W.J. Bryan

William John Bryan

Full Name: William John Bryan
Date of birth: September 28, 1859
Date of death: August 26, 1948

Terms of Service top

Chamber District Dates of Service Legislatures Party City/County Note Counties in District
S 28 Jan 12, 1909 - Jan 14, 1913 31st (2) (3)   32nd (1)   Democrat Abilene / Taylor   Andrews, Borden, Callahan, Crane, Dawson, Eastland, Ector, Fisher, Gaines, Garza, Glasscock, Haskell, Howard, Jones, Kent, Loving, Lynn, Martin, Midland, Mitchell, Nolan, Palo Pinto, Scurry, Shackelford, Stephens, Stonewall, Taylor, Terry, Upton, Ward, Winkler, Yoakum
H 103 Jan 8, 1907 - Jan 12, 1909 30th   Democrat Abilene / Taylor   Callahan, Jones, Taylor
H 103 Jan 10, 1905 - Jan 8, 1907 29th (4) (5) (6) (7)   Democrat Abilene / Taylor   Callahan, Jones, Taylor
H 103 Jan 13, 1903 - Jan 10, 1905 28th   Democrat Abilene / Taylor   Callahan, Jones, Taylor
H 107 Jan 8, 1901 - Jan 13, 1903 27th   Democrat Abilene / Taylor   Callahan, Jones, Shackelford, Taylor

(1) 32nd Legislature - Roll Call of holdover Senators, 1/10/1911, p. 1. Senate Journal.
(2) Democrat; roster of members of the 31st Legislature with biographical and party information. "Year Book 1909," Number 13, May-June 1910, pp. 408-415. Bulletin (Texas Department of Agriculture), 1910.
(3) 31st Legislature - Roll Call of Senators-elect, oath of office administered, 1/12/1909, pp. 1-2. Senate Journal.
(4) District 42 comprised of Limestone county; District 101 comprised of Loving, Winkler, Ward, Crane, Upton, Ector, Midland, Glasscock, Andrews, Howard, Mitchell, Nolan, Fisher, Scurry, Borden, Dawson, Gaines, Yoakum, Terry, Lynn, Garza, Kent, Crosby, Lubbock, Hockley, and Cochran counties; District 103 comprised of Jones, Taylor, and Callahan counties, pp. 34, 37, Acts of 1901, 27th Legislature, 1st C.S., ch. 8, Apportionment Laws of Texas, 1836-1950, 1950.
(5) District 42 represented by W.J. Bryan, p. 2. House Journal.
(6) District 103 represented by W. John Bryan, p. 298. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
(7) District 101 represented by W. J., p. 64. Texas Legislative Manual.

Terms of Service top

Senate District 28
Jan 12, 1909 - Jan 14, 1913
Legislatures: 31st (2) (3)   32nd (1)  
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Abilene / Taylor
Counties in district: Andrews, Borden, Callahan, Crane, Dawson, Eastland, Ector, Fisher, Gaines, Garza, Glasscock, Haskell, Howard, Jones, Kent, Loving, Lynn, Martin, Midland, Mitchell, Nolan, Palo Pinto, Scurry, Shackelford, Stephens, Stonewall, Taylor, Terry, Upton, Ward, Winkler, Yoakum
House District 103
Jan 8, 1907 - Jan 12, 1909
Legislatures: 30th  
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Abilene / Taylor
Counties in district: Callahan, Jones, Taylor
House District 103
Jan 10, 1905 - Jan 8, 1907
Legislatures: 29th (4) (5) (6) (7)  
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Abilene / Taylor
Counties in district: Callahan, Jones, Taylor
House District 103
Jan 13, 1903 - Jan 10, 1905
Legislatures: 28th  
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Abilene / Taylor
Counties in district: Callahan, Jones, Taylor
House District 107
Jan 8, 1901 - Jan 13, 1903
Legislatures: 27th  
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Abilene / Taylor
Counties in district: Callahan, Jones, Shackelford, Taylor

(1) 32nd Legislature - Roll Call of holdover Senators, 1/10/1911, p. 1. Senate Journal.
(2) Democrat; roster of members of the 31st Legislature with biographical and party information. "Year Book 1909," Number 13, May-June 1910, pp. 408-415. Bulletin (Texas Department of Agriculture), 1910.
(3) 31st Legislature - Roll Call of Senators-elect, oath of office administered, 1/12/1909, pp. 1-2. Senate Journal.
(4) District 42 comprised of Limestone county; District 101 comprised of Loving, Winkler, Ward, Crane, Upton, Ector, Midland, Glasscock, Andrews, Howard, Mitchell, Nolan, Fisher, Scurry, Borden, Dawson, Gaines, Yoakum, Terry, Lynn, Garza, Kent, Crosby, Lubbock, Hockley, and Cochran counties; District 103 comprised of Jones, Taylor, and Callahan counties, pp. 34, 37, Acts of 1901, 27th Legislature, 1st C.S., ch. 8, Apportionment Laws of Texas, 1836-1950, 1950.
(5) District 42 represented by W.J. Bryan, p. 2. House Journal.
(6) District 103 represented by W. John Bryan, p. 298. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
(7) District 101 represented by W. J., p. 64. Texas Legislative Manual.

