Wilburn Cartwright

Wilburn Cartwright (January 12, 1892 – March 14, 1979) was a lawyer, educator, U.S. Representative from Oklahoma, and United States Army officer in World War II. The town of Cartwright, Oklahoma is named after him.

Wilburn Cartwright
Oklahoma Secretary of State
In office 1947-1951
Governor	Roy J. Turner
Preceded by	Kathrine Manton
Succeeded by	John D. Conner
Chairman of the Committee on Roads
In office March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1943
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oklahoma's 3rd district
In office March 4, 1927 – January 3, 1943
Preceded by	Charles D. Carter
Succeeded by	Paul Stewart
Member of the Oklahoma Senate
In office 1918-1922
Member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
In office 1914-1918
Personal details
Born	(1892-01-12)January 12, 1892 Georgetown, Tennessee
Died	March 14, 1979(1979-03-14) (aged 87) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Carrie Staggs
Children	Doralyn Cartwright Wilburta May Cartwright
Parents	Rev. Jackson Robert Cartwright Emma Josephine Baker-Cartwright
Alma mater	State Teachers College University of Oklahoma College of Law University of Chicago
Occupation	teacher, lawyer, politician
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1943–1945
Rank	Major
Battles/wars	World War II

Early life

Born on a farm near Georgetown, Tennessee, Cartwright moved with his parents to the Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory, in 1903. He attended the public schools at Wapanucka and Ada, Oklahoma, and State Teachers College at Durant, Oklahoma.

Early career

As an educator he taught in the schools of Coal, Atoka, Bryan, and Pittsburg Counties in Oklahoma from 1914 to 1926. During World War I he served as a private in the Student Army Training Corps in 1917 and 1918. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1917. He was graduated from the law department of the University of Oklahoma at Norman in 1920. Afterwards he began a law practice in McAlester, Oklahoma. Additionally he took postgraduate work at the University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. He served as member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1914 to 1918, and then as a member of the State Senate from 1918 until 1922. Cartwright was a vocational adviser for disabled veterans at McAlester, Oklahoma, in 1921 and 1922. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for Congress in 1922 and 1924, and served as Superintendent of schools at Krebs, Oklahoma from 1922 to 1926.

Family

Wilburn's great-great uncle was Peter Cartwright, who had defeated Abraham Lincoln in an Illinois legislative race.[1]

His two daughters were Wilburta May Cartwright and Doralyn Emma Cartwright (Lynn Cartwright),[2] who was an actress that was married to actor Leo Gordon.[3]

His nephew, Jan Eric Cartwright, was the Oklahoma Attorney General from 1979–1983.[4]

His siblings were Floyd, Gerty, McKinley, Shafter, Dewey, Cecil, Keith, and Clifford (Buck). The last two were also Oklahoma state legislators.[5]

His father, Jackson Robert (JR) Cartwright, was a Baptist preacher[6] and served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 1929 and 1931.[7]

United States Congress

Cartwright was elected as a Democrat to the Seventieth and to the seven succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1927 - January 3, 1943). He served as chairman of the Committee on Roads (Seventy-third through Seventy-seventh Congresses). He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1942. Cartwright was a supporter of the New Deal public works projects in his district.[8]

Military career

He served as a major in the United States Army, Allied Military Government, with service in Africa and Europe from 1943 until he was injured. He returned to the United States as an instructor at Fort Custer, Michigan, in 1945. He was employed with the Veterans' Administration at Muskogee, Oklahoma, in 1945 and 1946.

Later life

Cartwright was elected Secretary of State of Oklahoma for four-year term in 1946. Cartwright was elected State auditor for four-year term in 1950. Cartwright was elected State corporation commissioner for six-year term in 1954 and reelected in 1960 and 1966. He was a resident of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma until his death there on March 14, 1979. He was interred in I.O.O.F. Cemetery, Norman, Oklahoma.[9]

References

• United States Congress. "Wilburn Cartwright (id: C000207)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

1. "Cartwright, Wilburn" (1891-1979), Oklahoma Historical Society.
2. "Cartwright, Wilburn" (1891-1979), Oklahoma Historical Society.
3. "Lynn Cartwright at Find A Grave", Find A Grave.
4. "Cartwright, Wilburn" (1891-1979), Oklahoma Historical Society.
5. "Cartwright, Wilburn" (1891-1979), Oklahoma Historical Society.
6. "Jackson Robert Cartwright at Find A Grave", Find A Grave.
7. "All Members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives", Oklahoma State Legislature.
8. Kosmerick, Todd J. "Cartwright, William (1891-1979) Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture. 10-14-09
9. Kosmerick. "Cartwright, William (1891-1979) Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture. 10-14-09

External links

• "Cartwright, Wilburn" (1891-1979), Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture.
• "Cartwright, Wilburn" (1891-1979), Oklahoma Historical Society.
• Wilburn Cartwright Collection and Photograph Collection at the Carl Albert Center
• Wilburn Cartwright at Find a Grave

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Charles D. Carter	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oklahoma's 3rd congressional district 1927-1943	Succeeded by Paul Stewart (politician)