Joseph Merle Lansden (1907–1989) was an American attorney, judge and politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Lansden was the first district judge under a new system of appointment. He was also a Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

Lansden was born in Beaver County, Oklahoma, on July 8, 1907.^[1] He earned his law degree from the University of Oklahoma Law School and was admitted to the bar in 1939.^[1]

Lansden served in the United States Marine Corps from 1942 to 1946 and was discharged with the rank of major.^[1]

Lansden served three terms as a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from Beaver County between 1941 and 1947.^[2] He served as speaker during a special session of the state legislature in 1944, when Speaker Harold Freeman was undergoing military service.^[3] The special session was called by the Governor Robert S. Kerr to ensure military men and women could participate in the 1944 elections.^[3] Lansden's appointment was contentious and a minor revolt ended when he fainted due to exhaustion from travel and earned the sympathy of his fellow legislators.^[3]

Lansden joined the firm of Lansden, Drum, and Goetzinger after finishing his military service until his appointment as a district judge.^[1]

Lansden was appointed by Governor Dewey Bartlett to serve as a district judget of the 1st Judicial District of Oklahoma.^[1] He was the first appointment under a new system in which a commission provided judicial appointees to the governor, who then made his or her selection.^[1] After his appointment, he was elected twice without opposition, serving until July 1977.^[1]

Lansden died October 30, 1989, in Norman, Oklahoma.^[1]