an 1.76 percent decrease from the figure of 2,388 in 2010. Czech immigrants founded the city, and named it after the capital of the pres ...

, to Fred James and Lena Bierman, Fred grew up on a farm during the Great Depression. He graduated from Prague high school in 1943, and served in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The Navy sent him to Tulane University under its V-12 Program, as an Able Seaman, then to

Officer Candidate School An officer candidate school (OCS) is a military school which trains civilians and Enlisted rank, enlisted personnel in order for them to gain a Commission (document), commission as Commissioned officer, officers in the armed forces of a country. ...

. He returned to Tulane, where he received his degree in mathematics and was inducted into

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal a ...

in 1945. He then enrolled in the

University of Oklahoma Law School The University of Oklahoma College of Law is the professional graduate law school of the University of Oklahoma. It is located on the University's campus in Norman, Oklahoma. The College of Law was founded in 1909 by a resolution of the OU Boa ...

, where he served as editor of the ''OU Law Review''. He received his law degree from OU in 1949."Richard James." In:''The Oklahoman Obituaries''. July 19-20, 2013.
Accessed January 1, 2013.

Career in Law

Immediately after graduating from law school, he opened a law practice in

Stroud, Oklahoma Stroud is a city in Creek and Lincoln counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,690. History Stroud was founded in 1892 and named for James W. Stroud, a developer. Early in its history, Stroud la ...

. Richard James practiced law in Stroud continuously for the next 64 years. One of his first clients was the City of Stroud, which he served for 56 years on retainer as City Attorney. One colleague described him as being "...focused and unyielding in his opinions and determined to do the right thing...(but) caring, compassionate and generous." However, he could clearly antagonize some people who disagreed with him. In 1992, a bomb exploded in the back of his car while he was driving from his home in Stroud to a client meeting in Prague. The car was still drivable, so he went on to the meeting. A few days later the police found a similar, but unexploded, bomb in the back seat of his law partner's car. The police never found who was responsible for the bombs.

Political life

He served in 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 ...

1951–1954 as a

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 ...

. In 1967 he was appointed a special justice on the

Oklahoma Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Oklahoma is a court of appeal for non-criminal cases, one of the two highest judicial bodies in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, and leads the judiciary of Oklahoma, the judicial branch of the government of Oklahoma.

. He also served on the boards of regents for Oklahoma's colleges and universities in the Oklahoma State Universities system. He attended two Republican conventions, once as a state delegate.

Personal

* Richard James died in

, survived by his widow, three daughters, a son, a sister, nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. * He was a long-time member and supporter of the First Baptist Church of Stroud, where he taught an adult Sunday school class for many years; * He was a member of the Lions Club of Stroud, a service organization, for more than 60 years; * He was named Stroud's Citizen of the Year for 1969; * He received the Stroud Chamber of Commerce's Lifetime Achievement Award for 2010.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:James, Richard 1926 births 2013 deaths Tulane University alumni University of Oklahoma College of Law alumni Oklahoma lawyers Justices of the Oklahoma Supreme Court Republican Party members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives Military personnel from Oklahoma United States Navy personnel of World War II People from Lincoln County, Oklahoma 20th-century American judges 20th-century American lawyers United States Navy sailors