William Harrison Bledsoe

Full Name: William Harrison Bledsoe
Date of birth: December 23, 1869
Date of death: March 30, 1936

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	30	Jan 13, 1925 - Jan 8, 1929	39th ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾ ⁽⁴⁾ 40th ⁽¹⁾	Democrat	Lubbock / Lubbock	Senate President Pro Tempore (39th)	Andrews, Bailey, Borden, Cochran, Cottle, Crosby, Dawson, Dickens, Floyd, Gaines, Garza, Hale, Hockley, Howard, Kent, King, Lamb, Lubbock, Lynn, Martin, Motley, Stonewall, Terry, Yoakum
S	29	Jan 9, 1923 - Jan 13, 1925	38th ⁽⁵⁾ ⁽⁶⁾	Democrat	Lubbock / Lubbock		Archer, Armstrong, Bailey, Baylor, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Childress, Clay, Cochran, Collingsworth, Cottle, Crosby, Dallam, Deaf Smith, Dickens, Donley, Floyd, Foard, Gray, Hale, Hall, Hansford, Hardeman, Hartley, Hemphill, Hockley, Hutchinson, Jack, King, Knox, Lamb, Lipscomb, Lubbock, Moore, Motley, Ochiltree, Oldham, Parmer, Potter, Randall, Roberts, Sherman, Swisher, Throckmorton, Wheeler, Wichita, Wilbarger, Young
S	29	Jul 17, 1919 - Jan 9, 1923	36th ⁽⁸⁾ ⁽⁹⁾ 37th ⁽⁷⁾	Democrat	Lubbock / Lubbock		Archer, Armstrong, Bailey, Baylor, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Childress, Clay, Cochran, Collingsworth, Cottle, Crosby, Dallam, Deaf Smith, Dickens, Donley, Floyd, Foard, Gray, Hale, Hall, Hansford, Hardeman, Hartley, Hemphill, Hockley, Hutchinson, Jack, King, Knox, Lamb, Lipscomb, Lubbock, Moore, Motley, Ochiltree, Oldham, Parmer, Potter, Randall, Roberts, Sherman, Swisher, Throckmorton, Wheeler, Wichita, Wilbarger, Young
H	122	Jan 14, 1919 - Jul 17, 1919	36th ⁽⁸⁾ ⁽⁹⁾	Democrat	Lubbock / Lubbock		Andrews, Borden, Briscoe, Cochran, Crosby, Dawson, Gaines, Garza, Hockley, Lubbock, Lynn, Terry, Yoakum
H	122	Jan 9, 1917 - Jan 14, 1919	35th	Democrat	Lubbock / Lubbock		Andrews, Borden, Briscoe, Cochran, Crosby, Dawson, Floyd, Gaines, Garza, Hockley, Lubbock, Lynn, Terry, Yoakum
H	122	Oct 9, 1915 - Jan 9, 1917	34th ⁽¹⁰⁾ ⁽¹¹⁾	Democrat	Lubbock / Lubbock		Andrews, Borden, Briscoe, Cochran, Crosby, Dawson, Floyd, Gaines, Garza, Hockley, Lubbock, Lynn, Terry, Yoakum

(1) 40th Legislature - Roll Call of Holdover Senators, 1/11/1927, p. 1. Senate Journal.
(2) 39th Legislature - Senate President Pro Tempore, Ad Interim R.S., elected 3/19/1925. Senate Journal.
(3) 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.
(4) 39th Legislature - Drawing for Terms of Office, 1/15/1925, pp. 34-35. Drew 4-year term. Senate Journal.
(5) 2-year term; entire Senate went up for reelection in 1924 due to redistricting. Act approved 1921 and effective Apr. 1, 1924, 37th Leg., 1st C.S., ch. 60, Apportionment Laws of Texas, 1836-1950, 1950.
(6) 38th Legislature - List of State Senators Elected at the General Election Held November Seventh, 1922, oath of office administered, 1/9/1923, p. 1-2. Senate Journal.
(7) 37th Legislature - Roll Call of Holdover Senators, 1/11/1921, pp. 1-2. Senate Journal.
(8) In Senate, William Bledsoe, in special election 7/14/1919, sworn 7/17/1919, succeeded William S. Bell, died 6/21/1919. In House, Roy Baldwin, in special election 8/30/1919, sworn 5/20/1920, succeeded William H. Bledsoe, resigned 7/17/1919. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
(9) 36th Legislature, 2nd C.S. - Oath of office administered 7/17/1919, pp. 458-459. No committee appointments listed in 2nd C.S. Senate Journal.
(10) William Bledsoe, in special election 10/9/1915, succeeded Don H. Biggers, resigned 9/3/1915. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
(11) Assumed Democrat based on listing as Democrat in 35th-40th Legislatures. Texas Legislative Manual.

