Joshua B. Lee
Encyclopedia
Joshua Bryan Lee was a United States Representative and Senator
from Oklahoma
.
, he moved with his parents to Pauls Valley, Oklahoma
(which was then Indian Territory), and then to Kiowa County
, near Hobart
, in 1901. He attended the public schools of Hobart and Rocky, Oklahoma
and the Oklahoma Baptist University
at Shawnee
. He was a teacher in the public schools of Rocky from 1911 to 1913 and was a coach of athletics and teacher of public speaking at the Oklahoma Baptist University, 1913–1915; he graduated from the University of Oklahoma
at Norman
in 1917, and received a graduate degree in political science
from Columbia University
in 1924, and a law degree from Cumberland School of Law
at Cumberland University
(Tennessee) in 1925. He was initiated into the Mu Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
music fraternity in 1917.
During the First World War, Joshua Lee served overseas as a private in the One Hundred and Thirty-fifth Infantry, Thirty-fourth Division, in 1917 and 1918.From 1919 to 1934, he was head of the public speaking department of the University of Oklahoma, and was also an author and lecturer. "HOW TO HOLD AN AUDIENCE WITHOUT A ROPE" and "THE BATTLE OF COGNAC" were his most noted titles.
"THE BATTLE OF COGNAC" was first published in October of 1919 by "Harlow Publishing Corporation". It was republished as a hard cover in 1948 by Harlow Publishing Corporation with three more rhymes included.
Besides the rhymes there is enough commentary to illuminate the circumstances in which the rhymes were written. The 1948 version was ill-trimmed and the pages were not separated in twenty four instances. It is made up of soldier rhymes, with no effort to make them poems. Josh called them "the jottings of a doughboy."
One sample of his authentic jottings is this passage contributed by a man reporting for help at sick call. “Are you sick, soldier?” And the trooper says, “No sir, I ain't sick, but I feels powful unnecessary down around my mess kit.”
Illustrations for the book were contributed by Ruth Monro Augar -- from sketches she did during The First World War while serving as an El Paso Herald reporter -- from scenes observed on the Texas border, near Fort Bliss.
During the latter part of the war Josh Lee joined the entertainment troop and soon became a favorite of battle-sick doughboys. He knew how they felt because he had been there, slogging through the same mud.
By 1948 Josh Lee owned and operated a ranch in western Oklahoma and a farm near Norman. His reputation in the neighborhood was that of just an all around good guy. He had a pond on his farm near Norman. He began to notice that there were people sneaking in there of an evening. Eventually he caught the trespassers at a tree near his pond.. two young boys. "What are you boys doing here?"
"Swimming,,, Sir."
"Swimming? In this?" Josh was scandalized.
"Yes, sir. This is the best swimming hole in the country."
"The best swimming hole in the country?"
"Yes, sir. It is."
Josh got a far away look in his eye. Almost absently he said: "You boys don't have to sneak in here any more. Come any time you want to."
Josh Lee went home and ordered sand, 12 dump-truck loads of sand, and he had it scattered around the pond. Then he cleaned the pond out and put in a diving board. After all, it was the best swimming hole in the country.
Left in his personal papers were pictures of himself and FDR, about 100 copies of his “Cognac” book with the covers intact, and the pages still unopened. There were several recordings of material gleaned from his course in public speaking. There was also a picture of a painting of an early MacArthur, as well as pictures of himself at various functions.
There were three duffel bags full of correspondence and clippings of his public career that made the news. He and Will Rogers were close friends at one time. “Josh Lee never met a man he didn't like either,” said Leroy Bridges, the Director of Outreach Political Communication Center, Department of Communication, at the University of Oklahoma. He is a treasure trove of information on the subject of Josh Lee and the times and people of the times.
From 1919 to 1934, Josh Lee was head of the public speaking department of the University of Oklahoma, and was also an author and lecturer; he owned and operated a ranch in western Oklahoma and a farm near Norman.
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
.
Early life
Born in Childersburg, AlabamaChildersburg, Alabama
Childersburg is a city in Talladega county in the U.S. state of Alabama. At the 2000 census the population was 4,927. It claims a history dating back before 1540, when it was noted as a village of the Coosa Nation visited by the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto...
, he moved with his parents to Pauls Valley, Oklahoma
Pauls Valley, Oklahoma
Pauls Valley is a city in Garvin County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 6,256 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Garvin County.-History:...
(which was then Indian Territory), and then to Kiowa County
Kiowa County, Oklahoma
Kiowa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 10,227. Its county seat is Hobart.-Geography:According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of . is land and is water....
, near Hobart
Hobart, Oklahoma
Hobart is a city in and the county seat of Kiowa County, Oklahoma, United States. Hobart was founded in 1901 on what had been part of an Indian reservation. The settlers drew lots for free land. It was named for Garret Hobart, the twenty-fourth Vice President of the United States. The population...
