Page H. Belcher Collection
Collection
Identifier: CAC-CC-004
The Page Belcher Collection consists of 182 cubic feet of material. The bulk of the collection is organized by Congress, with files within each legislative session arranged in alphabetical order by topics. Although legislative, departmental, and general material is found together, the folder title reflects the type of material found within each. Often, folders with general information simply list the topic without the qualifying label of "general."
Materials on a wide range of topics can be found in these congressional files. The more prominent ones include agricultural legislation, wheat, meat inspection legislation, federal aid to education, tax legislation, social security amendments, civil rights, school prayer, oil legislation, the Vietnam War, the Republican Party (both national and Oklahoma), Oklahoma state government and politics, soil conservation, the Farmers Home Administration, and rural electrification.
A group of special series complete the collection. Among these are Water Projects (arranged by river basin), Post Office, and Belcher Bills (arranged by committee). The Water Project Files contain materials on the legislation and construction of dams and reservoirs primarily in the Arkansas River Basin but also, to a lesser extent, in the Red River Basin. There are also 56 maps in the collection.
Materials on a wide range of topics can be found in these congressional files. The more prominent ones include agricultural legislation, wheat, meat inspection legislation, federal aid to education, tax legislation, social security amendments, civil rights, school prayer, oil legislation, the Vietnam War, the Republican Party (both national and Oklahoma), Oklahoma state government and politics, soil conservation, the Farmers Home Administration, and rural electrification.
A group of special series complete the collection. Among these are Water Projects (arranged by river basin), Post Office, and Belcher Bills (arranged by committee). The Water Project Files contain materials on the legislation and construction of dams and reservoirs primarily in the Arkansas River Basin but also, to a lesser extent, in the Red River Basin. There are also 56 maps in the collection.
The Belcher Collection consists of 182 linear feet of material plus maps and nearly 250 photographs. Materials cover a wide-range of topics with prominence being give to agriculture, wheat, meat inspection, federal aid to education, tax legislative, social security amendments, civil rights, school prayer, oil legislation, the Vietnam War, the Republican Party, soil conservation, the Farmers Home Administration, and rural electrification. A variety of document types related to legislation exist within the Belcher Collection, particularly those found generally in congressional collections including memos, background research, bills, and publications. However, the majority of the documents is constituent correspondence and highlight Belcher’s relationships with his constituents. The Water Projects and Post Office series also provide useful insight into various projects in Oklahoma and how they altered the state.
Dates
- 1951-1972
- Majority of material found in 1951-1972
Creator
Language of Materials
English
Conditions Governing Use:
The University of Oklahoma asserts no claim of copyright over photographs in this collection taken by private citizens. Any publication of such photographs requires the consent of the copyright holder.
Extent
247.63 Linear Feet (208 containers)
Biographical Information:
Page Henry Belcher was born in Jefferson, Grant County, Oklahoma, on April 21, 1899. Educated in the public schools of Jefferson and Medford, he later studied at Friends University in nearby Wichita, Kansas, as well as at the University of Oklahoma. After military service in World War I, Belcher returned to the state university, where he studied law. Admitted to the bar in 1936, he began a legal practice in Enid.
The portion of Oklahoma that included both Jefferson and the city of Enid lay in Oklahoma's old Eighth District, one of the few dependably Republican areas for most of the state's history. Drawing the bulk of its earliest settlers from Kansas and other Midwestern areas, it had been faithfully Republican right up until 1932, when Ernest Whitworth Marland captured the congressional seat as part of Franklin Roosevelt's landslide. It was 1940 before the district elected another Republican when Ross Rizley won the seat. Belcher originally went to Washington with Rizley, as the congressman's secretary. Belcher's own role in elective politics had begun in 1934, when he had been elected county clerk of Garfield County. He subsequently had served on the Enid Board of Education. In addition, Belcher had headed the Republican Party at both the congressional district and the state levels. In 1948, Representative Rizley gave up his House seat in favor of a promising bid for the United States Senate. Harry Truman's stunning upset probably helped Democrat Robert S. Kerr defeat Rizley in the general election. George Howard Wilson was certainly indebted to Truman. Wilson's surprising victory over Milton Garber, Jr., briefly returned the Eighth District seat to the Democrats. Wilson was to serve a single term, for Belcher defeated him in 1950.
Sizable population losses that were recorded in the 1950 census cost the state two of its House seats. The Democratic legislature eased the burden upon the majority party by combining the Eighth with the First District, thereby forcing a contest between the state's only two Republican representatives, Belcher and George B. Schwabe. Belcher was the victor in 1952, and he continued to win until announcing his retirement in 1972. The lone Republican in the state delegation for most of that time, Belcher steadily rose on the House Agriculture Committee to become its ranking minority member.
Following retirement, Belcher resided in Midwest City, where he died on August 2, 1980.
