Martin Edwin Trapp (April 18, 1877 – July 26, 1951) was an American state auditor, governor and lieutenant governor of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

. Oklahoma's third

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

, he was the first to become governor not through an election but instead due to the previous governor's

impeachment Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements. In ...

and removal from office. Trapp served as the first

state auditor State auditors (also known as state comptrollers, state controllers, state examiners, or inspectors general) are fiscal officers lodged in the executive or legislative branches of U.S. state governments who serve as external auditors, financial ...

and third lieutenant governor of Oklahoma. When Governor Jack Walton was impeached and removed from office, Trapp became the sixth governor of Oklahoma. As governor, he was responsible for the establishment of a state bureau of investigation, conservation programs, and his attempts to abolish the Ku Klux Klan. He began his political career serving as the county clerk of

Logan County Logan County is the name of ten current counties and one former county in the United States: * Logan County, Arkansas * Logan County, Colorado * Logan County, Idaho (1889–1895) * Logan County, Illinois * Logan County, Kansas * Logan County, K ...

Oklahoma Territory The Territory of Oklahoma was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 2, 1890, until November 16, 1907, when it was joined with the Indian Territory under a new constitution and admitted to the Union as th ...

. Trapp died in 1951 and is buried in Fairlawn Cemetery in Oklahoma City.

Early life

Martin Edwin Trapp was born in

Robinson, Kansas Robinson is a city in Brown County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 183. History Robinson had its start in the year 1871 by the building of the railroad through that territory. It was named to hono ...

on April 18, 1877. Martin would spend the first twelve years of his life in Kansas until 1889. Following the

Land Run of 1889 The Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889 was the first land run into the Unassigned Lands of former Indian Territory, which had earlier been assigned to the Muscogee, Creek and Seminole peoples. The area that was opened to settlement included all or part ...

, Trapp's father moved his entire family to

to a claim just seven miles west of Guthrie. Trapp would not attend public school as

possessed none. Instead, he was educated almost entirely by association and study with a neighbor by the last name of McDaniel. Trapp worked at a local newspaper while gaining his education. He also worked at the age of 21 as a certified teacher and later as a traveling salesman. Trapp began his political career in 1904 when he ran on the Democratic ticket for the Logan County

county clerk A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keeping, filing, staffing service ...

, an office he would hold from 1905 to 1907. On November 16, 1907, Oklahoma Territory officially became the

. Trapp left county government behind him and would run for, and be elected, Oklahoma's first

. Trapp served under

Charles N. Haskell Charles Nathaniel Haskell (March 13, 1860 – July 5, 1933) was an American lawyer, oilman, and politician who was the first governor of Oklahoma. As a delegate to Oklahoma's constitutional convention in 1906, he played a crucial role in draftin ...

, 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 (government), executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma. The gove ...

, from 1907 to 1911. After his term as state auditor, Trapp moved to

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 ...

, where he would set up a bond business. Trapp made a return to Oklahoma politics in 1914 when the Democrats nominated him to serve as the

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 ...

. Replacing outgoing Lieutenant Governor John A Greer, Trapp would be elected to his new office for three consecutive terms, in 1914, 1918, and for an unprecedented third term in 1922, winning all three elections with considerable margin, 60.8% in 1922 being his best result. Though, he experienced sort of luck in his first election, when with 104,285 votes (42.9%) he won a risky vote over Republican candidate Eugene Lawson (80,419; 33.1%) and Socialist candidate George Hamilton (53,072; 21.9%). As the lieutenant governor, Trapp would serve under governors

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 ...

James B. A. Robertson 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. Robertson was appointed by the state's first governor, Charles N. Haskell, ...

, and John C. Walton. Trapp would only serve for the first 11 months of his third term. On October 23, following

charges against Walton, Trapp became the acting governor. Walton was found guilty by 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.Court of Impeachment on November 19, 1923. Following the

Oklahoma Constitution The Constitution of the State of Oklahoma is the governing document of the U.S. State of Oklahoma. Adopted in 1907, Oklahoma ratified the United States Constitution on November 16, 1907, as the 46th U.S. state. At its ratification, the Oklahoma ...

, Trapp immediately left the office of lieutenant governor to be inaugurated as the sixth governor of Oklahoma.

