Charles Herring

Full Name: Charles Ferguson Herring
Date of birth: June 1, 1914
Date of death: January 15, 2004

Terms of Service
Biographical Notes
Committee Information
Legislation

Terms of Service top

Chamber	District	Dates of Service	Legislatures	Party	City/County	Note	Counties in District
S	14	Jan 9, 1973 - Jun 1, 1973	63rd ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾	Democrat	Austin / Travis		Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Hays, Travis
S	14	Jan 12, 1971 - Jan 9, 1973	62nd	Democrat	Austin / Travis		Bastrop, Blanco, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, Williamson
S	14	Jan 14, 1969 - Jan 12, 1971	61st	Democrat	Austin / Travis		Bastrop, Blanco, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, Williamson
S	14	Jan 10, 1967 - Jan 14, 1969	60th ⁽⁴⁾	Democrat	Austin / Travis		Bastrop, Blanco, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, Williamson
S	14	Jan 12, 1965 - Jan 10, 1967	59th	Democrat	Austin / Travis		Bastrop, Travis, Williamson
S	14	Jan 8, 1963 - Jan 12, 1965	58th ⁽⁵⁾	Democrat	Austin / Travis		Bastrop, Travis, Williamson
S	14	Jan 10, 1961 - Jan 8, 1963	57th ⁽⁶⁾ ⁽⁷⁾	Democrat	Austin / Travis	Senate President Pro Tempore (57th)	Bastrop, Travis, Williamson
S	14	Jan 13, 1959 - Jan 10, 1961	56th	Democrat	Austin / Travis		Bastrop, Travis, Williamson
S	14	Jan 8, 1957 - Jan 13, 1959	55th	Democrat	Austin / Travis		Bastrop, Travis, Williamson

(1) Lloyd A. Doggett, Jr., in special election 8/14/1973, took office 8/18/1973, succeeded Charles F. Herring, resigned 6/1/1973. First session was 63rd 1st Called Session. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
(2) 63rd Legislature - Drawing for Terms of Office, 1/10/1973, pp. 12-13. Drew 2-year term. Senate Journal.
(3) Special election 7/17/1973, runoff 8/14/1973. Texas Secretary of State - Election Dates Including Special Elections, 1966-2001.
(4) 60th Legislature - Drawing for Terms of Office, 1/11/1967, p. 19. Drew 2-year term. Senate Journal.
(5) 58th Legislature - Drawing for Terms of Office, 1/9/1963, p. 16. Drew 2-year term. Senate Journal.
(6) 57th Legislature - Senate President Pro Tempore, 3rd C.S., elected 1/3/1962. Senate Journal.
(7) Presiding officers and acting lieutenant governors after Ramsey's resignation were President Pro Tempore ad Interim Bruce A. Reagan; President Pro Tempore Charles F. Herring, succeeded 1/3/1962, and presiding during 3rd Called Session; and President Pro Tempore ad Interim Culp Krueger, succeeded 2/1/1962. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.

Terms of Service top

Senate District 14
Jan 9, 1973 - Jun 1, 1973
Legislatures: 63rd ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Austin / Travis
Counties in district: Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Hays, Travis

Senate District 14
Jan 12, 1971 - Jan 9, 1973
Legislatures: 62nd
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Austin / Travis
Counties in district: Bastrop, Blanco, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, Williamson

Senate District 14
Jan 14, 1969 - Jan 12, 1971
Legislatures: 61st
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Austin / Travis
Counties in district: Bastrop, Blanco, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, Williamson

Senate District 14
Jan 10, 1967 - Jan 14, 1969
Legislatures: 60th ⁽⁴⁾
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Austin / Travis
Counties in district: Bastrop, Blanco, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, Williamson

Senate District 14
Jan 12, 1965 - Jan 10, 1967
Legislatures: 59th
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Austin / Travis
Counties in district: Bastrop, Travis, Williamson

Senate District 14
Jan 8, 1963 - Jan 12, 1965
Legislatures: 58th ⁽⁵⁾
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Austin / Travis
Counties in district: Bastrop, Travis, Williamson

Senate District 14
Jan 10, 1961 - Jan 8, 1963
Legislatures: 57th ⁽⁶⁾ ⁽⁷⁾
Senate President Pro Tempore (57th)
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Austin / Travis
Counties in district: Bastrop, Travis, Williamson

Senate District 14
Jan 13, 1959 - Jan 10, 1961
Legislatures: 56th
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Austin / Travis
Counties in district: Bastrop, Travis, Williamson

Senate District 14
Jan 8, 1957 - Jan 13, 1959
Legislatures: 55th
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Austin / Travis
Counties in district: Bastrop, Travis, Williamson

Biographical Information top

Selected newspaper articles

Resolutions and Journal entries

57th Legislature, 3rd C.S., 1/22/1962, p. 207. Message from Acting Governor Charles F. Herring commending the Legislature (Governor for a Day). House Journal.
57th Legislature, 3rd C.S., SR 39, Governor for a Day, 1/22/1962, Message from the Acting Governor. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
58th Legislature, R.S., SR 131. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
59th Legislature, R.S., SR 827. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
61st Legislature, R.S., SR 1046. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
62nd Legislature, R.S., SR 1482. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
63rd Legislature, R.S., SR 934. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.

Biographical Sketches

Memorial biographical sketch and photo. A State of Remembrance, 2005.
Herring, Charles Ferguson. Texas State Cemetery.