The portion of Oklahoma that included both Jefferson and the city of Enid lay in Oklahoma's old Eighth District, one of the few dependably Republican areas for most of the state's history. Drawing the bulk of its earliest settlers from Kansas and other Midwestern areas, it had been faithfully Republican right up until 1932, when Ernest Whitworth Marland captured the congressional seat as part of Franklin Roosevelt's landslide. It was 1940 before the district elected another Republican when Ross Rizley won the seat. Belcher originally went to Washington with Rizley, as the congressman's secretary. Belcher's own role in elective politics had begun in 1934, when he had been elected county clerk of Garfield County. He subsequently had served on the Enid Board of Education. In addition, Belcher had headed the Republican Party at both the congressional district and the state levels. In 1948, Representative Rizley gave up his House seat in favor of a promising bid for the United States Senate. Harry Truman's stunning upset probably helped Democrat Robert S. Kerr defeat Rizley in the general election. George Howard Wilson was certainly indebted to Truman. Wilson's surprising victory over Milton Garber, Jr., briefly returned the Eighth District seat to the Democrats. Wilson was to serve a single term, for Belcher defeated him in 1950.
Sizable population losses that were recorded in the 1950 census cost the state two of its House seats. The Democratic legislature eased the burden upon the majority party by combining the Eighth with the First District, thereby forcing a contest between the state's only two Republican representatives, Belcher and George B. Schwabe. Belcher was the victor in 1952, and he continued to win until announcing his retirement in 1972. The lone Republican in the state delegation for most of that time, Belcher steadily rose on the House Agriculture Committee to become its ranking minority member.
Following retirement, Belcher resided in Midwest City, where he died on August 2, 1980.
Arrangement of Materials:
The Belcher collection is arranged into 18 thematic series. The collection is arranged by congress then material type/project. The 82nd Congress series is arranged alphabetical by committee and department, then alphabetical by topic/subfolder title. The 83rd Congress series is arranged alphabetical by committee and department, then alphabetical by topic/subfolder title. The 84th Congress series is arranged alphabetical by committee and department, then alphabetical by topic/subfolder title. The 85th Congress series is arranged alphabetical by committee and department, then alphabetical by topic/subfolder title. The 86th Congress series is arranged alphabetical by committee and department, then alphabetical by topic/subfolder title. The 87th Congress series is arranged alphabetical by committee and department, then alphabetical by topic/subfolder title. The 88th Congress series is arranged alphabetical by committee and department, then alphabetical by topic/subfolder title. The 89th Congress series is arranged alphabetical by committee and department, then alphabetical by topic/subfolder title. The 90th Congress series is arranged alphabetical by committee and department, then alphabetical by topic/subfolder title. The 91st Congress series is arranged alphabetical by committee and department, then alphabetical by topic/subfolder title. The 92nd Congress series is arranged alphabetical by committee and department, then alphabetical by topic/subfolder title. The Water Projects series is arranged by project, within each project some are arranged chronologically by year but the Red River Basin and Arkansas River Basin projects are first arranged alphabetically by topic/subfolder title then chronologically by year. Tye Post Office Files series is arranged first into fours sections by information type: county, federal buildings, special postal cases, and post office correspondence. The first section is arranged alphabetically by county then topic/subfolder title and next chronologically by year. The sections on federal buildings and special postal cases are each arranged alphabetically by topic/subfolder title. The post office correspondence section is arranged chronologically by year then alphabetically by subfolder title where applicable. The Belcher Bills series is arranged initially alphabetically by committee then chronologically by congress and session and lastly by legislation type and number.
The Belcher Collection is arranged into 18 series. The first 11 series correlate to the eleven congresses Belcher served in: the 82nd Congress-92nd Congress (1951-1973). These series are arranged alphabetically by committee and department and then alphabetically by topic. The remaining series, Water Projects, Post Office Files, Belcher Bills, Memorabilia, Maps, Photographs, and Audio-Visual, are largely arranged topically, except for Belcher Bills which are organized alphabetically by committee.
Acquisition Information:
Direct gift.
- Agriculture and state--United States
- Civil rights--United States
- Courts--United States
- Education and state--United States
- Education and state--United States--Finance
- Health insurance--Law and legislation--United States
- Indians of North America--Claims
- Indians of North America--Government relations
- Indians of North America--Health and Hygiene--Law and legislation
- Labor laws and legislation--United States
- Labor unions--United States
- Medical care--Law and legislation--United States
- Petroleum industry and trade--Government policy--United States
- Public health--United States
- Social security--Law and legislation--United States
- Taxation--Law and legislation--United States
- United States--Commerce
- United States--Foreign relations
- United States. Army. Corps of Engineers
- United States. Department of Defense--Appropriations and expenditures
- United States. Veterans Administration--Reorganization
- Veterans--Legal status, laws, etc. --United States
- Veterans--United States--Societies, etc
- Water resources development--Law and legislation--United States
- Title
- Guide to the Page H. Belcher Collection
- Language of description
- The collection description/finding aid is written in English
- TypeCollection
Repository Details
Part of the Carl Albert Center Congressional and Political Collections Repository