Governor of Oklahoma

Becoming the first lieutenant governor to assume the office of governor in the state's history, Trapp was Walton's opposite. Whereas Walton had been progressive and aggressive, Trapp was quiet and conservative. Top on the new governor's to-do list was trimming the state's budget to provide for a more efficient state government. Immediately upon coming into office, Trapp called the

Oklahoma Legislature The Legislature of the State of Oklahoma is the state legislative branch of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma House of Representatives and Oklahoma Senate are the two houses that make up the bicameral state legislature. There are 101 sta ...

into special session to address the issue. An investigation of many state offices, commissions, and departments soon followed. In true conservative form, Trapp removed many state organizations that were, in his opinion, of little use to Oklahoma and provided much needed reorganization of the inflated state government. Trapp succeeded in having the state legislature repeal over $10,000,000 in expenditures that Walton had set up, thus restoring the state's credit. This also meant repealing the state's new free textbook program and a one-third reduction in the funds spent on school aid. Through the use of a three cent

gasoline tax A fuel tax (also known as a petrol, gasoline or gas tax, or as a fuel duty) is an excise tax imposed on the sale of fuel. In most countries the fuel tax is imposed on fuels which are intended for transportation. Fuels used to power agricultural ...

, Trapp raised enough funds to finance Oklahoma's first Highway Commission. This commission oversaw Oklahoma's much needed highway construction program. Following a growth national trend started by

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

in 1907, Trapp began a program of conservation. Trapp created the Oklahoma Forestry Commission, the Oklahoma Conservation Commission, and the Oklahoma Fish and Game Commission out of his desire to preserve the environment. Trapp expanded the term lengths of county offices from two years to four, enacted a state

drainage law Drainage law is a specific area of water law related to drainage of surface water on real property. It is particularly important in areas where freshwater is scarce, flooding is common, or water is in high demand for agricultural or commercial pur ...

to protect the state from floods, and raised the cost of licenses in the state. Trapp also proved to be an effective law enforcement officer. For the first time in the state's history, a State Bureau of Criminal Investigation was established in 1925 from pressure from Trapp's administration. Trapp asked the Legislature for harsher punishment and stricter enforcement of prohibition, which he received. Trapp also tackled the growing power of the

Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is an American white supremacist, right-wing terrorist, and hate group whose primary targets are African Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and ...

by passing an

anti-mask During pandemics, some people have opposed requirements by governments and private establishments to wear face masks as a public health measure against disease. Such rules typically follow recommendations of health experts to reduce the spread o ...

law which eventually reduced the group's power.

Ineligibility for reelection

Throughout his term, Trapp had viewed his position as "acting governor", and not the actual governor. Throughout his term, Trapp had proved a capable administrator and had become widely popular, with many agreeing that Trapp should seek retention in office. This proved to be a problem for Trapp when he desired to seek reelection in the fall of 1926. State law had forbidden the governor from succeeding himself, and thus Trapp was ineligible for reelection. Trapp insisted that the law did not apply to him since he had been elected lieutenant governor and succeeded to the governorship only upon the impeachment and removal from office of John C. Walton. 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.

investigated the issue. On June 6, 1926, the court ruled on the case ''Fitzpatrick v. McAlister'', which stated that Trapp was "the governor for the simple reason that he governs. He governs officially for the reason that section 16 expressly vests him with authority to do so. Therefore he is the official governor, and, being the official governor, he is rendered ineligible to succeed himself by the inhibition contained in section 4, art. 6, of the Constitution." Thus, Trapp was ineligible to run for reelection. Trapp officially ended his term in office on January 10, 1927 with the inauguration of Henry S. Johnston as the seventh governor of Oklahoma.

Death and legacy

After finishing his term as governor, Trapp would continue to play a key role in 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 ...

even though he would never hold another political office. Trapp did campaign for the governor's office again in 1930, but did not receive the party's nomination, losing it to the colorful and popular William H. Murray. Moving back to Oklahoma City, Trapp would spend the rest of his life as a dealer of investment securities.Biographical Note Martin Trapp
(accessed July 14, 2013) Trapp died on July 26, 1951 in Oklahoma City at the age of 74. He is buried in Fairlawn Cemetery in Oklahoma City.
Governor's Records, Oklahoma Department of Libraries. (accessed July 18, 2013) As governor, Trapp left a legacy that included the establishment of the State Bureau of Criminal Investigation, environmental conservation, and victories against the Ku Klux Klan in Oklahoma. He is best remembered as the first lieutenant governor to become governor due to the impeachment and removal of a governor.

State of the State Speeches

First State of the State SpeechSecond State of the State SpeechThird State of the State Speech

References

External links

Governor Martin E. Trapp
* ttp://www.odl.state.ok.us/oar/governors/trapp.htm State biography of Governor Trapp {{DEFAULTSORT:Trapp, Martin 1877 births 1951 deaths People from Brown County, Kansas People from Logan County, Oklahoma Politicians from Muskogee, Oklahoma State Auditors of Oklahoma Lieutenant Governors of Oklahoma American Disciples of Christ Democratic Party governors of Oklahoma