W.P.

Abstract

The legendary public and private feud between W.P. "Bill" Atkinson and Edward King Gaylord is an intriguing and unusual story of powerful and wealthy men - once close associates and friends - who became enemies. This work verifies the origin of the animosity and the main areas of conflict between Atkinson and Gaylord: the land purchase that became Midwest City, the 1958 Democratic Primary, the gubernatorial election of 1962, and the libel suit filed in reaction to Gaylord's vicious editorial attacks. This thesis concentrates upon the seminal event of the feud, incidents pivotal to escalation of the hostility, and legal actions which emanated from the antagonism. The bickering of two powerful and famous men can have tremendous ramifications, once such consequence was that the bitter conflict directly contributed to the election of the first Republican governor in Oklahoma's history. The first portion of the work examines Atkinson's early life, careers, and personal associations to a level necessary to understand the experiences that eventually placed him in Gaylord's crosshairs. A major segment of the composition reviews Atkinson's 1958 and, more significantly, 1962 campaigns for governor. During both gubernatorial bids Atkinson's candidacy was repeatedly condemned and vehemently attacked by Gaylord in Daily Oklahoman editorials. In 1962, believing that the governorship had been lost because of Gaylord's malicious accusations Atkinson filed a {dollar}10 million dollar libel suit against the publisher and his newspaper. This thesis concludes with an examination of activities undertaken by Atkinson's legal and investigative teams as they prepared for a monumental legal battle against Gaylord's formidable cadre of lawyers and allies. The legal action never reached trial stage because a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, in an unrelated libel action involving the press and public figures, adversely affected Atkinson's basis for legal redress. The lack of legal resolution influenced him to retaliate against Gaylord in the most public, and personal, way possible: he launched a competing daily newspaper the Oklahoma Journal.