William Grady Stigler

Background

William was born on July 7, 1891 at Newton, Indian Territory (now Oklahoma), United States, the son of Joseph S. Stigler and Mary Jane Folsom Stigler.

Education

He attended Northeastern State College, Tahlequah, Okla. , where he received a teaching certificate in 1912.

In 1915 he studied law at the University of Oklahoma at Norman but did not obtain a degree. He attended officers' training school in 1917 and served as an infantry lieutenant in France, participating in the battles of St. -Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne. After the armistice he remained in Europe with the army of occupation and attended the University of Grenoble.

Career

Stigler returned to Oklahoma and in 1920 was admitted to the bar. He opened a law practice in Stigler and also began his long career as a public servant.

In 1924 Stigler was elected to the Oklahoma senate.

Stigler was reelected to the state senate in 1928 and was designated president pro tempore in 1931.

He was a member of the Soldiers' Relief Committee of Oklahoma (1932), a department commander and member of the national executive committee of the American Legion, an executive vice-president of the Choctaw Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and the national attorney for the Choctaw Nation (1937 - 1944).

The Republicans selected E. O. Clark, who had been the nominee for the seat in 1942. Both Stigler and Clark were from Stigler, and their law offices faced each other across the main street. In the special election, which was billed as a referendum on national policies that would indicate what the voters' preference would be in the 1944 presidential election, Stigler won by nearly 4, 000 votes.

Stigler served in the House of Representatives from 1944 until his death at Stigler. He was a member of the House Appropriations Committee and the Agricultural Appropriations Subcommittee for six years. He successfully cham-pioned the causes of farmers and veterans, but his central concern was the status of the American Indian.

Stigler died in Stigler, Haskell County, Oklahoma, August 21, 1952 (age 61 years, 45 days).

Achievements

• William Grady Stigler was elected as a Democrat to the Seventy-eighth and the Seventy-ninth Congresses and to the three succeeding Congresses and sucessfully served until his death. He also was Stigler's city attorney (1920 - 1924), and he served simultaneously as secretary of the county central committee of the Democratic party.

Views

He lobbied for additional federal aid for the reservations; he watched the Interior Department, to be sure that it properly spent appropriated funds and protected the legal rights of Indians; and he fought for adequate compensation for natural resources extracted from tribal lands. Furthermore, Stigler advocated the creation of a new national holiday, American Indian Day, to honor the heritage and achievements of native Americans.

Personality

Quotes from others about the person

• "He left behind him a long and noble record , " eulogized Oklahoma Representative Carl Albert in a congressional memorial service. "He knew more about Indian problems and accomplished more in this body in the field of Indian legislation than any other Member of Congress in the history of our State. "

Connections

On June 7, 1925 he married Ona Beller. The couple had two daughters, Denyse and Elaine.

Father:

Joseph S. Stigler

Mother:

Mary Jane Folsom Stigler

Wife:

Ona Beller

Daughter:

Elaine Stigler

Daughter:

Denyse Stigler

References

• Choctaw Nation of Indians v. U S U.S. Supreme Court Transcript of Record with Supporting Pleadings