Chamber	District	Dates of Service	Legislatures	Party	City/County	Note	Counties in District
S	1	Jan 14, 1975 - Jan 9, 1979	65th 64th 65th	Democrat	Paris / Lamar	Dean of the Senate. (65th) Dean of the Senate. (64th)	Bowie, Camp, Cass, Delta, Fannin, Franklin, Grayson, Harrison, Hopkins, Lamar, Marion, Morris, Red River, Titus
S	1	Jan 9, 1973 - Jan 14, 1975	63rd ⁽¹⁾	Democrat	Paris / Lamar	Dean of the Senate. (63rd)	Bowie, Camp, Cass, Delta, Fannin, Franklin, Grayson, Harrison, Hopkins, Lamar, Marion, Morris, Red River, Titus
S	1	Jan 14, 1969 - Jan 9, 1973	62nd 61st 62nd	Democrat	Paris / Lamar	Dean of the Senate. (62nd) Dean of the Senate. (61st)	Bowie, Camp, Cass, Delta, Fannin, Franklin, Harrison, Hopkins, Lamar, Marion, Morris, Red River, Titus
S	1	Jan 10, 1967 - Jan 14, 1969	60th ⁽²⁾	Democrat	Paris / Lamar	Dean of the Senate. (60th)	Bowie, Camp, Cass, Delta, Fannin, Franklin, Harrison, Hopkins, Lamar, Marion, Morris, Red River, Titus
S	1	Jan 8, 1963 - Jan 10, 1967	59th 58th ⁽³⁾ ⁽⁴⁾ ⁽⁵⁾ 59th	Democrat	Paris / Lamar	Dean of the Senate. (59th) Dean of the Senate. (58th)	Bowie, Cass, Delta, Franklin, Hopkins, Lamar, Marion, Morris, Red River, Titus
S	1	Jan 13, 1959 - Jan 8, 1963	56th 57th	Democrat	Paris / Lamar		Bowie, Cass, Delta, Franklin, Hopkins, Lamar, Marion, Morris, Red River, Titus
S	1	Jan 11, 1955 - Jan 13, 1959	54th 55th	Democrat	Paris / Lamar		Bowie, Cass, Delta, Franklin, Hopkins, Lamar, Marion, Morris, Red River, Titus
S	1	Jan 13, 1953 - Jan 11, 1955	53rd ⁽⁶⁾	Democrat	Paris / Lamar		Bowie, Cass, Delta, Franklin, Hopkins, Lamar, Marion, Morris, Red River, Titus
S	8	Jan 11, 1949 - Jan 13, 1953	51st 52nd	Democrat	Paris / Lamar		Delta, Franklin, Hopkins, Lamar, Red River
S	8	Jan 9, 1945 - Jan 11, 1949	49th 50th	Democrat	Paris / Lamar		Delta, Franklin, Hopkins, Lamar, Red River
S	8	Jan 14, 1941 - Jan 9, 1945	48th ⁽⁷⁾ 47th 48th ⁽⁷⁾	Democrat	Paris / Lamar	Senate President Pro Tempore (48th)	Delta, Franklin, Hopkins, Lamar, Red River
S	8	Jan 12, 1937 - Jan 14, 1941	45th ⁽⁹⁾ 46th ⁽⁸⁾	Democrat	Paris / Lamar		Delta, Franklin, Hopkins, Lamar, Red River
H	37	Jan 8, 1935 - Jan 12, 1937	44th	Democrat	Paris / Lamar		Fannin, Lamar
H	37	Jan 10, 1933 - Jan 8, 1935	43rd ⁽¹⁰⁾	Democrat	Paris / Lamar		Fannin, Lamar

