Roy J. Turner
| Roy Joseph Turner | |
|---|---|
| 13th Governor of Oklahoma | |
| In office January 13, 1947 – January 8, 1951 |
|
| Lieutenant | James E. Berry |
| Preceded by | Robert S. Kerr |
| Succeeded by | Johnston Murray |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 6, 1894 Lincoln County, Oklahoma |
| Died | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| Resting place | Rose Hill Burial Park Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Jessica E. Grimm |
| Children |
|
| Profession | businessman |
| Religion | Methodism |
Roy Joseph Turner (November 6, 1894 – June 11, 1973) was an American businessman and governor of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Born in 1894, in Oklahoma Territory, he served in World War I, became a prominent businessman and eventually became the 13th governor of Oklahoma.
As governor, Turner helped establish the state turnpike system and college board of regents and oversaw the end of segregation in Oklahoma's higher education system. He is buried in Oklahoma City.
Early life
Turner was born on November 6, 1894, near Kendrick in Lincoln County, Oklahoma Territory.[1] Upon completion of his high school education, he attended Hill's Business College in Oklahoma City. He was a bookkeeper for Morris Parking Company in Oklahoma City from 1911–1915 and a salesman for the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company there. He married Jessica E. Grimm in 1937 and they adopted two children, Roy William and Betty Juanita Turner Adams.[2]
Career
After his service as a private in the United States Army during World War I, Turner was a dealer in real estate, principally in Oklahoma, Florida and Texas. By 1928, He organized the Harper-Turner Oil Company and established the 10,000 acre Turner Ranch at Sulphur, Oklahoma;[3] but he maintained a residence in Oklahoma City where he served on the local school board from 1939 to 1946.
Turner fought and won a bitter campaign battle in 1946 against Tulsa County prosecutor Dixie Gilmer to win the gubernatorial election.[4] His term as governor of Oklahoma was from January 13, 1947 to January 8, 1951, during which the State Highway Department and the State Planning and Resources Board were reorganized; the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority was established; a Board of Regents for State Colleges was created; and segregation in higher education was ended in the state.[5]
Turner and the Oklahoma Legislature produced a budget in his first year that increased appropriations by $29 million over the previous two years while reducing the income tax by a third.[1] State mental institutions received double their allotment for the previous two years.[6]
From July 14–18, 1949, he appeared on several radio and TV programs in New York City, including Toast of the Town, to promote his single, "My Memory Trail", released on the Beacon Music label.[7]
Death and legacy
Turner lived in Oklahoma City until his death June 11, 1973 and is interred in Rose Hill Burial Park, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma USA.[8] The 88-mile Turner Turnpike, a section of Interstate 44 between Oklahoma City and Tulsa, was named for Turner in commemoration of efforts during his administration that led to the construction of the toll road between the state's two largest cities. The turnpike opened to traffic in 1953, two years after his term as governor ended.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Vaughn-Roberson, Courtney Anne. "Roy Joseph Turner Governor of Oklahoma, 1947-1951". Fischer, LeRoy H., ed., Oklahoma's Governors, 1929-1955: Depression to Prosperity (Oklahoma Historical Society, 1983), pp 150-172. ISBN 0-941498-34-4
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Vaughn, Courtney A. "Turner, Roy Joseph (1894-1973)," Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Oklahoma Historical Society. (accessed July 18, 2013)
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Daily Oklahoman, January 11, 1948, pp. D-1, D-4.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to [[commons:Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 506: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).|Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 506: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).]]. |
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- The Political Graveyard
- National Governors Association
- Oklahoma Historical Society
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Governor of Oklahoma 1947–1951 |
Succeeded by Johnston Murray |
| Territorial (1890–1907) |
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| State (since 1907) | ||
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Italics indicate acting governors
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- Commons category link from Wikidata
- 1894 births
- 1973 deaths
- American military personnel of World War I
- Governors of Oklahoma
- American salespeople
- People from Lincoln County, Oklahoma
- People from Sulphur, Oklahoma
- People from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- American Methodists
- Oklahoma gubernatorial candidates
- Oklahoma Democrats
- Democratic Party state governors of the United States
