Joseph Merle Lansden (1907–1989) was an American attorney, judge and politician from the U.S. state of

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 ...

. Lansden was the first district judge under a new system of appointment. He was also a Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

Early life and education

Lansden was born in Beaver County, Oklahoma, on July 8, 1907.Joseph Merle Lansden obituary
Newsok.com (accessed July 22, 2013) He earned his law degree from the University of Oklahoma Law School and was admitted to the bar in 1939.

Military service

Lansden served in the United States Marine Corps from 1942 to 1946 and was discharged with the rank of major.

Oklahoma House of Representatives

Lansden served three terms as a member of 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 ...

from Beaver County between 1941 and 1947.Former State House Speaker Joseph Lansden dies at 82
''The Oklahoman'', November 2, 1989. (accessed July 22, 2013) He served as speaker during a special session of the state legislature in 1944, when Speaker Harold Freeman was undergoing military service.A Century to Remember

Oklahoma House of Representatives
(accessed July 22, 2013) The special session was called by the Governor Robert S. Kerr to ensure military men and women could participate in the 1944 elections. Lansden's appointment was contentious and a minor revolt ended when he fainted due to exhaustion from travel and earned the sympathy of his fellow legislators.

Law firm

Lansden joined the firm of Lansden, Drum, and Goetzinger after finishing his military service until his appointment as a district judge.

District judge

Lansden was appointed by Governor Dewey Bartlett to serve as a district judget of the 1st Judicial District of Oklahoma. He was the first appointment under a new system in which a commission provided judicial appointees to the governor, who then made his or her selection. After his appointment, he was elected twice without opposition, serving until July 1977.

Death

Lansden died October 30, 1989, in Norman, Oklahoma.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lansden, Merle 1907 births 1989 deaths Speakers of the Oklahoma House of Representatives Democratic Party members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives People from Beaver County, Oklahoma University of Oklahoma College of Law alumni 20th-century members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives