Volume 8 Article 4 Issue 1 Fall 10-15-1988 A Favorite Son of Mangum Dee Ann Ray Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.swosu.edu/westview Recommended Citation Ray, Dee Ann (1988) "A Favorite Son of Mangum," Westview: Vol. 8 : Iss. 1 , Article 4. Available at: https://dc.swosu.edu/westview/vol8/iss1/4 This Nonfiction is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at SWOSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Westview by an authorized administrator of SWOSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Victor E. Wickersham as the Greer County Clerk in 1929. A FAVORITE SON OF MANGUM By Dee Ann Ray 10 W estview. Fall 1988 U.S. REPRESENTATIVE, OKLAHOMA LEGISLATOR On Tuesday, March 15,1988, Victor included my sister and me on his Wickersham, oldest member of the mailing list. We received a copy of the Oklahoma Legislature at the time, newsletter he wrote after each trip to died. He was sworn into office on visit his relatives around the United February 9, 1988, after winning a States. He sent copies to everyone he special election for Seat #60 in the thought would be interested. He always Oklahoma House of Representatives. did like to travel, and he accepted every Wickersham won his last political invitation that came his way. campaign race by 211 votes. In the On November 8, 1986, Victor Wick­ Democratic primary election, he faced ersham married Lorene Meason-Dennis several opponents but won easily by a of Bedford, Texas. She had been a big majority garnered mostly in his widow for five years. She had three homecounty, Greer. His Republican children, and Wickersham had four. opponent in the special general election His son, Galen Wickersham, served as for the seat was R. B. Cline. Wickersham best man. Following an extended tour, got 2,167 votes to Cline’s 1,956. about which Wickersham wrote a Wickersham’s political career spanned newsletter, the couple was at home in six decades. He served nine terms of Mangum. They did continue to travel. office in the United States House of It was with his second wife’s blessing Representatives, beginning in 1941; that Wickersham decided to make the and four terms in the Oklahoma Legis­ race for Oklahoma House Seat #60. lature from 1971 -1979, prior to his last The following story was written in election to office in 1988. September of 1984 as a result of the When asked about his health during personal interview with Victor Wick­ the final election campaign, Wickersham ersham. replied, “I had a doctor examine me a “I’ve always tried everything three few months ago, and he told me I could times, at least, before I gave up,” said do anything a 60-year-old man or a Victor Eugene Wickersham, former 10-year-old mule could do.” Wicker­ Congressman from Oklahoma’s sixth sham’s death was caused by a massive and seventh districts. “I believe that is stroke and the following complications. why I was able to accomplish so many In September of 1984, this w riter things for my district when I served in traveled to Mangum to interview Victor Congress. If I called a federal office Wickerham. Many people thought regarding some matter and I was told Wickersham had already died by that no, I tried again and again, even if I had time because little had been heard from to wait a year until another appropri­ him since his last term in the Oklahoma ation. I usually was able to get the House. His wife of more than fifty contract, industry, or job for my dis­ years, Jessie, was ill and Wickersham trict.” had been taking care of her. She died Victor is most often remembered by July 14, 1984. citizens in his district because he knew The interview was delightful. Wick­ so many people by face, name, and ersham was a gentleman and a mar­ voice. His hobby is remembering names, velous host. He loved being interviewed a practice he began when he worked as again, and it was obvious that he still deputy clerk in the Greer County wanted to be involved in politics. As he Courthouse. His facility with faces and relived his years in public service, his names won him many helpers in his eyes were full of longing for the old campaigns for Congress and the Ok­ days. lahoma Legislature. Of his 106 op­ As a result of that visit, Wickersham ponents for political office, he defeated W estview. Fall 1988 II I < . .he told me I could dc Rep. Wickersham behind a portrait he commissioned as a gift for Harry S. Truman. Larry Pendleton of Cordell was the artist. ninety-nine and won re-election to