Criss Cole

Full Name: Criss Cole
Date of birth: May 11, 1918
Date of death: June 21, 1985

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	6	Jan 10, 1967 - Jan 12, 1971	61st ⁽¹⁾ 60th ⁽²⁾ 61st ⁽¹⁾	Democrat	Houston / Harris	Senate President Pro Tempore (61st)	Harris
S	6	Jan 8, 1963 - Jan 10, 1967	58th ⁽³⁾ 59th	Democrat	Houston / Harris		Harris
H	22-7	Jan 10, 1961 - Jan 8, 1963	57th	Democrat	Houston / Harris		Harris
H	22-7	Jan 13, 1959 - Jan 10, 1961	56th	Democrat	Houston / Harris		Harris
H	22-7	Jan 8, 1957 - Jan 13, 1959	55th	Democrat	Houston / Harris		Harris
H	22-7	Jan 11, 1955 - Jan 8, 1957	54th	Democrat	Houston / Harris		Harris

(1) 61st Legislature - Senate President Pro Tempore, Ad Interim 2nd C.S., elected 9/9/1969. Senate Journal.
(2) 60th Legislature - Drawing for Terms of Office, 1/11/1967, p. 19. Drew 4-year term. Senate Journal.
(3) 58th Legislature - Drawing for Terms of Office, 1/9/1963, p. 16. Drew 4-year term. Senate Journal.

Terms of Service top

Senate District 6
Jan 10, 1967 - Jan 12, 1971
Legislatures: 61st ⁽¹⁾ 60th ⁽²⁾ 61st ⁽¹⁾
Senate President Pro Tempore (61st)
(61st)
(61st)
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Houston / Harris
Counties in district: Harris

Senate District 6
Jan 8, 1963 - Jan 10, 1967
Legislatures: 58th ⁽³⁾ 59th
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Houston / Harris
Counties in district: Harris

House District 22-7
Jan 10, 1961 - Jan 8, 1963
Legislatures: 57th
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Houston / Harris
Counties in district: Harris

House District 22-7
Jan 13, 1959 - Jan 10, 1961
Legislatures: 56th
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Houston / Harris
Counties in district: Harris

House District 22-7
Jan 8, 1957 - Jan 13, 1959
Legislatures: 55th
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Houston / Harris
Counties in district: Harris

House District 22-7
Jan 11, 1955 - Jan 8, 1957
Legislatures: 54th
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Houston / Harris
Counties in district: Harris

Biographical Information top

Selected newspaper articles

Resolutions and Journal entries

56th Legislature, R.S., HSR 611. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
57th Legislature, 1st C.S., HSR 169, officially designating August 7, 1961, as Criss Cole Day. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
57th Legislature, 1st C.S., HSR 86, cited by the Association for Physical and Mental Rehabilitation in Indianapolis. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
57th Legislature, R.S., HSR 661. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
58th Legislature, R.S., SR 515. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
59th Legislature, R.S., SR 713, inviting Roy Porter and officials of Disabled American Veterans to attend Senate session honoring Senator Criss Cole as outstanding disabled veteran for the State of Texas for 1965, presentation, Mr. Porter's address printed in Senate Journal, pp. 1491, 1565-1567. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary. Address SR 713
60th Legislature, R.S., SR 633. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.

Biographical Sketches

COLE, CRISS (1918-1985). Handbook of Texas Online.
Memorial, April 1986, p. 416. Texas Bar Journal.

Military Service Notes

United States Marine Corps, Corporal, World War II. Military grave marker, Criss Cole, birth date 5/11/1918, death date 6/21/1985, burial in Houston National Cemetery. Find a Grave.
United States Marine Corps, Corporal, World War II. "He worked in the Civilian Conservation Corps near Golden, Colorado, before joining the United States Marines in 1940. He served in Iceland, New Zealand, and Guadalcanal. As a corporal, he was blinded in 1943 during a beach attack at Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands by a Japanese grenade, an injury for which he was later awarded a Purple Heart." Handbook of Texas Online.
United States Marine Corps, World War II. 59th Legislature, R.S., SR 713, relating to session honoring Senator Criss Cole as outstanding disabled veteran for the State of Texas for 1965, "in tribute to his (Cole's) exceptional ability, his tenacity in overcoming the great handicap of blindness, which resulted from his heroic service as a member of the U.S. Marines, when he was wounded by a Japanese hand grenade during a mission on Tarawa . . . This veteran of service in Iceland, New Zealand, Guadalcanal and Tarawa, during World War II, is beloved by his fellow members of the Texas Legislature . . . ," Senate Journal, p. 1491; presentation and address by Roy Porter of Disabled American Veterans describes Cole's military service and mentions Purple Heart, Senate Journal, pp. 1565-1567. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary
United States Marine Corps. Photo and salute. With Honor and Gratitude: A Special Thank You to Our Texas Senate Members Who Served Our Country, 2017.

Other Resources

Article, "King Miller would be second legally blind lawmaker in 30 years if elected," 10/28/2004. Midland Reporter-Telegram.

Photographs

Photograph. Criss Cole, 61st Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Criss Cole, 60th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Criss Cole, 59th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Criss Cole, 58th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Criss Cole, 57th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Criss Cole, 56th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Criss Cole, 56th Legislature, Texas Yearbook, 56th Legislature
Photograph. Criss Cole, 55th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Criss Cole, 54th Legislature, State Preservation Board

Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol

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.
54th session composite photo of House members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GW.C1). State Preservation Board.
55th session composite photo of House members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GW.C1). State Preservation Board.
56th session composite photo of House members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GW.C1). State Preservation Board.
57th session composite photo of House members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GW.C1). State Preservation Board.

Committee Information top

61st R.S. - 1969 Claims Constitutional Amendments Drug Study Education Insurance Land Use and Environmental Control (Chair) Oil and Gas Public Health Public Utility Commission Rules (Vice Chair) Rules of the Senate (Vice Chair) State Affairs Transportation Water and Conservation Water Resources Study Youth Affairs (Chair)
60th R.S. - 1967 Education (Chair) Faculty Compensation Highway Safety Insurance Jurisprudence Land Use and Environmental Control (Chair) Oil and Gas Public Health State Affairs Transportation Water and Conservation
59th R.S. - 1965 Banking (Vice Chair) Counties, Cities and Towns Education Finance Insurance (Vice Chair) Legislative, Congressional and Judicial Districts Multiple Use and Pollution of All Waters of Texas (Cont. of Bays of Texas, 58th) Nominations Nursing Profession (Chair) Oil and Gas State Affairs Transportation Water and Conservation
58th R.S. - 1963 Banking Bays of Texas Counties, Cities and Towns Education (Vice Chair) Finance Insurance Legislative, Congressional, and Judicial Districts Nominations Oil and Gas State Affairs Transportation Water and Conservation
57th R.S. - 1961 Banks and Banking Contingent Expenses (Vice Chair) Criminal Jurisprudence School Districts (Chair) State Affairs
56th R.S. - 1959 Criminal Jurisprudence Education Engrossed Bills (Vice Chair) Examination of Comptroller's and Treasurer's Accounts Military and Veteran's Affairs Radiation
55th R.S. - 1957 Aeronautics (Vice Chair) Counties Criminal Jurisprudence Penitentiaries State Hospitals and Special Schools
54th R.S. - 1955 Constitutional Amendments Criminal Jurisprudence Penitentiaries State Hospitals and Special Schools

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.