, in 1901. He attended the public schools of Hobart and Rocky, Oklahoma
Rocky, Oklahoma
Rocky is a town in Washita County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 174 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Rocky is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....
and the Oklahoma Baptist University
Oklahoma Baptist University
Oklahoma Baptist University is a co-educational Christian liberal arts university located in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and owned by the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. Established in 1910, OBU is ranked No.2 among baccalaureate colleges in the western region in the 2010 U.S...
at Shawnee
Shawnee, Oklahoma
Shawnee is a city in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 29,857 at the 2010 census. The city is part of the Oklahoma City-Shawnee Combined Statistical Area; it is also the county seat of Pottawatomie County and the principal city of the Shawnee Micropolitan Statistical...
. He was a teacher in the public schools of Rocky from 1911 to 1913 and was a coach of athletics and teacher of public speaking at the Oklahoma Baptist University, 1913–1915; he graduated from the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
at Norman
Norman, Oklahoma
Norman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
in 1917, and received a graduate degree in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1924, and a law degree from Cumberland School of Law
Cumberland School of Law
Cumberland School of Law is an ABA accredited law school at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. The 11th oldest law school in the United States, it is 160 years old and has more than 11,000 graduates. Its alumni include two United States Supreme Court Justices; Nobel Peace Prize recipient...
at Cumberland University
Cumberland University
Cumberland University is a private university in Lebanon, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1842, though the current campus buildings were constructed between 1892 and 1896.-History:...
(Tennessee) in 1925. He was initiated into the Mu Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia is an American collegiate social fraternity for men with a special interest in music...
music fraternity in 1917.
During the First World War, Joshua Lee served overseas as a private in the One Hundred and Thirty-fifth Infantry, Thirty-fourth Division, in 1917 and 1918.From 1919 to 1934, he was head of the public speaking department of the University of Oklahoma, and was also an author and lecturer. "HOW TO HOLD AN AUDIENCE WITHOUT A ROPE" and "THE BATTLE OF COGNAC" were his most noted titles.
"THE BATTLE OF COGNAC" was first published in October of 1919 by "Harlow Publishing Corporation". It was republished as a hard cover in 1948 by Harlow Publishing Corporation with three more rhymes included.
Besides the rhymes there is enough commentary to illuminate the circumstances in which the rhymes were written. The 1948 version was ill-trimmed and the pages were not separated in twenty four instances. It is made up of soldier rhymes, with no effort to make them poems. Josh called them "the jottings of a doughboy."
One sample of his authentic jottings is this passage contributed by a man reporting for help at sick call. “Are you sick, soldier?” And the trooper says, “No sir, I ain't sick, but I feels powful unnecessary down around my mess kit.”
Illustrations for the book were contributed by Ruth Monro Augar -- from sketches she did during The First World War while serving as an El Paso Herald reporter -- from scenes observed on the Texas border, near Fort Bliss.
During the latter part of the war Josh Lee joined the entertainment troop and soon became a favorite of battle-sick doughboys. He knew how they felt because he had been there, slogging through the same mud.
By 1948 Josh Lee owned and operated a ranch in western Oklahoma and a farm near Norman. His reputation in the neighborhood was that of just an all around good guy. He had a pond on his farm near Norman. He began to notice that there were people sneaking in there of an evening. Eventually he caught the trespassers at a tree near his pond.. two young boys. "What are you boys doing here?"
"Swimming,,, Sir."
"Swimming? In this?" Josh was scandalized.
"Yes, sir. This is the best swimming hole in the country."
"The best swimming hole in the country?"
"Yes, sir. It is."
Josh got a far away look in his eye. Almost absently he said: "You boys don't have to sneak in here any more. Come any time you want to."
Josh Lee went home and ordered sand, 12 dump-truck loads of sand, and he had it scattered around the pond. Then he cleaned the pond out and put in a diving board. After all, it was the best swimming hole in the country.
Left in his personal papers were pictures of himself and FDR, about 100 copies of his “Cognac” book with the covers intact, and the pages still unopened. There were several recordings of material gleaned from his course in public speaking. There was also a picture of a painting of an early MacArthur, as well as pictures of himself at various functions.
There were three duffel bags full of correspondence and clippings of his public career that made the news. He and Will Rogers were close friends at one time. “Josh Lee never met a man he didn't like either,” said Leroy Bridges, the Director of Outreach Political Communication Center, Department of Communication, at the University of Oklahoma. He is a treasure trove of information on the subject of Josh Lee and the times and people of the times.
From 1919 to 1934, Josh Lee was head of the public speaking department of the University of Oklahoma, and was also an author and lecturer; he owned and operated a ranch in western Oklahoma and a farm near Norman.