the World War II effort. He purchased a Victor threw his hat into the ring. U.S. House of Representatives for nine new car for his trip to Washington, Victor had a great sense of family terms or eighteen years. He spent eight where he was sworn into office on history and recalled learly his early years in the Oklahoma House of Repre­ April 14, 1941. growing years. He even related the sentatives. Victor E. Wickersham was the son of ways his father paid the delivering Frank M. and Lillie Sword Wickersham. doctor for each of the eight children. His theory that trying something He was born at Lone Rock, Arkansas The first was paid for with five hundred three times usually wins success is on the family homestead February 9, fence rails. The second cost a dressed validated by the fact that his third race 1906. He was the second of eight hog. The third earned the doctor a for the U.S. Congress from the old children (six of the eight were still whole hind quarter of beef. For the seventh district of Oklahoma put him living at the time of this story). Morrell fourth, the doctor received five hundred in the office he sought. Victor ran died at six months of age, and an older bales of fodder. The fifth cost one unsuccessfully for Congress in 1938, sister, Velma Husell, died in 1977. hundred pounds of Mayapple roots and losing to incumbent Sam Massingale William Jefferson Wickersham, the twenty-five pounds of Ginsingroots from Cordell. Since he had no auto­ third child, was Chief Clerk at the dug from the ground. The elder Mr. mobile, Victor made that race on foot. Oklahoma State Reformatory at Granite. Wickersham worked four days on the He hitchhiked all over the southwestern Nina Elise is married to Herman S. county roads to pay the doctor’s poll part of Oklahoma and made a good Knight of Cordell. Helen married Paul tax for the sixth child. Victor’s mother showing in the field of candidates. He Butterfield. (Nellie Jane and Ashley made uniforms for the doctor and ran again in 1940 and by that time had were the two other living Wickershams nurses for the seventh child. Victor a “Reo Flying Cloud” auto, which he in 1984.) was selling Watkins goods and con­ drove relentlessly over the district. The Wickersham family immigrated tributed some of them, to which his Again he lost to Congressman Mas­ to the United States in the early 1700’s. father added fresh Irish potatoes and singale, who was a very popular member There is still a town in East Germany sweet potatoes plus dried blackeyed of the U.S. Congress. But Sam Mas­ named Weckerheim, ‘‘Home of the peas, to pay for the eighth child. singale died unexpectedly on January Basket Weavers.” Serving people Always enterprising, Victor went to 17, 1941 of complications following a through political office runs in the work as a boy. In addition to doing short bout with the flu. Massingale’s Wickersham family. Ambrose Wicker­ chores at home, he began selling GRIT vacant seat was sought by a field of sham, Victor’s grandfather, was a and CAPPER’S WEEKLY when he eleven candidates. Victor won the County Clerk in Arkansas; and other was six years old. He had to walk to primary and the run-off and left for Wickershams served in federal offices, town to pick them up, and he made Washington, D C. on April 1, 1941. including one U.S. Attorney General. only two cents a delivery; but, added to Before he made that trip, he gave his Victor’s father even envisioned political the family money, it helped. Later he old ‘‘Reo Flying Cloud” car, which was office for his second son, but Victor had began selling Watkins products door to worn out from the campaign, to the no such aspirations until he began to door. “I always put the popular and American Red Cross to use in the help others campaign. The bug bit and easy products back in the box next to 12 W estview, Fall 1988 Victor purchasing the latest model car in the 4 0 ’s for his trips to Washington, D.C. anything a 60-year-old man or a ten-year-old mule could do.” my body and the more difficult sales up In Mangum, Victor and his older at the front,” Victor related. sister, Zelma, were placed in the same Shortly after Victor was born, the grade. When they graduated in 1923, Wickersham family moved to Oklahoma, Zelma was Valedictorian and Victor settling in various towns of Greer was Salutatorian out of the sixty-three County, and finally Mangum. Victor graduates. “Zelma always studied continued working on the farm, as a harder and made the better grades.