Page Belcher

Page Belcher
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Oklahoma's 1st district
In office
January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1973
Preceded by George B. Schwabe
Succeeded by James Robert Jones
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Oklahoma's 8th district
In office
January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1953
Preceded by George H. Wilson
Succeeded by District eliminated
Personal details
Born (1899-04-21)April 21, 1899
Jefferson, Oklahoma Territory
Died August 2, 1980(1980-08-02) (aged 81)
Midwest City, Oklahoma
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Gladys Collins
Alma mater University of Oklahoma
Profession Lawyer
Military service
Allegiance  United States
Service/branch  United States Army
Battles/wars World War I

Page Henry Belcher (April 21, 1899 – August 2, 1980) was a Republican politician and a U.S. Representative from Oklahoma.

Biography

The Page Belcher Federal Courthouse (1974 photograph) is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Belcher was born in Jefferson in northern Oklahoma to George Harvey Belcher and Jessie Ray.[1] 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[2] and played for the 1918 Oklahoma Sooners football team.[3]

Career

Following his graduation from OU, he was admitted to the bar in 1936 and began his legal practice in Enid.[2] In 1934, he was elected county clerk of Garfield County, served on the Enid Board of Education,[4] 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.[5] 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.[6]

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.

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.[7] He was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Following his retirement, he moved to Midwest City where he died on August 2, 1980 at the age of eighty-one.[2] He is buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, Enid, Oklahoma. After his retirement from Congress, the federal courthouse in Tulsa was named in his honor.[2] In addition, Tulsa is home to the Page Belcher golf course.[8]

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress website http://bioguide.congress.gov.

  1. ↑ "Index to Politicians: Belcher". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved 2007-03-27.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Biographical Sketch of the Creator of the Collection". The Carl Albert Center. Retrieved 2007-03-27.
  3. ↑ "1918 Football Roster". SoonerStats.com. Retrieved 2007-03-27.
  4. ↑ http://www.ou.edu/special/albertctr/archives/belcher.htm
  5. ↑ "BELCHER, Page Henry, (1899 - 1980)". Congress.gov. Retrieved 2007-03-27.
  6. ↑ http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/B/BE011.html
  7. ↑ politicalgraveyard.com/geo/OK/GA.html
  8. ↑ http://www.tulsagolf.org/courses/page-belcher/
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
George H. Wilson		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Oklahoma's 8th congressional district
January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1953 		Succeeded by
none
Preceded by
George B. Schwabe		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Oklahoma's 1st congressional district
January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1973 		Succeeded by
James Robert Jones
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