(1) 63rd Legislature - Drawing for Terms of Office, 1/10/1973, pp. 12-13. Drew 2-year term. Senate Journal.
(2) 60th Legislature - Drawing for Terms of Office, 1/11/1967, p. 19. Drew 2-year term. Senate Journal.
(3) 58th Legislature - Drawing for Terms of Office, 1/9/1963, p. 16. Drew 4-year term. Senate Journal.
(4) 58th Legislature - Presentation of Dean of Senate, 1/9/1963, p. 15. Senator Reagan by unanimous consent presented Senator A. M. Aikin, Jr., as Dean of the Senate, succeeding former Senator R. A. Weinert of Seguin. Senate Journal.
(5) See the Senate Journal, 58th Legislature, p. 15. Texas Senate, Secretary of the Senate - Memo, January 8, 2002, 'Deans of the Texas Senate', 2002.
(6) 53rd Legislature - Drawing for Terms of Office, 1/14/1953, pp. 16-17. Drew 2-year term. Senate Journal.
(7) 48th Legislature - Senate President Pro Tempore, Ad Interim R.S., elected 5/11/1943. Senate Journal.
(8) 46th Legislature - Roll Call of Senators, holdover Senators "who were Members of the Forty-fifth Legislature and whose terms of office continue for the duration of the Forty-sixth Legislature," 1/10/1939, pp. 1-2. Senate Journal.
(9) 45th Legislature - Oath of Office Administered to Senators-Elect, 1/12/1937, p. 2. Senate Journal.
(10) Name, postoffice, occupation, association membership, relationship to persons in state or county government. Resolution, 9/18/1933, pp. 45-48, and Questionnaire Authorized and Directed by Resolution Adopted by the House, 10/11/1933, pp. 588-601. House Journal.

Biographical Notes and Resources top

Selected Newspaper articles

Resolutions and Journal entries

61st Legislature, 1st C.S., SR 35. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
62nd Legislature, 3rd C.S., SR 347, recognizing Senator A.M. Aikin, Jr. as the "Father of Modern Texas Education" and providing that a portrait of A.M. Aikin, Jr. be hung in the Senate Chamber. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
63rd Legislature, R.S., SCR 95, calling for a Joint Session of the Legislature for the formal unveiling of the portrait of Senator A.M. Aikin, Jr. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
63rd Legislature, R.S., SCR 95. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
64th Legislature, R.S., SR 592. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
65th Legislature, 1st C.S., SR 29 and 65th Legislature, 2nd C.S., SR 92. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary
65th Legislature, R.S., SR 744. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
66th Legislature, R.S., HR 179. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
67th Legislature, 2nd C.S., SCR 12. Resolutions - Memorial.
Addresses to Joint Session honoring Senator A.M. Aikin, Jr., by Senator Ralph Hall, Representative Menton Murray, Governor Dolph Briscoe, and Senator A.M. Aikin, Jr., pursuant to SR 347, 62nd 3rd C.S. and SCR 95, 63rd R.S. 63rd Legislature, R.S., 5/26/1973, pp. 1557-1560. Senate Journal.
Tribute to Senator A.M. Aikin, Jr. by Senators and Governor Dolph Briscoe, Address by Senator Aikin, 65th Legislature, 2nd C.S., 8/8/1978, pp. 208-215. Senate Journal.

Biographical Sketches

Biographical sketch and description of the Aikin Archive collection, A.M. and Welma Aikin Regional Archives.
A.M. Aikin, Jr., birth date 10/9/1905, death date 10/24/1981, burial in Evergreen Cemetery, Paris, Lamar County. Includes "A Life of Service," biographical sketch of Alexander Mack Aikin, Jr., from the A.M. and Welma Aikin Jr. Regional Archives at Paris Junior College. Find a Grave.
AIKIN, A.M., JR. (1905-1981). Handbook of Texas Online.
Biographical sketch and photo. Senate Biographies, 63rd Legislature, 1973.
Biographical sketch and photo. The Senators of Texas, 64th Session, 1975.

