Xenophon Overton Pindall, Acting Gov. of Arkansas

http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.asp...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenophon_Overton_Pindall

Xenophon Overton Pindall (21 August 1873 - 2 January 1935) was a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives, Arkansas State Senate and Acting Governor of the U.S. state of Arkansas.

Biography

Pindall was born at Middle Grove in Monroe County, Missouri. He attended Central College in Missouri and earned his law degree from the University of Arkansas in 1896. He was a member of Kappa Sigma, Xi chapter at the University of Arkansas.

Career[edit]

Pindall served as a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1902 to 1906. He ran unsuccessfully for the post of Arkansas Attorney General in 1906 and later that year was elected to the Arkansas State Senate.

On February 11, 1907, Arkansas Governor John Sebastian Little resigned his office due to mental and physical illness. John Isaac Moore was president of the Senate and replaced him as governor. At the end of the legislative session in May, Pindall was chosen as the new president of the Senate and became acting governor.

Pindall served as Governor until January 11, 1909, when his Senate term expired. Pindall's successor was Jesse M. Martin, who served as acting governor for three days. During Pindall's administration, a pure food and drug law was passed, the Ozark National Forest was created, and laws against price discrimination were enacted.

After leaving office, Pindall became a renowned criminal lawyer.

Death and legacy

Pindall died on January 2, 1935 and is buried in Arkansas City, Arkansas.

The town of Pindall, Arkansas is named for him. His law office in Arkansas City is on the National Register of Historic Places.

http://politicalstrangenames.blogspot.com/2011/12/strangest-names-i...

His life came to an end in rather odd circumstances in 1935 when he accidentely fell from a railroad embankment while taking a walk near the Arkansas River. He subsequently struck his head on a pile of rocks during the course of the fall and then had the bad luck of landing in a  "steam exhaust pool near a power plant."