Page Belcher
Encyclopedia
Page Henry Belcher was a Republican
politician
and a U.S. representative
from Oklahoma
.
in northern Oklahoma to George Harvey Belcher and Jessie Ray. He was educated at public schools in Jefferson, and Medford, Oklahoma
. Belcher attended Friends University
, a private
non-denominational Christian
university in Wichita
, Kansas
. He served in World War I
, then returned to Oklahoma and enrolled at the University of Oklahoma
in Norman
where he studied law
and played for the 1918 Oklahoma Sooners football team
.
in 1936 and began his legal practice in Enid
. In 1934, he was elected county clerk of Garfield County
, served on the Enid Board of Education, and as secretary to U.S. Rep. Ross Rizley
in 1941. From 1951 to 1953, Belcher was the last representative of Oklahoma's now-defunct 8th congressional district, then represented the 1st district
until 1973. After his home in Enid was drawn out of the district during a mid-decade redistricting in 1967, Belcher moved to Tulsa, the heart of the 1st. Belcher was a member of the Agriculture Committee and its wheat subcommittee for his entire congressional tenure, eventually rising to ranking Republican on that committee, and worked on the Arkansas River Navigation System.
Belcher usually skated to reelection, as the Tulsa area was (and still is) very friendly to Republicans. However, in 1958, he was nearly defeated due to discontent over the Eisenhower administration's farm policy. He didn't face a credible challenge again until 1970, when former Johnson administration official Jim Jones
held him to only 55 percent of the vote. With Jones priming for a rematch in 1972, Belcher announced that June that he was retiring due to age and health.
Following his retirement, he moved to Midwest City
where he died on August 2, 1980 at the age of eighty-one. He is buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, Enid, Oklahoma. After his retirement from Congress, the federal courthouse in Tulsa
was named in his honor. In addition, Tulsa is home to the Page Belcher golf course.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and a U.S. representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
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...
.
Biography
Belcher was born in JeffersonJefferson, Oklahoma
Jefferson is a town in Grant County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 37 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Jefferson is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....
in northern Oklahoma to George Harvey Belcher and Jessie Ray. He was educated at public schools in Jefferson, and Medford, Oklahoma
Medford, Oklahoma
Medford is a city in and the county seat of Grant County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,172 at the 2000 census.-History:Medford was founded by Hobart Johnstone Whitley, a land developer, banker, farmer and Rock Island Railroad executive....
. Belcher attended Friends University
Friends University
Friends University is a private non-denominational Christian university in Wichita, Kansas.Friends University was founded in 1898. The main building was originally built in 1886 for Garfield University, but was donated in 1898 to the Religious Society of Friends by James Davis, a St. Louis...
, a private
Private university
Private universities are universities not operated by governments, although many receive public subsidies, especially in the form of tax breaks and public student loans and grants. Depending on their location, private universities may be subject to government regulation. Private universities are...
non-denominational Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
university in Wichita
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. He served in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, then returned to Oklahoma and enrolled at 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...
in 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...
where he studied law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
and played for the 1918 Oklahoma Sooners football team
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
.
Career
Following his graduation from OU, he was admitted to the barAdmission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
in 1936 and began his legal practice in Enid
Enid, Oklahoma
Enid is a city in Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States. In 2010, the population was 49,379, making it the ninth largest city in Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Garfield County. Enid was founded during the opening of the Cherokee Outlet in the Land Run of 1893, and is named after Enid, a...
. In 1934, he was elected county clerk of Garfield County
Garfield County, Oklahoma
Garfield County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma named after President James A. Garfield. As of 2010, the population was 60,580. Enid is the county seat and largest city within Garfield County...
, served on the Enid Board of Education, and as secretary to U.S. Rep. Ross Rizley
Ross Rizley
Ross Rizley was a U.S. Representative from Oklahoma.Ross Rizley was born on July 5, 1892 on a farm near Beaver, Oklahoma. He was educated in public schools, and taught in the rural schools of Beaver County, Oklahoma, in 1909 and 1910...
in 1941. From 1951 to 1953, Belcher was the last representative of Oklahoma's now-defunct 8th congressional district, then represented the 1st district
Oklahoma's 1st congressional district
Oklahoma's First Congressional District is in the northeastern corner of the state and borders Kansas. It is largely coextensive with the Tulsa metropolitan area. It includes all of Tulsa County Washington County, Wagoner County, and parts of Rogers County and Creek County...
until 1973. After his home in Enid was drawn out of the district during a mid-decade redistricting in 1967, Belcher moved to Tulsa, the heart of the 1st. Belcher was a member of the Agriculture Committee and its wheat subcommittee for his entire congressional tenure, eventually rising to ranking Republican on that committee, and worked on the Arkansas River Navigation System.
Belcher usually skated to reelection, as the Tulsa area was (and still is) very friendly to Republicans. However, in 1958, he was nearly defeated due to discontent over the Eisenhower administration's farm policy. He didn't face a credible challenge again until 1970, when former Johnson administration official Jim Jones
James Robert Jones
James Robert "Jim" Jones is a lawyer, a Democratic politician, a retired U.S. Congressman from Oklahoma, and a former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico....
held him to only 55 percent of the vote. With Jones priming for a rematch in 1972, Belcher announced that June that he was retiring due to age and health.
Personal life
Page Belcher was married on June 16, 1922 to Gladys Collins. The two had a son, Page, Jr., and a daughter named Carol. Belcher was a Methodist, a Member of the Kiwanis, American Legion, and Odd Fellows. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.Following his retirement, he moved to Midwest City
Midwest City, Oklahoma
Midwest City is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 54,371, making it the eighth largest city in the state....
where he died on August 2, 1980 at the age of eighty-one. He is buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, Enid, Oklahoma. After his retirement from Congress, the federal courthouse in Tulsa
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
was named in his honor. In addition, Tulsa is home to the Page Belcher golf course.