Other Resources

Joint session of the legislature called to honor A.M. Aikin, Jr., "a tradition very seldom broken that this state honor a living human being," "Dean of Legislature Honored at Capitol," 5/27/1973. Austin American-Statesman.
Relatives: A.M. Aikin, Jr. - father; A.M. Aikin, III - son; "Aikin to Run for Education Board," 11/11/1987. Austin American-Statesman.
"And for those who have wondered what 'A.M.' stands for—it's initials only, no first or middle name," "A Tribute to 37 Years of Service," 5/24/1973, p. 27. Dallas Morning News.
Census of 1910 - Alexander M. Aikin, Lamar County, age 4, born circa 1906 in Texas, son of Alexander M. Aikin.
Census of 1920 - Alexander Aikin, Jr., Lamar County, age 14, born circa 1906 in Texas, son of Alexander M. Aikin.
Census of 1930 - A.M. Aiken, Paris, Lamar County, age 22, born circa 1908 in Texas, salesman/dry goods store, wife Wilma.
Census of 1940 - "A.M." Aikin, Paris, Lamar County, age 33, born circa 1907 in Texas, Senator/State of Texas, wife Wilma. FamilySearch. 1910 1920 1930 1940
Photograph, Gilmer-Aikin Bills: a Study in the Legislative Process, 1950.
Occupational and biographical information - 45th Legislature, Chapter 1, "The Big Job," pp. 1-17. The Legislature and the Texas People, 1937.
Obituary, 10/26/1981, "A.M. Aikin, Longest Tenured in Texas Legislature, Is Dead." New York Times.
Mentioned in history of Senatorial redistricting for Lamar County, "Backward Glances (from the scrapbooks of the late A.W. Neville, Editor of the Paris News, 1936-1956, 3/14/1951)," republished 8/26/1976, p. 6. Paris News.
Delegate to the Texas Constitutional Convention, 1974. Record of Proceedings, Texas Constitutional Convention: Official Journals, January 8 - July 30, 1974, 1975.
As Senate President Pro Tem, Aikin declared martial law in Beaumont, TX, following race riots, "Sen. Aikin has Busy Time Pinch-Hitting for Stevenson as Martial Law Reigns," 6/21/1943. State Observer.
Photo, Texas Education Agency.

Photographs

Photograph. A.M. Aikin, Jr., 65th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. A.M. Aikin, Jr., 64th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. A.M. Aikin, Jr., 63rd Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. A.M. Aikin, Jr., 62nd Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. A.M. Aikin, Jr., 61st Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. A.M. Aikin, Jr., 60th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. A.M. Aikin, Jr., 59th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. A.M. Aikin, Jr., 58th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. A.M. Aikin, Jr., 57th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. A.M. Aikin, Jr., 56th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. A.M. Aikin, Jr., 56th Legislature, Texas Yearbook, 56th Legislature
Photograph. A.M. Aikin, Jr., 55th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. A.M. Aikin, Jr., 54th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. A.M. Aikin, Jr., 53rd Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. A.M. Aikin, Jr., 52nd Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. A.M. Aikin, Jr., 51st Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. A.M. Aikin, Jr., 50th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. A.M. Aikin, Jr., 49th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. A.M. Aikin, Jr., 48th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. A.M. Aikin, Jr., 47th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. A.M. Aikin, Jr., 46th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. A.M. Aikin, Jr., 45th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. A.M. Aikin, Jr., 44th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. A.M. Akin, Jr., 43rd Legislature, State Preservation Board

Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol

45th session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
46th session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
47th session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
48th session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
49th session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
50th session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
51st session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
52nd session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
53rd session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
54th session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
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.
64th session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
65th session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, west wall. GE.L1). State Preservation Board.
43rd session composite photo of House members (3rd floor back hall, east wall. 3W.C1). State Preservation Board.
44th session composite photo of House members (3rd floor back hall, east wall. 3W.C1). State Preservation Board.

