O. A. Cargill

Otto Arthur Cargill (February 26, 1885[1]–1973[2]) was a prominent lawyer, author, politician and buffalo rancher during Oklahoma's early days. He was mayor of Oklahoma City April 4, 1923 - April 12, 1927.[3]

Early life

Otto “O.A.” Cargill was born in Viola, Arkansas on February 26, 1885. His father was a physician and Baptist minister. He was educated at Mountain Home College in Mountain Home, Arkansas. He married Delia Arnold on May 2, 1905 in Cushing, Oklahoma,[1] and they settled in Oklahoma City in 1912.[3] During his early days in Oklahoma and Indian territories he served as a Deputy U.S. Marshal under Bill Depew.{{My first 80 years Hardcover – 1965

by O. A Cargill (Author) }}. Cargill worked as a streetcar conductor, became an Oklahoma City police officer,[3] and was admitted to the Oklahoma Bar Association in 1916. He was county attorney of Oklahoma County 1919–1920.[1]

Political career

Cargill was elected mayor in 1923, defeating Allen Street.[3] Assuming office when the city was in bad financial condition, Cargill found his reform efforts frustrated. In 1926 the electorate voted to replace Oklahoma City's existing city commission government with a mayor–council form of government.[3] He ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1926.[4] against Henry S Johnson who was supported by the Ku Klux Klan. Cargill being bitterly opposed to the Klan came in third./>Oklahoma, a History of Five Centuries By Arrell Morgan Gibson pg 218

Later career and perjury conviction

Cargill practiced law for many years.[5] Late in his career, he became embroiled in a wide-ranging bribery scandal also involving several justices of the Oklahoma Supreme Court.[6][7] In 1965, he was convicted on three counts of perjury.[4] In 1967, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit set aside two of the counts, but affirmed his conviction on the third.[8]

Family

He had four children: O.A. "Buck" Cargill Jr, Keet Cargill, Oklahoma Cargill Hood & Otha Cargill Westcott.[1] He was the grandfather of country music star Henson Cargill.[2] O.A. "Little Buck" Cargill Jr and Carol Cargill.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Oklahoma, a history of the state and its people (Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1929), vol. 3, p. 29.
  2. 1 2 "O.A. "Buck' Cargill Jr., Noted Attorney, Dies", The Oklahoman, November 29, 1988.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Otto A. Cargill biography, City of Oklahoma City (accessed 2014-04-22).
  4. 1 2 "Ex-Mayor Cargill is Guilty in Oklahoma Perjury Trial", Associated Press in The Spokesman-Review, June 17, 1965.
  5. ↑ David Randall Fisk, Legendary Locals of Edmond (Arcadia Publishing, 2014), ISBN 978-1467101233, p. 93. Excerpts available at Google Books.
  6. ↑ William Aylor Berry & James Edwin Alexander, Justice for sale: the shocking scandal of the Oklahoma Supreme Court (Macedon Publishing Co., 1996). Snippet excerpts available at Google Books.
  7. ↑ Linda Burket O'Hearn, "Supreme Court Scandal Examined", The Oklahoman, September 23, 1997.
  8. ↑ Cargill v. United States, 381 F.2d 849 (10th Cir. 1967), available here.
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