Dates in office: April 7, 1919 - January 9, 1923
Born: March 6, 1881
Died: November 25, 1949

John Calloway “Jack” Walton, affectionately nicknamed “Rarin’ Jack,” was born near Indianapolis, Indiana and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska. He came to Oklahoma City in 1903, following military service in the Spanish-American War. Walton was an engineering consultant and was dissatisfied with the policies of the City’s Public Works Department.  He therefore entered politics by running for--and winning--the post of Commissioner of Public Works. Two years later, he was elected Mayor.
Upon election, Mayor Walton launched a “Purity Squad” campaign to keep the city free of crime. He also struggled with other Commissioners for control of the Police Department, which only ended when higher courts became involved and returned control to Walton.
In 1922, Walton was elected governor of the State of Oklahoma by a margin of 50,000 votes. Once in power, Walton battled with the Ku Klux Klan and fellow politicians. He was impeached ten months after taking office. Following removal, he was nominated as a candidate for the United States Senate, but did not win.
In 1932, Walton was elected to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission where he remained until his retirement in 1939.