Background
Simpson was born on July 4, 1871, in Salem, Nebraska, the son of William J. and Sarah Catharine (Cornell) Simpson; his father died when John was seven years old.
Simpson was born on July 4, 1871, in Salem, Nebraska, the son of William J. and Sarah Catharine (Cornell) Simpson; his father died when John was seven years old.
Simpson attended the district school and later the Auburn high school, where he completed the four years' course in one year and graduated as the honor student of his class. After some teaching he entered the University of Kansas, from which he received the degree of LL. B. in 1896.
Simpson began the practice of law in Auburn, but the political upheaval of the nineties brought him into the ranks of the Populist party and in 1897 he was appointed accountant in the state auditor's office in Lincoln, a position which he held for four years. He then resumed the practice of law in Auburn, but within a year the pioneer spirit that led his father and mother to move westward impelled him to go to Oklahoma, which had been opened to settlement, and in 1901 he drew a claim at the El Reno drawing. Taking possession of his land, which lay near the town of Alfalfa in Caddo County, for some nine years he engaged in farming and also became a country banker.
Simpson was a member of the Oklahoma legislature in 1915-1917, the only official position he ever held in public life, except that of membership on the school board. About this time he became interested in the Farmers' Union, joining that organization in Custer County, Oklahoma, in 1916. The following year he became state president and held this office until 1930, during which period the membership increased from 500 to 200, 000, and more than 200 cooperative institutions were established with headquarters and warehouses in Oklahoma City valued at $100, 000. Meanwhile, he founded and edited the Oklahoma Union Farmer. In 1930 he was elected president of the Farmers' Educational and Cooperative Union of America, which office he held until his death.
Simpson died in Washington, survived by his wife, two sons, and four daughters. After his death a collection of excerpts from his speeches and writings, The Militant Voice of Agriculture (1934), was published.
Simpson is chiefly remembered as the president of Farmers' Union. During his presidency more than 110 were established, including the Farmers' Union Exchange at Anadarko and the Farmers' Union Cooperative Exchange at Binger. His other accomplishments included establishing the Farmers' Union Insurance Company and the Oklahoma Union Farmer as the official state newspaper for the union. Under his direction the Oklahoma Farmers' Union became the largest state organization in the nation. In 1930 he was elected national president.
Simpson's twenty years of farm leadership were characterized by bitter controversies, activity in political campaigns, attacks on the national administrations, and numerous stumping tours. He advocated violence in the form of farm strikes and holidays when such measures were deemed necessary. He was a caustic critic of the Hoover administration; advocated the election of Smith to the presidency in 1928; was one of Franklin Roosevelt's earliest supporters for that office in the Southwest; and was mentioned for the secretaryship of agriculture in the Roosevelt cabinet. He was a zealous champion of the enactment of a law to guarantee cost of production prices for farm products consumed in the country, and stressed the impossibility of regulating the production of 30, 000, 000 farm occupants. He maintained that the government should treat agriculture as it treats industry, and that it should refinance the farmer's mortgage indebtedness on as favorable terms as it accords to industry. He urged currency inflation, the remonetization of silver, and paper money. The national Farmers' Union, under his influence, put forward the Swank-Thomas bill, which provided that the farmer should be guaranteed cost of production plus a reasonable profit for his products consumed in the home market; the Frazier-Lemke bill, to refinance the farmer at 11/2 percent; and the Wheeler free coinage bill. To the furtherance of these measures he devoted practically all his time.
President of Farmers' Union (1916-1930)
Simpson was survived by his wife, two sons, and four daughters.