Terms of Service top

Senate District 30
Jan 13, 1925 - Jan 8, 1929
Legislatures: 39th ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾ ⁽⁴⁾ 40th ⁽¹⁾
Senate President Pro Tempore (39th)
(39th)
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Lubbock / Lubbock
Counties in district: Andrews, Bailey, Borden, Cochran, Cottle, Crosby, Dawson, Dickens, Floyd, Gaines, Garza, Hale, Hockley, Howard, Kent, King, Lamb, Lubbock, Lynn, Martin, Motley, Stonewall, Terry, Yoakum

Senate District 29
Jan 9, 1923 - Jan 13, 1925
Legislatures: 38th ⁽⁵⁾ ⁽⁶⁾
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Lubbock / Lubbock
Counties in district: Archer, Armstrong, Bailey, Baylor, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Childress, Clay, Cochran, Collingsworth, Cottle, Crosby, Dallam, Deaf Smith, Dickens, Donley, Floyd, Foard, Gray, Hale, Hall, Hansford, Hardeman, Hartley, Hemphill, Hockley, Hutchinson, Jack, King, Knox, Lamb, Lipscomb, Lubbock, Moore, Motley, Ochiltree, Oldham, Parmer, Potter, Randall, Roberts, Sherman, Swisher, Throckmorton, Wheeler, Wichita, Wilbarger, Young

Senate District 29
Jul 17, 1919 - Jan 9, 1923
Legislatures: 36th ⁽⁸⁾ ⁽⁹⁾ 37th ⁽⁷⁾
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Lubbock / Lubbock
Counties in district: Archer, Armstrong, Bailey, Baylor, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Childress, Clay, Cochran, Collingsworth, Cottle, Crosby, Dallam, Deaf Smith, Dickens, Donley, Floyd, Foard, Gray, Hale, Hall, Hansford, Hardeman, Hartley, Hemphill, Hockley, Hutchinson, Jack, King, Knox, Lamb, Lipscomb, Lubbock, Moore, Motley, Ochiltree, Oldham, Parmer, Potter, Randall, Roberts, Sherman, Swisher, Throckmorton, Wheeler, Wichita, Wilbarger, Young

House District 122
Jan 14, 1919 - Jul 17, 1919
Legislatures: 36th ⁽⁸⁾ ⁽⁹⁾
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Lubbock / Lubbock
Counties in district: Andrews, Borden, Briscoe, Cochran, Crosby, Dawson, Gaines, Garza, Hockley, Lubbock, Lynn, Terry, Yoakum

House District 122
Jan 9, 1917 - Jan 14, 1919
Legislatures: 35th
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Lubbock / Lubbock
Counties in district: Andrews, Borden, Briscoe, Cochran, Crosby, Dawson, Floyd, Gaines, Garza, Hockley, Lubbock, Lynn, Terry, Yoakum

House District 122
Oct 9, 1915 - Jan 9, 1917
Legislatures: 34th ⁽¹⁰⁾ ⁽¹¹⁾
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Lubbock / Lubbock
Counties in district: Andrews, Borden, Briscoe, Cochran, Crosby, Dawson, Floyd, Gaines, Garza, Hockley, Lubbock, Lynn, Terry, Yoakum

Biographical Information top

Selected newspaper articles

Resolutions and Journal entries

38th Legislature, 3rd Called Session, "On Members of the Senate," pp. 325-326. Senate Journal.

