William Roy Cousins, Sr.

Full Name: William Roy Cousins, Sr.
Date of birth: January 28, 1881
Date of death: August 30, 1975

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	4	Jan 13, 1931 - Jan 8, 1935	42nd ⁽²⁾ 43rd ⁽¹⁾	Democrat	Beaumont / Jefferson		Hardin, Jefferson, Liberty, Orange
S	4	Jan 28, 1929 - Jan 13, 1931	41st ⁽³⁾ ⁽⁴⁾ ⁽⁵⁾ ⁽⁶⁾ ⁽⁷⁾	Democrat	Beaumont / Jefferson	Senate President Pro Tempore (41st)	Hardin, Jefferson, Liberty, Orange
S	14	Jan 9, 1923 - Jan 13, 1925	38th ⁽⁸⁾ ⁽⁹⁾	Democrat	Bronson / Sabine		Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Sabine, San Augustine, Tyler
S	14	Jan 14, 1919 - Jan 9, 1923	36th ⁽¹¹⁾ 37th ⁽¹⁰⁾	Democrat	Hemphill / Sabine		Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Sabine, San Augustine, Tyler

(1) 43rd Legislature - Roll Call of Holdover Senators, 1/10/1933, p. 1. Senate Media.
(2) 42nd Legislature - Roll Call of Newly-Elected Senators, oath of office administered, 1/13/1931, p. 1. Senate Journal.
(3) 41st Legislature - Senate President Pro Tempore, Ad Interim R.S., elected 3/14/1929. Senate Journal.
(4) "Fifteen State Senators Must Seek Re-Election in Summer", 1/3/1930, p. 2. Big Spring Daily Herald.
(5) Wilfred R. Cousins, Sr., in special election 1/21/1929, sworn in 41st Legislature, succeeded Henry F. Triplett, died 12/14/1928. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
(6) Swearing in date is uncertain; Senator Cousins was introduced to the Senate on 1/28/1929, p. 262. Senate Journal.
(7) Assumed Democrat based on listing as a Democrat in the 36th, 37th, 38th, 42nd, and 43rd Legislatures. Texas Legislative Manual.
(8) 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.
(9) 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.
(10) 37th Legislature - Roll Call of Holdover Senators, 1/11/1921, pp. 1-2. Senate Journal.
(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 4
Jan 13, 1931 - Jan 8, 1935
Legislatures: 42nd ⁽²⁾ 43rd ⁽¹⁾
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Beaumont / Jefferson
Counties in district: Hardin, Jefferson, Liberty, Orange

Senate District 4
Jan 28, 1929 - Jan 13, 1931
Legislatures: 41st ⁽³⁾ ⁽⁴⁾ ⁽⁵⁾ ⁽⁶⁾ ⁽⁷⁾
Senate President Pro Tempore (41st)
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Beaumont / Jefferson
Counties in district: Hardin, Jefferson, Liberty, Orange

Senate District 14
Jan 9, 1923 - Jan 13, 1925
Legislatures: 38th ⁽⁸⁾ ⁽⁹⁾
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Bronson / Sabine
Counties in district: Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Sabine, San Augustine, Tyler

Senate District 14
Jan 14, 1919 - Jan 9, 1923
Legislatures: 36th ⁽¹¹⁾ 37th ⁽¹⁰⁾
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Hemphill / Sabine
Counties in district: Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Sabine, San Augustine, Tyler

Biographical Information top

Resolutions and Journal entries

65th Legislature, R.S., SR 42. W.R. Cousins, Sr. Death date 8/30/1976. Resolutions - Memorial.
70th Legislature, 2nd C.S., SR 125. Wilfred Roy Cousins. Relatives - William Roy Cousins - father, Wilfred Roy Cousins, Jr. - son. Sources indicate father/son relationship. Most use Jr./Sr. designation in spite of difference in given names. Resolutions - Memorial.

Biographical Sketches

Biographical sketch, "Who's Who and What's What in the Texas Legislature," by Ed Kilman, 2/11/1929, p. 7. Houston Post-Dispatch.
Memorial, February 1976, p. 178. Texas Bar Journal.

Other Resources

William Roy Cousins, birth date 1/28/1881 in Newton; death date 8/30/1975 in Beaumont, Jefferson County; self-employed attorney-rancher; informant Mr. W.R. Cousins, Jr. (son). FamilySearch Texas Deaths, 1890-1976.
William Roy Cousins, Sr., birth date 1/28/1881, death date 8/30/1975, burial in Forest Lawn Memorial Park and Funeral Home, Beaumont, Jefferson County.
Wilfred Roy Cousins (Jr.) (1915-1987), burial in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Beaumont, Jefferson County. Find a Grave. Wilfred Roy Cousins (Jr.) William Roy Cousins, Sr.
Wilfred R. Cousins, Sr. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
William Roy Cousins (1881-1975), father of Wilfred Roy Cousins (1915-1987). Strong McLemore Genealogy, 2006. Wilfred Roy Cousins William Roy Cousins

Photographs

Photograph. W.R. Cousins, 43rd Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. W.R. Cousins, 42nd Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. W.R. Cousins, 41st Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. W.R. Cousins, 38th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. W.R. Cousins, 37th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. W.R. Cousins, 36th 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.
41st session composite photo of Senate members (3rd floor back hall corridor, east wall. 3E.C2). State Preservation Board.
42nd session composite photo of Senate members (3rd floor back hall corridor, east wall. 3E.C2). State Preservation Board.
43rd session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.

Committee Information top

43rd R.S. - 1933 Banking Civil Jurisprudence Criminal Jurisprudence Finance Highway Department Investigation, Committee of the Whole Senate Insurance Labor Mining, Irrigation and Drainage (Chair) Nominations of the Governor Privileges and Elections Public Health (Vice Chair) State Affairs Texas Rehabilitation and Relief Commission Investigation, Committee of the Whole Senate
42nd R.S. - 1931 Agricultural Affairs Banks and Banking Civil Jurisprudence Commerce and Manufacturing Criminal Jurisprudence Finance Insurance Labor Privileges and Elections Public Debt (Chair) State Affairs State Institutions and Departments
41st R.S. - 1929 Agricultural Affairs Banking Civil Jurisprudence Finance Labor Privileges and Elections State Highways and Motor Traffic State Penitentiaries
38th R.S. - 1923 Agricultural Affairs (Chair) Educational Affairs Finance Labor (Vice Chair) Roads, Bridges, and Ferries Stock and Stock Raising
37th R.S. - 1921 Congressional Districts Contingent Expense (Chair) Counties and County Boundaries Educational Affairs Enrolled Bills Finance Internal Improvements Labor Privileges and Elections (Vice Chair) Public Debts, Claims and Accounts
36th R.S. - 1919 Agricultural Affairs Commerce and Manufactures (Chair) Criminal Jurisprudence Educational Affairs Federal Relations (Vice Chair) Insurance and Banking Labor Military Affairs State Affairs (Vice Chair) State Institutions and Departments

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