Edgar Earnest Witt

Full Name: Edgar Earnest Witt
Date of birth: January 28, 1876
Date of death: July 11, 1965

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	13	Jan 8, 1929 - Mar 20, 1930	41st ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾	Democrat	Waco / McLennan	Senate President Pro Tempore (41st)	Falls, Limestone, McLennan, Milam
S	13	Jan 13, 1925 - Jan 8, 1929	39th ⁽⁵⁾ ⁽⁶⁾ 40th ⁽⁴⁾	Democrat	Waco / McLennan		Falls, Limestone, McLennan, Milam
S	11	Jan 11, 1921 - Jan 13, 1925	38th ⁽⁷⁾ ⁽⁸⁾ 37th ⁽⁹⁾ 38th ⁽⁷⁾ ⁽⁸⁾	Democrat	Waco / McLennan	Senate President Pro Tempore (38th)	Falls, McLennan, Milam
S	11	Jan 14, 1919 - Jan 11, 1921	36th ⁽¹⁰⁾ ⁽¹¹⁾	Democrat	Waco / McLennan		Falls, McLennan, Milam
H	63	Jan 12, 1915 - Jan 9, 1917	34th	Democrat	Waco / McLennan		Falls, Limestone, McLennan

(1) 41st Legislature - Senate President Pro Tempore, 4th C.S., elected 1/20/1930. Senate Journal.
(2) William R. Poage, in special election 11/4/1930, sworn in 42nd Legislature, succeeded to the unexpired term of Edgar E. Witt, resigned after 5th C.S. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
(3) 41st Legislature - Certificate of New Senators, oath of office administered, 1/8/1929, p. 1. Senate Journal.
(4) 40th Legislature - Roll Call of Holdover Senators, 1/11/1927, p. 1. Senate Journal.
(5) 39th Legislature - All 31 Senators were elected on November 4, 1924, per Secretary of State, oath of office administered, 1/13/1925, p. 1. Senate Journal.
(6) 39th Legislature - Drawing for Terms of Office, 1/15/1925, pp. 34-35. Drew 4-year term. Senate Journal.
(7) 38th Legislature - Senate President Pro Tempore, elected 3/15/1923, 1st C.S. Senate Journal.
(8) 38th Legislature - Roll Call of Holdover Senators, 1/9/1923, p. 1. Senate Journal.
(9) 37th Legislature - List of State Senators Elected at the General Election Held November 2nd, 1920, oath of office administered, 1/11/1921, pp. 2-3. Senate Journal.
(10) Edgar E. Witt, sworn 1/14/1919, succeeded Augustus R. McCollum, senator-elect, died 11/9/1918. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
(11) 36th Legislature - Member-elect in List of State Senators Elected at the General Election Held November 5th, 1918, oath of office administered, 1/14/1919, pp. 1-2. Senate Journal.

Terms of Service top

Senate District 13
Jan 8, 1929 - Mar 20, 1930
Legislatures: 41st ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾
Senate President Pro Tempore (38th)
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Waco / McLennan
Counties in district: Falls, Limestone, McLennan, Milam

Senate District 13
Jan 13, 1925 - Jan 8, 1929
Legislatures: 39th ⁽⁵⁾ ⁽⁶⁾ 40th ⁽⁴⁾
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Waco / McLennan
Counties in district: Falls, Limestone, McLennan, Milam

Senate District 11
Jan 11, 1921 - Jan 13, 1925
Legislatures: 38th ⁽⁷⁾ ⁽⁸⁾ 37th ⁽⁹⁾ 38th ⁽⁷⁾ ⁽⁸⁾
Senate President Pro Tempore (38th)
(38th)
(38th)
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Waco / McLennan
Counties in district: Falls, McLennan, Milam

Senate District 11
Jan 14, 1919 - Jan 11, 1921
Legislatures: 36th ⁽¹⁰⁾ ⁽¹¹⁾
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Waco / McLennan
Counties in district: Falls, McLennan, Milam

House District 63
Jan 12, 1915 - Jan 9, 1917
Legislatures: 34th
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Waco / McLennan
Counties in district: Falls, Limestone, McLennan

Biographical Information top

Selected newspaper articles

Biographical Sketches

Biography, 8/23/1930, p. 13. Dallas Morning News.
WITT, EDGAR E. (1876-1965). Handbook of Texas Online.
Biographical sketch, "Who's Who and What's What in the Texas Legislature," by Ed Kilman, 1/21/1929, p. 7. Houston Post-Dispatch.
29th Lieutenant Governor: Edgar E. Witt. Photo and biographical sketch. Presiding Officers of the Texas Legislature, 1846-2016, 2016.
Memorial, September 1965, p. 819. Texas Bar Journal.

