LRL Home - Legislators and Leaders - Texas Legislators: Past & Present - Member profile

James William Kinnear Full Name: James William Kinnear Date of birth: April 6, 1872 Date of death: November 19, 1959 Terms of Service Biographical Notes Committee Information Terms of Service top Chamber District Dates of Service Legislatures Party City/County Note Counties in District H 16-1 Jan 8, 1929 - Jan 13, 1931 41st   Democrat Beaumont / Jefferson   Jefferson H 16-1 Jan 11, 1927 - Jan 8, 1929 40th   Democrat Beaumont / Jefferson   Jefferson H 16-1 Jan 13, 1925 - Jan 11, 1927 39th   Democrat Beaumont / Jefferson   Jefferson   Biographical Notes and Resources top Other Resources "A young school teacher at the time, J.W. Kinnear" quoted in "Old-Timers Say 'Never Been Anything Like Spindletop," 1/20/1951, p. 9, with artist Milton Turner's drawings of the oil derricks and tank battery at the Spindletop oil field. Abilene Reporter-News. Quoted in "Fabulous Prices on Leases Came with Spindletop," 12/24/1944, p. 13, about the history of the Spindletop oil gusher. "He is J.W. Kinnear, tax assessor-collector for the South Park School District, a position he has held for 29 years. 'Within 30 minutes after the [sic] blew in, I was there,' Kinnear relates. 'It was a mighty sight and its great roar made many fearful that the earth would cave in.' He was almost the owner of a tract on Spindletop when the well came in." Big Spring Daily Herald. Oral History of the Texas Oil Industry Records, James W. Kinnear interview and transcript [part 1 of 2], Reel 107a, "Kinnear discusses teaching school and oil-field work in Beaumont area; life in Spindletop, Sour Lake, Batson, and Saratoga; and tax assessing at Spindletop." James William Kinnear, birth date 4/6/1872. Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin, 2006. Census of 1930 - James W. Kinnear, Jefferson County, age 58, born circa 1872 in Illinois, tax collector, spouse Mary I., sons Clarence W., Leland P., William M., Doyle F., and Robert C. FamilySearch. James William Kinnear, birth date 4/6/1872 in Hamilton County, Illinois; death date 11/19/1959 in Beaumont; retired tax collector, South Park Ind. School Dist. FamilySearch Texas Deaths, 1890-1976. James William Kinnear, birth date 4/6/1872, death date 11/19/1959, interment in Forest Lawn Memorial Park and Funeral Home, Beaumont, Jefferson County, spouse Mary Ione Crouch Kinnear. Find a Grave. J.W. Kinnear mentioned in interview with grandson Robert C. 'Bob' Kinnear, Jr. "Lasting Legacies: Generations Build for the Future," Cardinal Cadence, Summer 2004. "The elder Kinnear’s career continued from school teacher to tax assessor to Texas state representative (16th Legislative District, 1925-29) where he worked to pass legislation to facilitate state funding for junior colleges. That legislation paved the way for the creation of South Park Junior College – the predecessor to Lamar University – in 1923." Lamar University. 39th Legislature (1925) - James W. Kinnear, postoffice Beaumont, nativity Illinois, age 52, school district tax assessor and collector. 40th Legislature (1927) - J.W. Kinnear, postoffice Beaumont, nativity Illinois, age 54, oil business. 41st Legislature (1929) - J.W. Kinnear, postoffice Beaumont, Box 766, nativity Illinois, age 58, accountant. Texas Legislative Manual. Photographs Photograph. James Kinnear,39th Legislature, State Preservation Board Photograph. James Kinnear,40th Legislature, State Preservation Board Photograph. James Kinnear,41st Legislature, State Preservation Board Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol 39th session composite photo of House members (3rd floor back hall, east wall. 3W.C1). State Preservation Board. 40th session composite photo of House members (3rd floor back hall, east wall. 3W.C1). State Preservation Board. 41st session composite photo of House members (3rd floor back hall, east wall. 3W.C1). State Preservation Board. Committee Informationtop 41st R.S. - 1929 Common Carriers (Chair)  Education   Examination of Comptroller's and Treasurer's Accounts   Municipal and Private Corporations   Public Lands and Buildings   Purchasing Land for Juvenile Training School, Investigate   40th R.S. - 1927 Common Carriers   Education   Examination of Comptroller's and Treasurer's Accounts (Chair)  Municipal and Private Corporations   State Eleemosynary and Reformatory Institutions   39th R.S. - 1925 Common Carriers   Examination of Comptroller's and Treasurer's Accounts   Municipal and Private Corporations   Public Printing

This website is a work in progress. Information on this website is provided as a public service by the Legislative Reference Library. The Legislative Reference Library makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy and makes no warranty in regard to its use. Users assume all risk of reliance on the information included on this site.

Have a question, comment or contribution? Email the Library or call 512-463-1252.

Many photos in Texas Legislators: Past and Present are used with permission of the Texas State Preservation Board. For permission to reproduce these photos, please contact the Texas State Preservation Board graphics coordinator at 512-475-3060.