Biographical Sketches

William Harrison Bledsoe, birth date 12/23/1869, death date 3/30/1936, burial in City of Lubbock Cemetery, Lubbock, Lubbock County. Grave marker inscription: "Author of Senate Bill No. 103 creating Texas Technological College." Includes photo and biographical sketch. Find a Grave.
BLEDSOE, WILLIAM HARRISON (1869-1936). Handbook of Texas Online.
Biographical sketch, William H. Bledsoe, Volume III, p. 1321. Born 12/23/1869 in Cleburne, Texas. Mentions father W.S. Bledsoe, who served in the state legislature in 1870-1871, during the Davis administration. A History of Texas and Texans, 1914.
Biographical sketch and inventory of the William H. Bledsoe papers, Southwest Collection, Special Collections Library. Texas Tech University Libraries.

Other Resources

Obituary, "Bledsoe, Former Legislator, Dies at Lubbock Home," 4/1/1936, p. 1. Dallas Morning News.
William H. Bledsoe, birth date 12/23/1869 in Texas; death date 3/30/1936 in Lubbock, Lubbock County; lawyer; wife Mrs. Emma Bledsoe. FamilySearch Texas Deaths, 1890-1976.
Obituary and photo, "W.H. Bledsoe Is Claimed by Death," 3/31/1936, pp. 1, 7. Includes legislative history of Senate Bill 103, 38th Legislature, R.S., establishing Texas Technological College (Texas Tech University). Lubbock Morning Avalanche.
"William Harrison Bledsoe and the Founding of Texas Tech University, " Vol. 78, 2002, pp. 38-53. Relatives: Willis Scott Bledsoe - father; William Harrison Bledsoe - son. West Texas Historical Association Yearbook, 1925.

Photographs

Photograph. W.H. Bledsoe, 40th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. W.H. Bledsoe, 39th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. W.H. Bledsoe, 38th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. W.H. Bledsoe, 37th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. W.H. Bledsoe, 36th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. W.H. Bledsoe, 35th Legislature, State Preservation Board

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.
34th session composite photo of House members (House chamber gallery, west wall. 3W.2). State Preservation Board.
35th session composite photo of House members (House chamber gallery, west wall. 3W.2). State Preservation Board.
36th session composite photo of House members (House chamber gallery, west wall. 3W.2). State Preservation Board.

Committee Information top

40th R.S. - 1927 Banking Civil Jurisprudence Commerce and Manufactures Contingent Expenses (Chair) Criminal Jurisprudence Finance Mining, Irrigation and Drainage (Chair) Nominations by Governor Public Health Public Land and Land Office Stock and Stock Raising
39th R.S. - 1925 Banking Civil Jurisprudence Commerce and Manufactures Contingent Expense (Vice Chair) Criminal Jurisprudence Finance Mining, Irrigation and Drainage (Chair) Public Land and Land Office Stock and Stock Raising
38th R.S. - 1923 Civil Jurisprudence Congressional Districts (Chair) Constitutional Amendments Federal Relations Mining, Irrigation and Drainage (Chair) Nominations by the Governor Penitentiary Relocating and Investigating Committee, Joint Public Health Senatorial Districts State Institutions and Departments State Penitentiaries State Railroad, Joint Committee to Visit Stock and Stock Raising
37th R.S. - 1921 Agricultural and Mechanical College Hazing Investigating Civil Jurisprudence Constitutional Amendments Labor Military Affairs Mining, Irrigation and Drainage (Chair) Public Health Public Lands and Land Office Senatorial Districts State Penitentiaries (Vice Chair) Stock and Stock Raising
36th R.S. - 1919 Agricultural Affairs (Chair) Constitutional Amendments Counties and County Boundaries Exterminating Pink Boll Worm, Investigate (Vice Chair) Federal Relations Judiciary (Chair) Public Lands and Buildings Ranger Force, Investigate (Chair) Rules Stock and Stock Raising University of Texas Medical Department, Investigate
35th R.S. - 1917 Charges Against James E. Ferguson, Governor, Investigate Committee to Investigate Certain Expenditures Irrigation Liquor Traffic Public Debt Public Lands and Land Office (Vice Chair) Reforms in Civil Procedure Select an Attorney to Represent the House during the Investigation of Impeachment Charges Against Governor James E. Ferguson. Stock and Stock Raising

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.

Party information is not available for the 1st-11th Legislatures.

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.