T. D. Evans
T. D. Evans | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 15th Mayor of Tulsa | |
| In office 1920–1922 | |
| Preceded by | C. H. Hubbard |
| Succeeded by | Herman Frederick Newblock |
| Tulsa Municipal Court Judge | |
| In office May 1917 – 1920 | |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Republican |
T. D. Evans was an American lawyer, judge, and the Mayor of Tulsa during the Tulsa race massacre.
Biography
[edit]Evans was appointed municipal judge for the city of Tulsa in May 1917 and was the judge who oversaw the Tulsa Outrage.[1]
Evans campaigned for Mayor of Tulsa in 1920 on a single issue platform: approve the Spavinaw Water Project.[2] He was considered a compromise candidate, having previously served as municipal judge.[3] He defeated Edward E. Short in the Republican primary with 1,275 votes to Short's 885 votes.[4][a] He went on to defeat incumbent Charles D. Hubbard with 4,891 votes to Hubbard's 4,684 votes.[7]
T. D. Evans was the Mayor of Tulsa from 1920 to 1922.[8] He was mayor during the 1921 Tulsa race massacre.[5] After the massacre, he blamed it on a "negro uprising" and advocated for building a railroad and rail station in the Greenwood District.[9][10] In an official letter to the council date June 14, 1921, Evans proposed relocated Tulsa's African American community to the northeast and rezoning Greenwood for industrial use. Evans proposal was not fully implemented due to lawsuits filed by Buck Colbert Franklin and the district started rebuilding within a year of the massacre.[11]
Notes
[edit]- ^ The Black Wall Street Times erroneously reported Evans was a Democrat in 2021;[5] The Tulsa Tribune and other coverage from the 1920 election described Evans as a Republican candidate.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ Hopkins, Randy (August 22, 2023). "Birthday of the Klan: The Tulsa Outrage of 1917". CfPS. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
- ^ Staff Reports (November 1, 2022). "Search for 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre burials yields more unmarked graves". Tulsa World. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
- ^ Krehbiel, Randy (May 31, 2020). "Tulsa Race Massacre: Key figures in 1921". Tulsa World. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
- ^ "Tabulated Vote of Primary Election Here Yesterday". Tulsa World. March 17, 1920. p. 13. Retrieved December 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Osborne, Deon (May 29, 2021). "Tulsa County Democrats call out racism within party's past and present, supports reparations". The Black Wall Street Times. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
- ^ "Mayor Files for Re-Election; New Aspirant Enters". The Tulsa Tribune. March 4, 1920. p. 9. Retrieved December 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Split in Democratic Ranks Turns the Trick for G. O. P." Tulsa Star. April 10, 1920. p. 1. Retrieved December 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Gallery of Mayors". City of Tulsa. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
- ^ Luckerson, Victor (July 28, 2023). "Everything They Owned Burned, and They Still Can't Get Restitution 102 Years Later" (Opinion). The New York Times. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
- ^ "The Case for Reparations in Tulsa, Oklahoma". Human Rights Watch. May 29, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
- ^ Frank, Nehemiah (June 5, 2025). "How A Tulsa Mayor Tried to Erase Greenwood After the Massacre". The Black Wall Street Times. Retrieved June 10, 2025.
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