Robert S. Kerr
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For other people named Robert Kerr, see Robert Kerr (disambiguation).
Robert S. Kerr, born September 11, 1896 in what is now Ada, Oklahoma and died on January 1, 1963 in Washington, D.C., first held elective office when he became Governor of Oklahoma in 1942. During the war years, he presided over a vigorous economic expansion and directed a remarkably efficient state administration.
A year after leaving the governor's office, he was successful in his first attempt at the United States Senate in 1948. Kerr was reelected to two more terms, and served in the United States Senate from 1949 until 1963, as a member of the Democratic Party. After he failed at winning the 1952 Democratic Presidential nomination, Kerr thereafter devoted his energies to building his Senate career.
Kerr served on several key Senate committees, most notably the Finance and Public Works committees. He also forged alliances to key senators, such as Lyndon B. Johnson, who led the Democrats' Senate forces. A partner in Kerr-McGee, Kerr increasingly became known as a key champion of southwestern oil and gas interests. Of course, he did not hesitate to use his influence for Oklahoma's behalf. Millions of dollars were diverted to military and civilian projects in the state. Also, a series of water projects, dams, and an entire navigation system that links the Arkansas River to the oceans of the world are part of Kerr's legacy.
[edit] Scholarly secondary sources
- Morgan, Anne Hodges. Robert S. Kerr: The Senate Years (1977).
- Salter, J. T. Public Men in and out of Office(1946) ch 25.
[edit] Primary sources
The Kerr Collection mainly consists of materials generated during the Senate years. However, there are several cubic feet of documents that relate to his years as Oklahoma's governor. Because of Kerr's devotion to conservation work, there is a significant amount of documentation on both Oklahoma and non-Oklahoma projects. As with so many of Oklahoma's lawmakers, there is a large amount of material regarding agriculture and Native Americans. Finally one of the most valuable parts of the collection concerns the senator's speeches. Often considered one of the finest orators that Oklahoma ever produced or that the Senate ever heard, Kerr gave the keynote address at the 1944 Democratic National Convention that nearly won him the second slot on Franklin D. Roosevelt's ticket. chairman, Select Committee on National Water Resources (Eighty-sixth Congress).
- A junior high school in Del City, Oklahoma bears his name.
| Preceded by: Leon C. Phillips |
Governor of Oklahoma 1943–1947 |
Succeeded by: Roy J. Turner |
| Preceded by: Edward H. Moore |
United States Senators from Oklahoma 1949–1963 |
Succeeded by: J. Howard Edmondson |
| Territorial: Steele • Martin • Seay • Renfrow • Barnes • Jenkins • Grimes • Ferguson • Frantz
Haskell • Cruce • Williams • Robertson • Walton • Trapp • Johnston • Holloway • W. Murray • Marland • Phillips • Kerr • Turner • J. Murray • Gary • Edmondson • Nigh • Bellmon • Bartlett • Hall • Boren • Nigh • Bellmon • Walters • Keating • Henry |
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