Rudolph Hargrave

Who is Rudolph Hargrave?

Rudolph Hargrave served as a Justice on the Oklahoma Supreme Court from 1978 until his retirement on December 31, 2010.

Born 1925 in Shawnee, Oklahoma, he resided in Wewoka, Oklahoma. He attended Wewoka public schools, East Central State University in Ada, Oklahoma, and the University of Oklahoma where he received his law degree in 1949. He is a member of Delta Theta Phi legal fraternity. He was in private practice, 1949–1964, in Wewoka, and was County Judge for Seminole County, Oklahoma, 1964-1967. From 1967-1969, Hargrave was Seminole County Superior Court Judge and was Seminole County District Judge from 1969-1978.

On October 10, 1978, Hargrave was appointed to the Oklahoma Supreme Court by Governor of Oklahoma David L. Boren. He was retained in 1989, 1986, and 1992 he was retained by the voters for full six-year terms. Hargrave was elected Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of Oklahoma on January 1, 1989. During his term as Chief Justice he was elected by the National Conference of Chief Justices as Vice-President of that conference, the only Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice ever to serve in that position. He is also a member of the Seminole County Bar Association, Oklahoma Bar Association, American Bar Association and the Oklahoma Judicial Conference.