The Nineteenth Oklahoma Legislature was a meeting of the legislative branch of the

government of Oklahoma The government of the U.S. State of Oklahoma, established by the Oklahoma Constitution, is a republican democracy modeled after the federal government of the United States. The state government has three branches: the executive, legislative, and ...

, composed of 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.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 ...

. The state legislature met in regular session at the Oklahoma State Capitol in Oklahoma City from January 5 to April 1, 1943, and in special session April 10–21, 1944, during the term of Governor Robert S. Kerr.A Century to Remember

Oklahoma House of Representatives
(accessed June 16, 2013) The special session was called by the governor to ensure military men and women could participate in the 1944 elections.

Dates of session

*Regular session: January 5-April 1, 1943 *Special session: April 10–21, 1944 Previous: 18th Legislature • Next: 20th Legislature

Party composition

Senate

House of Representatives

Leadership

Senate

Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma The lieutenant governor of Oklahoma is the second-highest executive official of the state government of Oklahoma. As first in the gubernatorial line of succession, the lieutenant governor becomes the new governor of Oklahoma upon the death, resi ...

, James E. Berry served as the President of the Senate, giving him a tie-breaking vote and allowing him to serve as the presiding officer in ceremonial instances or during joint session. Tom Anglin served as the primary presiding officer, or

President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma Senate The President ''pro tempore'' of the Oklahoma Senate is the second-highest-ranking official of the Oklahoma Senate and the highest-ranking state senator. The Oklahoma Constitution designates the Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma as the highest-r ...

. He was a former Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, during the term of Governor

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 ...

.2005 Oklahoma Almanac
Oklahoma Department of Libraries. (accessed July 1, 2013)

House of Representatives

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 ...

held 93 seats 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 ...

in 1943, allowing them to select the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Harold Freeman of Pauls Valley, Oklahoma served in the role during the regular session in 1943 and Merle Lansden, a Marine private from Beaver, Oklahoma, served in the role during the special session in 1944. Freeman was unable to serve because of being called to serve. R.M. Mountcastle of

Muskogee, Oklahoma Muskogee () is the thirteenth-largest city in Oklahoma and the county seat of Muskogee County. Home to Bacone College, it lies approximately southeast of Tulsa. The population of the city was 36,878 as of the 2020 census, a 6.0 percent decrease ...

served as the second-in-command, or Speaker Pro Tempore.

Members

Senate

*Table based on Oklahoma Almanac.

House of Representatives

*Table based on government database.Historic Members
, Okhouse.gov (accessed June 17, 2013)

References

{{Oklahoma Legislatures Oklahoma legislative sessions 1943 in Oklahoma 1944 in Oklahoma 1943 U.S. legislative sessions 1944 U.S. legislative sessions