Rogers Caswell Kelley

Full Name: Rogers Caswell Kelley
Date of birth: December 11, 1902
Date of death: October 24, 1982

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	27	Jan 13, 1953 - Jan 8, 1957	53rd ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾ 54th	Democrat	Edinburg / Hidalgo	Senate President Pro Tempore (53rd)	Cameron, Hidalgo
S	27	Jan 9, 1951 - Jan 13, 1953	52nd ⁽³⁾	Democrat	Edinburg / Hidalgo		Brooks, Cameron, Dimmit, Duval, Frio, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, La Salle, McMullen, Nueces, Starr, Webb, Willacy, Zapata, Zavala
S	27	Jan 14, 1947 - Jan 9, 1951	50th 51st	Democrat	Edinburg / Hidalgo		Brooks, Cameron, Dimmit, Duval, Frio, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, La Salle, McMullen, Nueces, Starr, Webb, Willacy, Zapata, Zavala
S	27	Jan 12, 1943 - Jan 14, 1947	48th 49th ⁽⁴⁾	Democrat	Edinburg / Hidalgo		Brooks, Cameron, Dimmit, Duval, Frio, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, La Salle, McMullen, Nueces, Starr, Webb, Willacy, Zapata, Zavala
S	27	Jan 10, 1939 - Jan 12, 1943	46th ⁽⁵⁾ 47th	Democrat	Edinburg / Hidalgo		Brooks, Cameron, Dimmit, Duval, Frio, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, La Salle, McMullen, Nueces, Starr, Webb, Willacy, Zapata, Zavala

(1) 53rd Legislature - Senate President Pro Tempore, Regular Session, elected 1/13/1953. Senate Journal.
(2) 53rd Legislature - Drawing for Terms of Office, 1/14/1953, pp. 16-17. Drew 4-year term. Senate Journal.
(3) 2-year term; entire Senate went up for reelection in 1952 due to redistricting. Texas Constitution Art. III, §3, Election and term of office of Senators.
(4) "The President also announced that Senator Kelley is now serving in the Armed Forces and is not expected to attend the Regular Session of the Forty-ninth Legislature." 1/9/1945, p. 8. Senate Journal.
(5) 46th Legislature - Roll Call of Senators-Elect, oath of office administered, 1/10/1939, p. 8. Senate Journal.

Terms of Service top

Senate District 27
Jan 13, 1953 - Jan 8, 1957
Legislatures: 53rd ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾ 54th
Senate President Pro Tempore (53rd)
(53rd)
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Edinburg / Hidalgo
Counties in district: Cameron, Hidalgo

Senate District 27
Jan 9, 1951 - Jan 13, 1953
Legislatures: 52nd ⁽³⁾
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Edinburg / Hidalgo
Counties in district: Brooks, Cameron, Dimmit, Duval, Frio, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, La Salle, McMullen, Nueces, Starr, Webb, Willacy, Zapata, Zavala

Senate District 27
Jan 14, 1947 - Jan 9, 1951
Legislatures: 50th 51st
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Edinburg / Hidalgo
Counties in district: Brooks, Cameron, Dimmit, Duval, Frio, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, La Salle, McMullen, Nueces, Starr, Webb, Willacy, Zapata, Zavala

Senate District 27
Jan 12, 1943 - Jan 14, 1947
Legislatures: 48th 49th ⁽⁴⁾
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Edinburg / Hidalgo
Counties in district: Brooks, Cameron, Dimmit, Duval, Frio, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, La Salle, McMullen, Nueces, Starr, Webb, Willacy, Zapata, Zavala

Senate District 27
Jan 10, 1939 - Jan 12, 1943
Legislatures: 46th ⁽⁵⁾ 47th
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Edinburg / Hidalgo
Counties in district: Brooks, Cameron, Dimmit, Duval, Frio, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, La Salle, McMullen, Nueces, Starr, Webb, Willacy, Zapata, Zavala

Biographical Information top

Selected newspaper articles

Biographical Sketches

Memorial, April 1983, p. 510. Texas Bar Journal.

Military Service Notes

World War II service, Lieutenant, "Legislature Faces Problem of Absences: Men in Armed Forces Can't Get Leave to Attend Sessions," 1/1/1943. Dallas Morning News.
Army Air Corps, Captain; photo in military uniform. Rogers C. Kelley, birth date 12/11/1902, death date 10/24/1982, burial in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio. Find a Grave.
Mentioned in "Lawmakers Pondering War, Duty," 2/27/2003. San Antonio Express-News.
"The President announces that Senator Kelley is now serving in the Armed Forces and is not expected to attend the Regular Session of the Forty-ninth Legislature." 49th Legislature, R.S., 1945, p. 8. Senate Journal.
Pictured in uniform in 48th Senate composite photo and listed as Lt. Rogers Kelley; Pictured in uniform and listed as Capt. Rogers Kelley in the 49th Senate composite. State Preservation Board. State Preservation Board
United States Air Force, Captain. "His (Kelley's) senate career was interrupted during World War II. He was a combat intelligence officer with the 20th Air Force's B-29 group. He was stationed on Saipan in the Marianas Islands. He was discharged with the rank of captain in 1945." Memorial, April 1983, p. 510. Texas Bar Journal.
United States Air Force. Photo and salute. With Honor and Gratitude: A Special Thank You to Our Texas Senate Members Who Served Our Country, 2017.

