J. H. Langley

J. Howard Langley (1867 – 1935) was a justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court for less than one month from January, 1931 until February 2, 1931. His term was truncated by health problems that he blamed on the rigors of campaigning for the office. Born and educated in Missouri, Langley moved to Indian Territory in 1891, where he entered the mercantile business. He became licensed to practice law in 1897, and moved to the town of Pryor to begin private practice. He was elected a delegate to the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention in 1905, where he gained much public exposure. After statehood, he returned to his private practice in Pryor, until he entered the race for a Supreme Court seat in 1930. Although he won the election, he served less than a month before resigning on account of ill health. After recovering, at least partially, he was named to the board of directors for the Grand River dam project and was elected chairman. He did not live to see the project completed, dying in 1935.

Early life Langley was born on a farm on July 8, 1867, in McDonald County, Missouri to William G. Langley and Jane (Gist) Langley. He got his basic education in the "common schools" of McDonald County and in the Southwest City, Missouri High School. He also attended Scarritt College in Neosho, Missouri. He learned law by studying at home, taking courses through Sprague's Correspondence Law School of Detroit, Michigan. He taught in a local school while completing his law program.

Move to Indian Territory In 1891, he entered the mercantile business in the town of Adair, Indian Territory. That was the same year when he married Miss Susan Brock, from Siloam Springs, Arkansas. (Susan Brock was the daughter of W.) C. Brock, and Martha Brock, nee Tacket.

Langley did not live to see the Grand River project completed. He died at his Pryor home in bed on October 27, 1935. He was buried in Pryor's Fairview Cemetery, on a hill overlooking the Grand River valley. He was commemorated by a red granite stone with a bronze memorial tablet placed the courthouse lawn. The town of Langley, Oklahoma is named in his honor.