Governor Ernest W. Marland

Term—1935-1939

Descriptive Summary

Size: 3 cubic feet
Creator: Office of Governor
Repository: Oklahoma State Archives
200 Northeast 18th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
(405) 522-3579
Open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. M-F

Click here for a detailed Archival Finding Aid in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format.

Arrangement and Description

Record Group: 8-J

Ernest Whitworth Marland, Democrat. Served from 1935 to 1939. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Marland was born May 8, 1874. He was educated at Park Institute of that city and received his LL.B. from the University of Michigan, in 1893. He began his law practice at Pittsburgh, but engaged in the oil production business after moving to Oklahoma. He was president of the Marland Oil Company. Marland was a member of the Seventy-third United States Congress from 1933 to 1935; Governor of Oklahoma from January 15, 1935 to January 9, 1939. Before Marland left office, nearly 90,000 Oklahomans were working on 1,300 WPA projects. Marland provided leadership in the development of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the Interstate Oil Compact. He died October 3, 1941. His civic contributions to Ponca City included the Pioneer Woman Statue. He is buried in Ponca City.

Click here for a detailed Biography in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format. The Life Story of Governor E.W. Marland

Research Topics: Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), Great Depression, early World War II, Prohibition

Related Websites: OKGenWeb (Sooner State Genealogy) Entry • Biographical Information (Oklahoma Historical Society) • The Marland Estate

State of State Addresses: 1935 • 1936 • 1937 • 1939

Agency History

The Governor of Oklahoma is the chief executive officer of the state and is elected for a four year term. Principal powers and responsibilities are outlined by the state constitution and by statute and include certain appointive powers, the veto or approval of bills passed by the Legislature, the granting of pardons and paroles, the summoning of special sessions of the legislature, and the calling out of the militia. Moreover, the Governor is directly responsible for the preparation of the state budget, serves as an ex officio member of several boards and commissions, receives reports from various state officers and agencies, and is charged with the duty of seeing that all laws are faithfully executed in the state.

Administrative Information

Access: No Restrictions.

Publication Rights: Permission for reproduction or publication is given on behalf of the Oklahoma State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility for possible infringement, which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the Oklahoma State Archives collections.

Preferred citation: [Identification of Item], [Box #], [Folder #], Record Group 8-J- [#], Governor's Office Records, Oklahoma State Archives, Oklahoma Department of Libraries, Oklahoma City, OK.