David Hall obit

Ex-Oklahoma Gov. David Hall dies at age 85 in California

 He was not on the list.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- The family of former Oklahoma Gov. David Hall says the 85-year-old Hall has died at a California hospital.

Hall's daughter -- Julie Martin -- says Hall was already in the hospital when he died Friday after suffering a stroke. Martin says Hall was surrounded by his wife, Jo Evans Hall, and three children when he died.

Hall served one term as governor of Oklahoma from 1971-75 and was indicted on federal racketeering and extortion charges three days after leaving office. He was later convicted of bribery and extortion and served 19 months of a three-year sentence.

He continued to maintain his innocence and wrote a book about his experience.

Martin says her father would always speak fondly of his time as governor, despite the circumstances of his exit.

. Prior to winning election as governor, Hall served as county attorney for Tulsa County and as a law professor at the University of Tulsa.

After leaving office, Hall was convicted of bribery and extortion. He became the first Oklahoma governor to be convicted of criminal acts committed during his tenure. He served 19 months of a three-year sentence at the federal prison in Safford, Arizona. David Hall was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and was the son of William Arthur "Red" Hall and Aubrey Nell French. Hall attended Classen High School in Oklahoma City, where he played on the 1948 Class A high school basketball State Championship team. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Oklahoma in 1952; he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.

Hall was a member of the Reserve Officer Training Corps in college and after graduating he joined the United States Air Force. He completed his initial training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, then was assigned as a flight navigation instructor at San Marcos Air Force Base in Texas. Hall served until 1954, when he transferred to the Air Force Reserve, in which he served until 1956. He attended Harvard Law School for a year, then transferred to the University of Tulsa College of Law, from which he graduated in 1959. From 1959 to 1962, he served as assistant county attorney for Tulsa County, Oklahoma, and as county attorney from February 10, 1962 to January 2, 1967. From 1968 to 1971, he served as a law professor at the University of Tulsa.

 

20th Governor of Oklahoma

In office

January 11, 1971 – January 13, 1975

Lieutenant       George Nigh

Preceded by    Dewey Bartlett

Succeeded by  David Boren