Surname Index
Updated: 27 Jul 2009

Daily Oklahoman, The 
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 
May 3, 1956

Albert L. McRill died unexpectedly Wednesday afternoon from a heart condition. MrRill, 76, was stricken in his Nichols Hills home and died a half hour later enroute to Mercy hospital.

During his colorful life, he was an author, editor, publisher, practicing attorney , state supreme court justice, lecturer and college professor.

Funeral services for McRill will be at 2 pm Friday in the Fist Methodist church. Burial will be in Rose Hill cemetery under direction of Smith & Kernke funeral home.

Survivors are his wife, Mary S. of the home, a step-son James E. Horigan, a sister and brother, Leona and Leslie A. McRill.

Albert L. McRill, born October 1, 1880, was reared in Franklin County, Kansas. Upon graduation from the Williamsburg High School he became the publisher of his local newspaper, as the youngest editor in the State of Kansas. His father was Calvin Whitfield McRill, originally from the State of Ohio, and his mother Viola Amanda Tapley-McRill, who came to Kannrra with her parents from Michigan soon after the close of the Civil War. She was then ten years of age. The McRills were descendants of a Benjamin Mackrell, who according to the first Pennsylvania census in 1790, came from Scotland and fought in the Revolutionary War. Albert published papers before coming to Oklahoma Territory in 1902. After establishing the newspapers at Watonga, he edited the Day County Progress at Grand, Oklahoma, the county seat of Day County (now Ellis County). Later he entered Epworth University (now Oklahoma City University) graduating in 1910 with the degrees . He helped compile the Oklahoma Statutes of 1910, and began the general practice of Law at Oklahoma City in 1911, and remained in the active practice of law until his death.

He was a member of the Methodist Church. For five years he con-ducted a men's Bible Class of 1,000 in downtown Empress Theater, and for thirty years taught a Sunday School class in the First Methodist Church of Oklahoma City. He was a member of the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church of 1916. He served on the Board of Trustees of Oklahoma City University and its predecessors for twenty years and was acting president of the University in 1924. For fifteen years he was associated with the Oklahoma City College of Law as professor, and at the time of his death was law professor at Oklahoma City University, where a plaque has been placed by his former law students in his memory.

Survivors are his widow, Mary McRill, of 1220 Shemood Lane, Oklahoma City, stepson. James Horigan, attorney, a sister, Leona McRilland a brother, Leslie A. McRill, both of 1817 N.W. 14th Street, Oklahoma City. Albert was also active for many years in the Masonic Lodge in Oklahoma City, a 32nd degree Mason and a Shriner. Funeral rites were conducted from the First Methodist Church, by Rer. John Abernathy, life long friend and fellow-worker of Albert, assisted by Dr. C. Q. Smith, President of Oklahoma City University, and Dr. Earl Dorfi, pastor of First Methodist Church, Oklahoma City. Albert was laid to rest in the family plot, Rose Hill Cemetery, Oklahoma City. City. (1)