Grayson County TXGenWeb

Governor William Henry Murray

Murray was a political operative for the Oklahoma Territory gubernational candidate, Palmer S. Moseley.  Murray would go around and give talks to local farmers about farming and politics.  During these talks, he would talk about a large tract of alfalfa that he had cultivated.  Arthur Sinclair reported to the editor of the Tishomingo Capital-Democrat that he had just heard ?Alfalfa Bill? deliver a fine speech.  From 1902, the name stuck with Murray for the remainder of his life.
 
 
 

William Murray was born 21 Nov 1869 in Collinsville (i.e. Toadsuck), Grayson Co., Texas.

Graduated from College Hill Institute in Springtown, Texas.

First jobs included day laborer, teacher, editor of a Dallas farm magazine, editor of a Corsicana daily newspaper.

Admitted to the bar 1895

Moved to Tishomingo, Indian Territory in 1898

Became a legal advisor to the Governor of the Chickasaw Nation

President of the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention in 1906

Member of the sixty-third and sixty-fourth United States of Congress

Governor of Oklahoma 12 January 1931 to 15 January 1935

Ranching interests spread to Bolivia, where he established a colony

Johnston Murray continued his father?s legacy and was administer the oath of office on 9 January 1951, becoming the fourteenth Governor of Oklahoma. His father was the ninth Governor of Oklahoma. 

Governor Murray died 15 October 1956 and is buried in Tishomingo, Oklahoma

 

---

Please Email me to add biographical information & photos of the families and their homes, etc.

Photo(s) & Information above by Elaine Nall Bay & Patricia Nall