Committee Information top

65th R.S. - 1977 Education Finance (Chair) State Affairs
64th R.S. - 1975 Education Finance (Chair) State Affairs Texas Constitution (Chair)
63rd R.S. - 1973 Education Finance (Chair) State Affairs
62nd R.S. - 1971 Administration (Vice Chair) Administration Commerce and Industry County, District and Urban Affairs Education Environment Finance (Chair) General Investigating, Special Insurance Legislative, Congressional and Judicial Districts Nominations Public Junior Colleges, Interim Public School Finance, Interim Rules Rules of the Senate State Affairs Teacher Retirement Benefits, Interim Urban Education
61st R.S. - 1969 Commerce and Industry Consumer Protection Contingent Expense (Vice Chair) Education (Chair) Finance (Vice Chair) Insurance Legislative, Congressional, and Judicial Districts Mental Health and Mental Retardation Law Nominations Rules Rules of the Senate State Affairs State and Local School Disricts Financial Relationship (Committee of Eighteen) (Chair) State Departments and Institutions
60th R.S. - 1967 Banking Constitutional Revision Commission Contingent Expenses (Vice Chair) Education Finance (Chair) Insurance Legislative, Congressional and Judicial Districts Nominations Rules (Chair) Rules of the Senate State Affairs
59th R.S. - 1965 Constitutional Amendments Contingent Expense (Chair) Counties, Cities and Towns Education Finance Insurance Jurisprudence Legislative, Congressional and Judicial Districts Nominations Public Health Rules (Chair) State Affairs Transportation
58th R.S. - 1963 Contingent Expense (Chair) Counties, Cities and Towns Education Finance Insurance Jurisprudence Legislative, Congressional, and Judicial Districts Nominations Privileges and Elections Public Health Rules State Affairs (Chair) Transportation
57th R.S. - 1961 Counties, Cities and Towns (Chair) Education Finance General Investigating Legislative, Congressional and Judicial Districts Privileges and Elections State Affairs State Insurance Board, Investigation Transportation
56th R.S. - 1959 Banking Counties, Cities and Towns (Chair) Education Finance General Investigating Privileges and Elections State Affairs Transportation
55th R.S. - 1957 Banking Education Finance Game and Fish Insurance Company of Texas (ICT), Investigation, Special Nominations Privileges and Elections Public School System (Hale-Aikin Committee of Twenty-Four) (Chair) State Affairs Transportation (Vice Chair)
54th R.S. - 1955 Commerce and Manufacturing Congressional Districts Conservation of Paintings Education Finance Game and Fish Insurance Labor Nominations of the Governor (Chair) Preservation and Conservation of Paintings, Special Segregation in Public Schools, Advisory Segregation in Public Schools, Legal and Legislative Subcommittee on State Affairs
53rd R.S. - 1953 Assignment or Employment, Special (Chair) Banking Committee of the Whole Senate Contingent Expenses (Chair) Educational Affairs (Chair) Finance General Investigating Labor Preservation and Conservation of Paintings, Special State Affairs State Highways and Motor Traffic Texas Commission on Higher Education
52nd R.S. - 1951 Assignment, Special Congressional Districts Contingent Expenses Educational Affairs (Chair) Finance Labor Nominations of the Governor (Vice Chair) State Affairs State Highways and Motor Traffic
51st R.S. - 1949 Aeronautics Banking Civil Jurisprudence Contingent Expenses (Chair) Education Employees Assignment, Special (Chair) Finance General Investigating (Chair) General Investigating, Special (Chair) Labor Nominations of the Governor Rules State Affairs (Chair) Water Rights, Irrigation and Drainage
50th R.S. - 1947 Aeronautics Banking (Vice Chair) Civil Jurisprudence Constitutional Amendments Contingent Expense (Chair) Education Employees Assignment, Special (Chair) Finance (Vice Chair) General Investigating, Special (Chair) Highways and Motor Traffic Labor Nominations of Governor Penitentiaries Public School System of Texas (Gilmer-Aikin), Special Rules Rural Aid Equalization, Special Joint Legislative State Affairs
49th R.S. - 1945 Agriculture Civil Jurisprudence Contingent Expense (Chair) Education (Vice Chair) Employment, Special (Chair) Enrolled Bills Finance Labor Military Affairs Public Lands and Land Office Veterans' Affairs
48th R.S. - 1943 Agricultural Affairs Brazos River Conservation and Reclamation District, Investigation, Special Civil Jurisprudence (Vice Chair) Congressional Districts Constitutional Amendments Education Finance Interstate Cooperation Judicial Districts Labor Military Affairs Nominations of the Governor Public Lands and Land Office Rules (Chair) State Penitentiaries Textbooks and The University of Texas, Investigation, Special and Interim
47th R.S. - 1941 Agriculture Civil Jurisprudence Constitutional Amendments Counties and County Boundaries (Vice Chair) Education Eleemosynary Appropriation, Special Finance (Chair) General Investigating, Special Highways and Motor Traffic Judicial Districts Military Affairs Nominations of Governor Senatorial Districts
46th R.S. - 1939 Agriculture Civil Jurisprudence Constitutional Amendments Education (Chair) Finance Highways and Motor Traffic (Vice Chair) Judicial Districts Military Affairs Nominations of Governor Poet Laureate Selection, Special Privileges and Elections Public Lands and Land Office Towns and City Corporations
45th R.S. - 1937 Agricultural Affairs Banking Civil Jurisprudence Congressional Districts (Chair) Educational Affairs Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Rural Aid to Schools, Special Engrossed Bills Finance General Appropriations Bill Preparation, Special Mining, Irrigation and Drainage Nominations of the Governor Privileges and Elections (Vice Chair) Rules State Highways and Motor Traffic
44th R.S. - 1935 Appropriations Counties Education (Chair) Judicial Districts
43rd R.S. - 1933 Claims and Accounts Counties Education Judicial Districts State Eleemosynary and Reformatory Institutions

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