Eugene B. Lawson

Eugene Lawson was born near Shelbyville, Kentucky, on May 27th, 1871, the son of the late William H. and Polly M. [Middleton] Lawson, he attained his early education in the Public Schools of Shelbyville and at Scearces Academy at that place-at nineteen he was teaching school in Archer County, Texas, for five years supported himself by teaching, devoting his unoccupied hours to the study of law, and at the age of twenty-four was admitted to the bar at Wichita Falls, Texas. As soon as he was admitted to the practice of law young Lawson cast about for a suitable location and decided upon Nowata in the Indian Territory, and began the practice of his profession there in 1896. His efforts were marked with success from the beginning and in a few years he attained a reputation for ability, honesty and integrity which brought him an extensive and lucrative practice.

On October 31, 1901, at Alluwe, Oklahoma, Mr. Lawson married Roberta E. Campbell, daughter of the late John E. Campbell and Emma J. Campbell, and he is survived by her and by their son, Edward C. Lawson, who was born at Nowata, Oklahoma, October 7, 1905, and who has succeeded to his father's business.

Upon coming in to the Indian Territory, Eugene B. Lawson quickly aligned himself with every man or group of men who desired to obtain for Oklahoma and Indian Territories better living conditions, better government, better law enforcement and the early admission of these Territories into the Union as a sovereign State, and the attainment of each of these objectives was assisted by his influence, energy and his means.

A republican in politics, he became the standard bearer of his party for member of the Constitutional Convention of the State and later for the office of Lieutenant Governor and proved himself an able and active campaigner. A man of great energy and almost unlimited capacity for accomplishment of every purpose, it was not unnatural to find that his profession did not keep him from becoming one of the organizers of the First National Bank of Nowata and interested in the banking business, a producer of oil, a manufacturer of ice with plants in five cities in Oklahoma and Kansas, and with it all a love for the fields and streams and the sea, and time to hunt and take what God gave man dominion over.

At the height of a successful law practice Mr. Lawson determined to retire and to devote his entire time to his other business enterprises, and in 1914 he discontinued the practice of law and began enlarging his interests in the oil business, extending his operations into Kansas and Texas, and becoming one of the largest independent oil operators in the State. In order to be more centrally located for the conduct of his business he removed from Nowata to Tulsa in 1927 and resided with his family at 1008 Sunset Drive in that city at the time of his death.

Mr. Lawson was a member of the Presbyterian Church, a Mason, and a member of a number of civic and social organizations and clubs, and in these as in all other activities of life his talents were not buried.

On June 27, 1931, he was laid to rest in Memorial Park near Tulsa, on a hill-side looking toward the rising of the sun, and his family and friends standing at his sepulcher with one accord could say-here lies a man whose friendship was sincere, whose love was genuine, whose sympathy was unlimited, a gentleman.