Leon Chase Phillips
Phillips in 1938
11th Governor of Oklahoma
In office
January 9, 1939 – January 11, 1943
LieutenantJames E. Berry
Preceded byE. W. Marland
Succeeded byRobert S. Kerr
Member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
In office
1933-1938
Personal details
BornDecember 9, 1890
Grant City, Missouri, U.S.
DiedMarch 27, 1958(1958-03-27) (aged 67)
Okmulgee, Oklahoma, U.S.
Resting placeHillcrest Cemetery
Weleetka, Oklahoma
35°20′26″N 96°07′38″W / 35.340635°N 96.127325°W / 35.340635; -96.127325 (Leon Phillips burial site in Weleetka, Oklahoma)
Political partyDemocratic
Spouses
  • Marie A. Kitchens
  • Helen Phillips
ProfessionLawyer
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Army
RankPrivate
Battles/warsWorld War I

Leon Chase "Red" Phillips (December 9, 1890 – March 27, 1958) was an American attorney, a state legislator and the 11th governor of Oklahoma from 1939 to 1943.[1] As a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives and as Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, Phillips made a name for himself as an obstructionist of the proposals of governors William H. Murray and E.W. Marland, including components of the New Deal. As governor, Phillips pushed for deep cuts, but was unable to avoid an unbalanced budget.

After retiring from politics, he worked as an attorney before his death from a heart attack. He is buried in Weleetka, Oklahoma.

Early life and career

Phillips was born to Rufus Putnam and Bertha Violet (Bressler) Phillips in Worth County, Missouri, and moved to Foss in Custer County, Oklahoma at an early age. While a student at Epworth University in Oklahoma City, he studied for the ministry, but changed to law and received his LL.B. from the University of Oklahoma in 1916. He married Myrtle Ellenberger of Norman, Oklahoma, on June 19, 1916, and they had two children.[2]

Phillips was admitted to the State Bar in that year and to practice before the United States Supreme Court later. After service in World War I, as a private in the US Army, he returned to Okemah, where he practiced law.

Political career

Elected three times to the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1933 to 1938, he served as Speaker of the House in 1935.[2] He led opposition to proposals from governors William H. Murray and E.W. Marland, the latter of which helped him attain his seat as Speaker.[3]

Phillips ran against Ross Rizley in the 1938 Oklahoma gubernatorial election.[4] He was elected Governor of Oklahoma in 1938, and served from January 9, 1939, to January 11, 1943.

During his governorship, Phillips was charged with accepting a bribe, was tried twice, but was eventually acquitted.[5] Phillips was the first state representative to be elected as Governor of Oklahoma and his term was marked by his proposals to trim the state budget.[3] Despite deep cuts, the budget produced by the 17th Oklahoma Legislature was not balanced; it was the last budget not subject to constitutional requirements to balance the budget approved by voters in 1941.[3] Phillips was responsible for the constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget of the Oklahoma Legislature.[4]

Phillips considered the New Deal to be federal interference in the state and was an obstructionist.[6]

Later life

After he retired from the office of Governor, Phillips returned to his farm near Okemah, Oklahoma, and continued to practice law until his death. He died, of a heart attack, while waiting for a client at the post office in Okmulgee on March 27, 1958.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Simmons, Charles A (December 1997). The African American Press: A History of News Coverage During National Crises, With Special Reference to Four Black Newspapers, 1827-1965. Mcfarland & Co Inc. pp. 199. ISBN 978-0786403875.
  2. 1 2 Compton, J. J. "Phillips, Leon Chase (1890-1958)". Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, Oklahoma Historical Society. Archived from the original on May 29, 2014. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 A Century to Remember Archived 2012-09-10 at the Wayback Machine, Oklahoma House of Representatives Archived 2013-06-22 at the Wayback Machine (accessed June 28, 2013)
  4. 1 2 Hudson, Geneva Johnston (AuthorHouse, 2005). Statesman or Rogue: Elected to Serve. ISBN 1-4208-2503-8
  5. 1 2 "Leon C. Phillips". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  6. ↑ Mullins, William H. "Great Depression". Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, Oklahoma Historical Society. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
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