Ben T. Williams
Ben T. Williams | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1911 Johnson County, Texas |
| Died | January 11, 1982 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| Occupation(s) | Attorney, Judge |
| Years active | 1934 – 1982 |
Ben T. Williams (c. 1911 – January 11, 1982)[1] was a justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court from 1953 to 1982. He served as chief justice twice, in 1961-62 and in 1975–76. He lived in Oklahoma City, and also maintained a home in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma.[2]
Williams was born in Johnson County, Texas, and later moved to Garvin County, Oklahoma. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Oklahoma, then earned his law degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Law.[a] After receiving his law degree, he became the city attorney for Stratford, Oklahoma, then became the Garvin County judge for four years. He was elected District Judge in 1938, a position he held for 14 years, before he was appointed Associate Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court in 1952, and served two terms as chief justice. He also was a part-time instructor at the Oklahoma City University School of Law.[2]
Williams was on the bench when an infamous corruption scandal broke in July 1964. A U.S. attorney alleged that he had a witness who had witnessed a payoff of Oklahoma Supreme Court justices in 1957. The Oklahoma Bar Association investigated the allegation, and completely exonerated Williams and six other justices. Disciplinary action was recommended against two other justices.[4]
Williams had announced in December 1981 that he would retire on January 31, 1982, but died on January 11, 1982. He had been hospitalized for 48 days at Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City. He was survived by his widow, Ruth, and son, Ben T. Williams Jr.[5]
Williams' widow, Ruth T. Williams (née Turner) died on June 23, 1991, in Dallas, Texas. Her obituary named her surviving son and daughter-in-law, Ben Jr. and Jane Williams, and three grandsons, as well as another son, Laurence Thompson Williams, who had predeceased her.[6]
Notes
[edit]- ^ A May 1935 article from Sooner Magazine shows Ben T. Williams received his undergraduate degree in 1931, and his graduate degree in 1933.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ "State Court Justice Dies At Age 70", Tulsa World (January 12, 1982), p. 2.
- ^ a b "Williams To Resign High Court." NewsOK, December 1, 1981. Accessed May 3, 2107.
- ^ "Thirty-Two County Attorneys." Sooner (May 1935), p. 92. Accessed 4 May 2017.
- ^ "Clear All But Two Judges in Bribe Charge." Chicago Tribune. February 28, 1965. Accessed May 4, 2017.
- ^ "State Court Justice Dies." NewsOK. January 12, 1982. Accessed January 12, 1982.
- ^ "Ruth Turner (Mrs. Ben T.) Williams." NewsOK. June 26, 1991. Accessed May 4, 2017.