Daniel Draper

{{about|the attorney and politician|the meteorologist|Daniel Draper (meteorologist)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Daniel D. Draper

| image = Dan Draper 2.jpg

| image_upright = 0.8

| office = 36th Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives

| term_start = 1979

| term_end = 1983

| predecessor = William P. Willis

| successor = Jim Barker

| office2 = Member of the
Oklahoma House of Representatives
from the 13th district

| term_start2 = 1971

| term_end2 = 1983

| predecessor2 = Bob Shatwell

| successor2 = Larry Gish

| birth_date = {{birth date|1940|4|12}}

| birth_place = Tahlequah, Oklahoma

| death_date = {{death date and age|2004|11|18|1940|4|12}}

| death_place = Stillwater, Oklahoma

| party = Democratic

| alma_mater = Oklahoma State University
Washington University in St. Louis

| occupation = Lawyer

}}

Daniel David Draper Jr. (April 12, 1940 – November 18, 2004) was an American attorney and politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma. He served as a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1971 until 1983, and served as the 32nd Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, beginning in 1979 until his conviction of a felony in the 1980s.

Background

Born in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, he received his bachelor's degree in accounting from Oklahoma State University. He then went to University of Oklahoma College of Law and later received his law degree from Washington University School of Law. He was the Stillwater, Oklahoma, city attorney and taught business law at Oklahoma State University. He died in Stillwater, Oklahoma.'Daniel David Draper, Jr.-1940-2004-obituary,' The Perkins Journal (Oklahoma), November 25, 2004, A2

Political career

Draper was first elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 1971.[http://www.okhouse.gov/Members/Historic.aspx Historic Members] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130711202342/http://www.okhouse.gov/Members/Historic.aspx |date=2013-07-11 }}, [http://www.okhouse.gov/ Oklahoma House of Representatives] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130622043630/http://www.okhouse.gov/ |date=June 22, 2013 }} (accessed June 15, 2013) In 1978, Draper was presiding in the chair during the final day of session when there was a dispute over adjournment.[http://www.okhouse.gov/Documents/CenturyToRemember.pdf A Century to Remember] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120910204833/http://www.okhouse.gov/Documents/CenturyToRemember.pdf |date=September 10, 2012 }}, Okhouse.gov, p. 73. (accessed July 8, 2013)

He was first elected speaker in 1979. The speaker's race was competitive, with five vying for the seat, and he won the race with the support of a group of conservative, rural Democrats led by Vernon Dunn and a group of progressive Democrats led by Cleta Deatherage (who would eventually become a stalwart conservative and election lawyer for Donald Trump) and Jim Fried.

Draper was convicted of a felony, forcing him out of office, and was succeeded by Jim Barker.[http://newsok.com/house-speaker-role-assumed-by-jim-barker/article/2039983 House speaker role assumed by Jim Barker], The Oklahoman, September 20, 1983 (accessed June 15, 2013). The felony charge of voter tampering was eventually overturned by a federal judge.Morgan, David R. [https://books.google.com/books?id=CInmh860DEIC&dq=Oklahoma+Speaker+Jim+Barker&pg=PA82 Oklahoma Politics and Policies], University of Nebraska Press, 1991. (accessed via Google Books on June 20, 2013)