Evan Dhu Cameron

Evan Dhu Cameron was an American politician and educator who served as the first Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction from 1907 to 1911 and as the Oklahoma Territory Superintendent of Public Instruction from 1894 to 1897.

Evan Dhu Cameron
1st Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction
In office November 16, 1907 – November 16, 1911
Governor	Charles N. Haskell
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	R. H. Wilson
President of the Baptist General Convention of Indian Territory
In office 1904–1905
Oklahoma Territory Superintendent of Public Instruction
In office 1894–1896
Governor	William Cary Renfrow
Personal details
Born	(1862-02-26)February 26, 1862 Richmond County, North Carolina, U.S.
Died	July 29, 1923(1923-07-29) (aged 61) Tahlequah, Oklahoma, U.S.
Resting place	Okmulgee, Oklahoma
Political party	Democratic Party
Spouse	Clara Williams
Education	Trinity College Dick and Dillard School of Law

Early life, education, and early career

Evan Dhu Cameron was born on February 26, 1862, to Caroline Crawford and John Worth Cameron in Richmond County, North Carolina as the youngest of seven children. His family was descended from Scottish immigrants. His father was a lawyer, editor, and former military officer.^[1] He attended school in Richmond, North Carolina, later attended Trinity College, and graduated from the Dick and Dillard School of Law in 1881. He practiced law for seven years in North Carolina. In 1888 he was licensed by the Methodist Episcopal Church. He worked as a pastor in Texas before moving to Oklahoma Territory in 1891. He married Clara Williams in 1890. In 1901 he switched denominations and joined the Southern Baptist Convention.^[2] He was the president of the Baptist General Convention of Indian Territory from 1904 to 1905.^[1]

Political career

From 1894 to 1896 Cameron served as the Superintendent of Public Instruction, president of the Board of Education, territorial auditor, and president of the board of health for Oklahoma Territory. In 1907, he was elected for one term as Oklahoma's first Superintendent of Public Instruction as a member of the Democratic Party, serving until 1911. During his tenure he is credited for organizing schools from the former Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory into one unified education system and implementing the first uniform textbook law in the state. Between 1907 and 1908, over 2,200 new public schools were opened in rural Oklahoma.^[2]

Later life, death, and legacy

In 1908, Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma was named after him. Cameron helped found Oklahoma Baptist University in 1911 and received an honorary degree from there in 1915. He unsuccessfully ran for Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma in 1922. He was also a Freemason. Cameron died on July 29, 1923, of a stroke in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.^[2] He is buried in Okmulgee, Oklahoma^[1]

Electoral history

1907 Oklahoma State Superintendent election^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Evan Dhu Cameron	132,962	54.8	New
	Republican	Calvin Ballard	99,912	41.1	New
	Socialist	Joseph A. Hanna	9,678	3.9	New
	Democratic gain from		Swing	N/A

Oklahoma State Superintendent Democratic primary (August 2, 1910)^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	R. H. Wilson	62,337	56.7%
	Democratic	Evan Dhu Cameron (incumbent)	47,433	43.3%
Turnout			108.770

References

1. "Evan Dhu Cameron". cameron.edu. Cameron University. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
2. Everett, Dianna. "Cameron, Evan Dhu". okhistory.org. The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
3. "1907-1912 Results" (PDF). oklahoma.gov. Oklahoma State Election Board. Retrieved 23 September 2023.

Party political offices
First	Democratic nominee for Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction 1907	Succeeded by R. H. Wilson