Military Service Notes

United States Army, Captain, World War I. Military grave marker, Edgar E. Witt, birth date 1/28/1876, death date 7/11/1965, burial in Oakwood Cemetery, Waco, McLennan County. Find a Grave.
United States Army Service Corps, Captain, World War I. "While still stationed at an army camp in 1918, he ran successfully in a special election held to fill the vacant seat of Senator A.R. McCollum, who had died while in office." Presiding Officers of the Texas Legislature, 1846-2016, 2016.
United States Army Service Corps. Photo and salute. With Honor and Gratitude: A Special Thank You to Our Texas Senate Members Who Served Our Country, 2017.

Other Resources

Occupation and religious affiliation, 34th Legislature. "Occupations of Members of Legislative House," 3/14/1915, p. 4. Galveston Daily News.

Photographs

Photograph. Edgar E. Witt, 41st Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Edgar E. Witt, 40th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Edgar E. Witt, 39th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Edgar E. Witt, 38th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Edgar E. Witt, 37th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Edgar Witt, 36th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Edgar E. Witt, 34th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Edgar E. Witt, Presiding Officers of the Texas Legislature, 1846-2006

Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol

36th session composite photo of Senate members (3rd floor back hall corridor, west wall. 3E.C2). State Preservation Board.
37th session composite photo of Senate members (3rd floor back hall corridor, west wall. 3E.C2). State Preservation Board.
38th session composite photo of Senate members (3rd floor back hall corridor, west wall. 3E.C2). State Preservation Board.
39th session composite photo of Senate members (3rd floor back hall corridor, west wall. 3E.C2). State Preservation Board.
40th session composite photo of Senate members (3rd floor back hall corridor, west wall. 3E.C2). State Preservation Board.
41st session composite photo of Senate members (3rd floor back hall corridor, east wall. 3E.C2). State Preservation Board.
34th session composite photo of House members (House chamber gallery, west wall. 3W.2). State Preservation Board.

Committee Information top

41st R.S. - 1929 Commerce and Manufacture Criminal Jurisprudence (Vice Chair) Educational Affairs Enrolled Bills (Chair) Finance Insurance Military Affairs Prison Centralization Commission Public Debts State Affairs State Highways and Motor Traffic (Chair) State Penitentiaries Towns and City Corporations
40th R.S. - 1927 Banking Commerce and Manufactures Educational Affairs (Chair) Enrolled Bills (Vice Chair) Finance Highways and Motor Traffic Insurance Military Affairs Public Debts Public Health (Vice Chair) State Affairs State Penitentiaries Tax Survey Committee (Vice Chair) Towns and City Corporations
39th R.S. - 1925 Banking Commerce and Manufactures Educational Affairs (Chair) Enrolled Bills (Vice Chair) Finance Insurance Military Affairs Penitentiary Investigating Committee Public Debts Roads, Bridges and Ferries (Highways and Motor Traffic as of 1/23/1925) State Penitentiaries Town and City Corporations
38th R.S. - 1923 Constitutional Amendments Contingent Expense (Vice Chair) Criminal Jurisprudence Finance Rules State Affairs (Chair) State Penitentiaries (Vice Chair) Texas Employer's Insurance Association, Investigate
37th R.S. - 1921 Constitutional Amendments Educational Affairs (Chair) Graft Charges, Investigation of Insurance and Banking Judicial Districts (Vice Chair) Military Affairs Public Lands and Land Office Roads, Bridges and Ferries Rules State Affairs
36th R.S. - 1919 Agricultural Affairs Counties and County Boundaries Criminal Jurisprudence Educational Affairs Judicial Districts (Vice Chair) Land and Land Office Military Affairs (Chair) Public Printing Ranger Force, Investigate State Institutions and Departments
34th R.S. - 1915 Appropriations Inspect Capitol Insurance Judiciary Revenue and Taxation Senatorial Districts

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