"Alfalfa Bill" Murray, ca. 1930.

Murray acquired the "Alfalfa" nickname around 1902 when he was political operative for Oklahoma gubernatorial candidate Palmer S. Moseley. Murray developed the habit of giving talks to local farmers about politics and farming, two subjects very important to early-twentieth century Oklahomans. Murray frequently gave these speeches on a large tract of alfalfa he himself had cultivated. An observer of one of Murray's speeches, one Arthur Sinclair, reported to the editor of the Tishomingo Capital-Democrat that he had just witnessed "Alfalfa Bill" deliver one of his finest speeches. Thereafter, this would be Murray's nickname.

Murray had a varied and interesting life. The following text has been taken from the jacket copy of a book written in 1968 by Keith L. Bryant, Jr. called "Alfalfa Bill Murray" (University of Oklahoma Press, out of print):



William H. (Alfalfa Bill) Murray is the most important figure in the political history of Oklahoma. No other individual contributed so greatly to the formation of its political institutions—and no more colorful or controversial character ever strode onto the state's political scene. Flamboyant, unpredictable, and stubborn, Alfalfa Bill became a legend to several generations of Oklahomans.

President of the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention and author of many of the provisions of the constitution, speaker of the first House of Representatives, two-term congressman, and governor of the state, the Texas-born Murray made an indelible mark on his adopted state.

He also made enemies. During the struggle for statehood he waged a hard battle over the proposed constitution, taking on President Theodore Roosevelt and Secretary of War William Howard Taft, who said that the constitution's authors were a "zoological garden of cranks".

Later, as governor, Murray challenged the oil industry, newspaper interests, and the state of Texas. To enforce his programs he relied on the National Guard. During his tenure as governor, he called out the guard forty-seven times for duties ranging from policing ticket sales at University of Oklahoma football games to patrolling the oil fields and guarding the Red River Bridge. It was truly said that he "fought the depression with the National Guard".

Then, in 1932, he ran for the Democratic nomination for President, and his fame spread across the nation. Candidate Franklin D. Roosevelt offered a program for national recovery. Murray countered with "Bread, Butter, Bacon, and Beans." During the campaign Henry S. Johnston called him a "sun-crowned, God-gifted gigantic man." James T. Farley said he was "crazy as a bedbug."

As mentioned elsewhere in this website, our Alfalfa got his nickname from the Hal Roach creative team, appropriating the name from a Will Rogers character that appeared in a Roach silent film. So Alfalfa Bill Murray was not the inspiration for our hero's name. However, it is interesting to note that in "Came the Brawn", a 1938 wrestling-themed Little Rascals episode, Alfalfa is introduced by Spanky as "The Oklahoma Wildcat". Was this merely a co-incidence or was it a nod to contemporary national political legend Murray?

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