Military Service Notes

United States Navy, Lieutenant Commander, World War II. "He enlisted in the United States Navy in 1943 and became a commissioned officer. During his service in the Pacific he was wounded three times and awarded the Bronze Star and the Navy Cross. After leaving active duty in 1946 with the rank of lieutenant commander, he returned to private law practice." A State of Remembrance, 2005.
United States Navy, World War II. "In 1943 Charles enlisted in the Navy. Being from Stampede Valley and knowing almost nothing about ships or the Navy, when the enlistment officer offered him alternative commissions as either a lieutenant junior grade or an ensign (the lower rank), he mistakenly selected the lower rank as ensign. He served in the Pacific as a group commander of assault landing craft during several invasions, including Okinawa, Iwo Jima, Leyte Gulf, and Lingayen Gulf. In the Lingayen Gulf landing, a Japanese mortar hit squarely in the middle of his craft, destroying the boat and killing all thirty soldiers and crew, except for him. He was knocked into the water, unconscious, but was rescued by another ship.
During the war, his mother became deathly ill. Lyndon Johnson learned of the illness, and orchestrated the sending of a secret message to him conveying the bad news. Charles asked for leave to return to see his mother, but his request was refused. He then went AWOL, hitch-hiking with sympathetic supply-plane crews across the Pacific. He arrived at the hospital in Waco and saw his mother for 30 minutes. Then she died. After a complicated return trip to the Pacific-including a stay on a nearly deserted island with a band of Australian Navy deserters who kindly fed and took care of him for a week-he returned to his ship and his captain reassigned him to duty, without discipline." Texas State Cemetery.
United States Navy. Photo and salute. With Honor and Gratitude: A Special Thank You to Our Texas Senate Members Who Served Our Country, 2017.

Photographs

Photograph. Charles Herring, 63rd Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Charles Herring, 62nd Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Charles F. Herring, 61st Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Charles F. Herring, 60th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Charles F. Herring, 59th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Charles F. Herring, 58th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Charles F. Herring, 57th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Charles F. Herring, 56th Legislature, Texas Yearbook, 56th Legislature
Photograph. Charles F. Herring, 56th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Charles F. Herring, 55th Legislature, State Preservation Board

Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol

55th session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
56th session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
57th session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
58th session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
59th session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
60th session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
61st session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
62nd session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
63rd session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.

Committee Information top

63rd R.S. - 1973 Finance Intergovernmental Relations Jurisprudence (Chair) Jurisprudence Subcommittee on Civil Matters Planting of Jim Hogg Pecan Tree in Honor of American POWs and MIAs, Special State Artist Selection, Special
62nd R.S. - 1971 Banking Constitutional Amendments Election Law Study Finance Foreign Livestock Trade and Grain Development Insurance Jurisprudence (Chair) Legislative, Congressional and Judicial Districts Nominations (Vice Chair) Parks and Recreation Personnel Policy Prairie View A&M College, Investigation (Chair) Prairie View A&M College, Investigation, Special (Chair) Privileges and Elections Public Health Public School Finance, Interim State Affairs Traffic Court System Urban Education Vacancy Laws Youth Affairs
61st R.S. - 1969 Agriculture and Industry (Chair) Claims Constitutional Amendments Corporate Farming, Livestock Feeding and Ranching Operations County, District, and Urban Affairs Finance Jurisprudence (Chair) Land Use and Environmental Control Nominations Poet Laureate Selection, Special Public Health Rules Rules of the Senate State Affairs State Departments and Institutions Tort Claims Act Youth Affairs (Vice Chair)
60th R.S. - 1967 Charitable Immunity Claims Economy in State Government Enrolled and Engrossed Bills Finance Flag of Alamo, Special (Chair) Governor's Mansion Preservation Jurisprudence (Chair) Land Use and Environmental Control Multistate Tax Compact Advisory Committee Nominations Parking and Traffic Parks and Recreation Placement of Lieutenant Governors' Portraits Public Health Rules (Vice Chair) State Affairs State Departments and Institutions
59th R.S. - 1965 Banking Claims (Vice Chair) Enrolled and Engrossed Bills Finance Flag of Santa Anna Jurisprudence (Chair) Multiple Use and Pollution of All Waters of Texas (Cont. of Bays of Texas, 58th) Nominations Privileges and Elections Public Health Return of Flag of Alamo State Affairs State Departments and Institutions
58th R.S. - 1963 Claims Constitutional Amendments Finance Jurisprudence Nominations (Chair) Poet Laureate Selection, Special Privileges and Elections Public Health State Affairs State Departments and Institutions (Vice Chair)
57th R.S. - 1961 Allocate Space in Capitol for Two Houses Claims (Chair) Constitutional Amendments Finance Game and Fish Jurisprudence Legislative, Congressional and Judicial Districts Nominations (Vice Chair) Public Health State Affairs State Departments and Institutions
56th R.S. - 1959 Claims (Chair) Constitutional Amendments Finance Investment Practices of State Funds, Investigation Jurisprudence Legislative, Congressional and Judicial Districts Nominations Public Health State Departments and Institutions
55th R.S. - 1957 Claims Finance General Investigating (Chair) Insurance Company of Texas (ICT), Investigation, Special (Chair) Interstate Cooperation Jurisprudence Legislative, Congressional and Judicial Districts Nominations Public Health State Departments and Institutions (Chair) Utilize Available Space in Capitol Building

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