Dates in office: April 13, 1915 - December 24, 1918
Born: June 20, 1869
Died: April 21, 1931

Edward Graham McLain “Ed” Overholser was born in Indiana and came to Oklahoma City in 1890, following the footsteps of his father, Henry.  He built and operated the first long-distance telephone line in the state and also served as the first Secretary of the State Fair Association and the Manager of the City’s Waterworks. 
Overholser ran for County Commissioner and won on a pledge to build a new County courthouse.  After he was elected, bonds were sold for the construction of the courthouse and it was built shortly thereafter.  In 1915, Overholser defeated Will Gault, Jr. in the Mayoral election by a 327-vote margin. Coincidentally, Ed’s father had been defeated in 1890 by Gault’s father. 
Overholser was successful in his efforts to end the vice and lawlessness in the City.  One by one, the gambling houses and bootlegging operations were shut down and the houses of prostitution were put out of business for the first time since the City’s founding. 
The City experienced a serious water-supply crisis during Mayor Overholser’s term, and this led to the creation of the City’s first municipal reservoir that was later named Lake Overholser, in his honor. 
Ed resigned as Mayor due to health reasons. After leaving office, he served as President of the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce from 1922 until his death from an ongoing illness in 1931.