Robert L. Williams

Robert Lee Williams was an American lawyer, judge, and the third governor of Oklahoma. Williams played a role in the drafting of the Oklahoma Constitution and served as the first Oklahoma Supreme Court Chief Justice. He also served as a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. As Governor, Williams oversaw the state's response to the United States Supreme Court's ruling against Jim Crow laws and its involvement in World War I. He instituted the Oklahoma State Board of Affairs, which provided central purchasing services to state agencies. Due to his direct administrative role and concentration of power, Williams counteracted the loss of executive power under Governor Lee Cruce.