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OREL BUSBY
Vol. 3, p. 990

Special interest attaches to the career of Orel Busby, the well
known Ada lawyer, because of his being father of the movement that
resulted in the organization of the Young Men's Democratic league of
Oklahoma, which now has a membership of over eight thousand and which
is an efficient and vital arm of the state democratic organization.
While a student of the law department of the university, in company
with one or two friends in this room one night, Mr. Busby conceived
the idea of this organization and presented it to Streeter SPEAKMAN,
now county attorney of Lincoln County, Oklahoma, and Will RANDOLPH,
now a practicing attorney of McAlester, Oklahoma, who were his
classmates. They were favorably impressed with the idea. Thereupon
plans were made for the organization. It was launched in 1912 at the
state democratic convention at Oklahoma City and Mr. Busby presided
over the initial meeting and was elected the league's first
president. It prospered from the outset and in three years there were
affiliated local and county organizations in every county. Annual
meetings were held on Washington's birthday, and these were largely
attended and bring party enthusiasm to a climax. So great was the
interest in the 1915 meeting at Muskogee that special trains were
operated from several points of the state. The purpose of the
organization is to interest young men in party work, encourage them
in the study of party politics and inspire them to take an active
part in campaigns. Several members of the organization, due to the
support of their fellows, are now holding important county and state
offices.

Orel Busby, who has spent nearly all his life in Oklahoma, was born
at Batesville, Arkansas, in 1890, son of G. W. and E. C. (PEGG)
Busby. He moved with his parents to old Indian Territory when he was
less than one year old and has since lived on the east side of what
is now Oklahoma. His father, a native of Alabama, has for many years
been a successful farmer and ranchman, of Oklahoma, having come to
this state in 1891 and being now engaged in the mercantile business
at Allen.

The primary education of Orel Busby was acquired principally in
subscription schools in Indian Territory before the days of public
schools. Subsequently he entered the high school at Ada and Konawa,
graduated at Konawa high school, and then spent two years in the
University of Oklahoma. In 1910 he was graduated from the East
Central State Normal School at Ada. This was followed by a year as
principal of the public schools at Konawa, Oklahoma, and during the
term he was elected justice of the peace and mayor of the town being
the youngest man - only twenty-one at the time - to hold that
position in Eastern Oklahoma. In June, 1913, Mr. Busby was admitted
to the bar, and in June, 1914, finished his regular course in the law
department of Oklahoma University, graduating with the degree of LL.
B. In July 1914, he opened an office for the practice of law at Ada,
and in his profession is making a pronounced success. His previous
accomplishment had given him a state-wide reputation that has
afforded him a profitable clientage.

At the 1915 meeting of the Young Men's Democratic League, Mr. Busby
and many other young democrats initiated a movement having its object
the creation of a Nation Young Men's Democratic league. Stephen
JOHNSON of Altus, Oklahoma, a newspaper editor and secretary to
Congressman Jim MCCLINTIC, is representing the league in Washington
and hopes through members of Congress to promote the national
organization.

Mr. Busby is a member of the Christian Church, of the Ada Commercial
Club and the Sigma Nu, Phi Delta Phi and Sigma Delta Chi college
fraternities. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias Lodge at Konawa,
the Elks' Club at Ada and is a member of the Pontotoc County and
Oklahoma State Bar Associations.

Typed for OKGenWeb by Jo Jobe, December 6, 1998.