Other Resources

Rogers Caswell Kelley, death date 10/24/1982 in Hidalgo County. FamilySearch Texas Death Index, 1964-1998.

Photographs

Photograph. Rogers Kelley, 54th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Rogers Kelley, 53rd Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Rogers Kelley, 52nd Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Rogers Kelley, 51st Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Rogers Kelley, 50th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Capt. Rogers Kelley, 49th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Lt. Rogers Kelley, 48th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Rogers Kelley, 47th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. Rogers Kelley, 46th Legislature, State Preservation Board

Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol

46th session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
47th session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
48th session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
49th session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
50th session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
51st session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
52nd session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
53rd session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
54th session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.

Committee Information top

54th R.S. - 1955 Agriculture Civil Jurisprudence Congressional Districts Constitutional Amendments Contingent Expenses Criminal Jurisprudence Education Finance Game and Fish Highways and Motor Traffic Judicial Districts Military and Veterans Affairs (Vice Chair) Nominations of the Governor Oil, Gas and Conservation Privileges and Elections Public Health State Affairs Water Rights, Irrigation and Drainage (Chair)
53rd R.S. - 1953 Agricultural Affairs Banking Civil Jurisprudence Committee of the Whole Senate Congressional Districts Constitutional Amendments Criminal Jurisprudence Educational Affairs Finance Game and Fish Judicial Districts Military and Veterans' Affairs Nominations of the Governor Oil, Gas and Conservation Privileges and Elections Public Health State Affairs State Highways and Motor Traffic Stock and Stock Raising Towns and City Corporations Water Rights, Irrigation and Drainage
52nd R.S. - 1951 Agricultural Affairs Civil Jurisprudence Constitutional Amendments Corporation Laws Revision, Special Criminal Jurisprudence Educational Affairs Finance (Vice Chair) Game and Fish Insurance Judicial Districts Military and Veterans' Affairs Nominations of the Governor Privileges and Elections (Vice Chair) Public Health Representative Districts Senatorial Districts (Chair) State Affairs State Highways and Motor Traffic Stock and Stock Raising Water Rights, Irrigation and Drainage (Chair)
51st R.S. - 1949 Agriculture Constitutional Amendments Criminal Jurisprudence (Vice Chair) Finance Game and Fish Highways and Motor Traffic Judicial Districts Labor Military Affairs (Chair) Nominations of the Governor Oil, Gas and Conservation Public Health Stock and Stock Raising Veterans' Affairs (Chair) Water Code (Chair) Water Rights, Irrigation and Drainage (Chair)
50th R.S. - 1947 Aeronautics Agriculture Civil Jurisprudence Constitutional Amendments (Chair) Finance Game and Fish Highways and Motor Traffic Judicial Districts Nominations of Governor Oil, Gas and Conservation Public Health Representative Districts Senatorial Districts (Chair) State Affairs Stock and Stock Raising Veterans' Affairs
49th R.S. - 1945 Aeronautics Civil Jurisprudence Criminal Jurisprudence Finance Highways and Motor Traffic Interstate Cooperation Privileges and Elections (Chair) Senatorial Districts State Affairs Towns and City Corporations
48th R.S. - 1943 Civil Jurisprudence Constitutional Amendments Criminal Jurisprudence Education Finance Highways and Motor Traffic Judicial Districts Labor Military Affairs Oil, Gas and Conservation Public Health Rural Aid, Special Senatorial Districts State Affairs (Chair) Stock and Stock Raising
47th R.S. - 1941 Agriculture Criminal Jurisprudence Education (Chair) Finance Game and Fish Highways and Motor Traffic Insurance (Vice Chair) Mining, Irrigation and Drainage Rural Aid Advisory, Special Rural Aid Legislative Advisory, Special Senatorial Districts (Vice Chair) State Affairs Stock and Stock Raising
46th R.S. - 1939 Agriculture Criminal Jurisprudence Education (Vice Chair) Finance Game and Fish Highways and Motor Traffic Insurance Mining, Irrigation and Drainage Senatorial Districts (Chair) Stock and Stock Raising

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