Johnston Murray

Johnston Murray (July 21, 1902 – April 16, 1974) was an American lawyer, politician, and the 14th governor of Oklahoma from 1951 to 1955. He was a member of the Democratic Party. Murray was the first Native American to be elected as governor in the United States although he was not an enrolled member of any nation. His father, William H. Murray, was the ninth governor of Oklahoma (1931–1935). As governor, the younger Murray attempted to reduce state spending but was stymied by legislators.

The state constitution prohibited him from seeking a second term and, in 1954, his wife Willie ran for governor but lost. In 1956, the couple divorced and Murray switched sides and joined the Republican Party. Murray later remarried and moved to Fort Worth, Texas, where he worked for an oil well servicing company and later a limousine service. After returning to Oklahoma City, Murray formed a law partnership with Whit Pate in February 1960. He ran for Oklahoma State Treasurer in 1962, but finished last in the four-man Democratic primary field. Murray worked for the remainder of his career as a consulting attorney for the Oklahoma Department of Welfare.