Word: edmondson
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...pursuit of "literary purposes and promotion of social intercourse." Actually it was open to anyone with a literate bankroll: initiation fee, $100; yearly dues, $50. Among the 197 members are many lobbyists and several governmental figures, including Democratic Senators Frank Church of Idaho, Daniel Brewster of Maryland, J. Howard Edmondson of Oklahoma and Harrison Williams of New Jersey. Among Republican members are two Congressmen, Montana's James Battin and Ohio's William Ayres...
...Edmondson, Okla. Moss, Utah...
...four years as Governor, Edmondson managed to become about as unpopular a chief executive as Oklahoma ever had. On taking office, he kept his campaign promise to end Oklahoma's half-century of Prohibition; that enraged the state's substantial dry minority. He set up a withholding system for state income tax and a merit system for state employees, pushed for legislative reapportionment and a dilution of the powers of county commissioners. Such reforms did not endear him to the regular Democratic organization...
Beyond all that, many Oklahomans became suspicious of Edmondson's personal ways. He preferred Scotch and soda to bourbon and water. Although admittedly broke when he became Governor, he built himself a $70,000 home, borrowing most of the money on his future potential as a lawyer. On a visit to Chicago last year, he was arrested for speeding; a local TV weather girl was with him at the time. He made no bones about favoring his political pals with lucrative state jobs, said matter-of-factly: "The money is there to hand out, and I'm sure...
Banned by the state constitution from seeking reelection, blamed by many Democrats for wrecking the party to the point that Republican Henry Bellmon was elected Governor, Edmondson thus had considerable cause to talk about retiring from politics. But Kerr's death enabled him to prolong his political career for at least two more years, when he must go to the voters. Among those already announced against him: Kerr's son, Robert Jr., 36, an Oklahoma City attorney...