Biographical Information top

Biographical Sketches

  • "Mrs. Bryan, Pioneer of Abilene, Dies," 7/22/1948, p. 1; "Funeral Set for Mrs. Bryan," 7/22/1948, p. 43. Martha Chaplain Dashielle (Mrs. W.J. Bryan), born 6/17/1881, married 5/31/1892. Legislative service of husband, "colorful and early-day legislator." Abilene Reporter-News.
  • Obituaries/editorial - "Senator W.J. Bryan, Pioneer Cattleman of T-Diamond Ranch Fame, Dies at Home," 8/27/1948, pp. 1, 3; "W.J. Bryan Dies; Rites Set Saturday," 8/27/1948, p. 1, 13; "Goodbye, Oldtimer," 8/29/1948, Society, Editorial, Features, p. 18. Abilene Reporter-News.
  • "John Bryan of Abilene Tallest State Senator," 1/27/1911, p. 4. "The tallest man in the senate, as well as the narrowest and of the smallest circumference, diameter, is W. John Bryan, senator from the 28th district . . . " Abilene Semi-Weekly Reporter, .
  • Biography in LRL collection, 328.764 B84R 1973. Provided by Hardin-Simmons University Richardson Library, Abilene, Texas. Confirms birth date 9/28/1859, death date 8/26/1948, and includes copies of obituary. The Life Story of William John Bryan 1859-1948, 1973.
  • Brief biographical sketch, W.J. Bryan, p. 200. The Twenty-Seventh Legislature and State Administration of Texas, 1901.

Other Resources

  • Obituary, "Early-Day Rancher Claimed at Abilene," 8/27/1948, p. 7. Lubbock Evening Journal.
  • Discusses State Senate campaign of 1908 between Royston Campbell Crane and W. John Bryan (Abilene, Taylor County), pp. 41-44. R.C. Crane and the Promotion of West Texas, 1996.
  • 32nd Legislature (1911) - W.J. Bryan, Abilene, Taylor County, nativity Texas, Stockman, Democrat, age 48. Texas Legislative Manual.

Photographs

  • Photograph. W.J. Bryan, 32nd Legislature, State Preservation Board
  • Photograph. W.J. Bryan, 31st Legislature, State Preservation Board
  • Photograph. W.J. Bryan, 30th Legislature, State Preservation Board
  • Photograph. W.J. Bryan, 29th Legislature, State Preservation Board
  • Photograph. W.J. Bryan, 28th Legislature, State Preservation Board
  • Photograph. W.S. Brayan, 27th Legislature, State Preservation Board

Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol

Committee Information top

32nd R.S. - 1911
Agricultural Affairs  
Constitutional Amendments  
Contingent Expenses  
Counties and County Boundaries  
Federal Relations  
Finance  
Insurance, Statistics and History  
Internal Improvements  
Labor  
Military Affairs  
Mining and Irrigation  
Picture of Senate of the 32nd Legislature, Special  
Senatorial Districts  
State Asylums (Chair) 
Stock and Stock Raising  
31st R.S. - 1909
Contingent Expenses  
Counties and County Boundaries  
Educational Affairs  
Internal Improvements  
Public Debt, Claims and Accounts  
Public Health (Vice Chair) 
Public Lands and Land Office  
Public Printing  
State Affairs  
State Asylums (Chair) 
Stock and Stock Raising  
Treasurer's and Comptroller's Departments  
30th R.S. - 1907
Appropriations  
Counties  
David Crockett Painting  
Public Lands and Land Office  
Rules  
State Affairs (Chair) 
Stock and Stock Raising  
29th R.S. - 1905
Appropriations Subcommitttee on the Epileptic Colony at Abilene  
Beef Trust, Investigate (Chair) 
Counties  
Election Law Enrollment, Investigate, Special  
Public Lands and Land Office (Chair) 
Revenue and Taxation  
State Affairs  
State Asylums  
28th R.S. - 1903
Counties and County Boundaries  
Public Lands and Land Office  
State Asylums  
Stock and Stock Raising  
27th R.S. - 1901
Agricultural and Mechanical College and Prairie View Normal and Industrial College  
Asylums  
Blind Asylum  
Congressional Districts  
Irrigation  
Private Land Claims  
Public Lands and Land Office  
Sam Houston Normal Institute  
Waters-Pierce Oil Company, Investigate  

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