Legislative Reference Library

Texas Legislators: Past & Present

David Webster Flanagan

Webster Flanagan
Full Name: David Webster "Web" Flanagan
Birth date: January 9, 1832
Death date: May 5, 1924

Terms of Service

(1) Entire Senate went up for reelection due to Senatorial redistricting. Act passed Apr. 24, 1873 [presented to Governor May 1, 1873 and became law without his signature], 13th Legislature, R.S., ch. 35, Apportionment Laws of Texas, 1836-1950 1950.
(2) Entire Senate went up for reelection due to Senatorial redistricting. Ordinance adopted by Constitutional Convention of the State of Texas, 1875. Remained in effect from its passage until first reapportionment after 1880 Census. University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History. Apportionment Laws of Texas, 1836-1950 1950.
(3) Republican. Directory of the Members and Officers of the Fourteenth Legislature of the State of Texas . . . 1874.
(4) Republican. Directory of the Members of the Thirteenth Legislature of the State of Texas 1873.
(5) "Aspect of Affairs at Austin," Wed., 1/14/1874, p. 1, opening day of 14th Leg., R.S.: "The appearance of Senators Flanagan and Randle...These Senators would not have taken the oath and their seats in the 14th Leg. had there been any doubt as to the de facto stability of that body." "News' telegrams, from Austin: organization of both houses...": "After the Senate had been in session some three hours, Webster Flanagan and E.T. Randle came in and were sworn in." Galveston Daily News .
(6) "[James] Flanagan's successor, Donald Campbell, 'President of the Senate for the time being,' was elected October 27, 1870 [sic], died November 6, 1871 and was succeeded by Webster Flanagan, elected November 13, 1871." Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004 2005.
(7) Roster of members elect lists party as Radical, p. [a], 14th Legislature, Part 1. Senate Journal .
(8) 12th Legislature, 1st C.S. - Drawing for Terms of Office, 5/2/1870, pp. 51-52. Drew 4-year term. Senate Journal .
(9) Party affiliation, Radical. Roster of members, 12th Legislature, 1870. Texas Almanac for . . . and Emigrant's Guide to Texas .
(10) "Returning radicals [to the 13th Legislature] were Thomas H. Baker, Webster Flanagan, S.W. Ford, Albert J. Fountain, Matthew Gaines, Phidello W. Hall, Henry Rawson, George T. Ruby, William A. Saylor, and Robert P. Tendick," p. 145. The Texas Senate: Volume II, Civil War to the Eve of Reform, 1861-1889 1999.
(11) "Because of the adoption of the new constitution [of 1876], any member of the 14th Legislature who wished to continue to serve had to run for reelection," p. 220. The Texas Senate: Volume II, Civil War to the Eve of Reform, 1861-1889 1999.

Biographical Notes and Resources

Photographs

  • Photograph. Webster Flanagan, DeGolyer Library, SMU, Lawrence T. Jones III Texas Photographs
  • Photograph. Web. Flanagan, Constitutional Convention of 1875 Composite Photo. From the collection of the Texas State Library and Archives Commisison.
  • Photograph. Webster Flanagan, State Preservation Board
  • Photograph. Web Flanagan, State Preservation Board

Other Resources

  • Portrait, p. 195. A Comprehensive History of Texas, 1685 to 1897 .
  • "Webster Flanagan was elected president of the senate during the twelfth legislature. Some contended that he was the president of the thirteenth legislature. . .To promote harmony, Senator Flanagan resigned," Volume I, Chapter XXXV, Radical Rule and Overthrow, pp. 570-571. A History of Texas and Texans 1916.
  • Harrison County "continued to support a Republican delegation to the state legislature" in 1873: Webster Flanagan to the State Senate, Shack Roberts ("black leader from Harrison County") and Ed Brown ("Negro from Rusk County, as a representative of the two county district") to the House, p. 310. A Southern Community in Crisis: Harrison County, Texas, 1850-1880 1983.
  • Webster Flanagan, birth date 1/9/1832, death date 5/5/1924, burial in Flanagan Cemetery, Henderson, Rusk County, with wife Sallie P. Flanagan. Find a Grave .
  • Biographical sketch from Men of 1914: An Accurate Biographical Record of Prominent Men in All Walks of Life Who Have Achieved Success in Their Chosen Vocations in the Various Civil, Industrial, and Commercial Lines of Activity, American Publishers' Association, 1915. GeneaSearch 1999.
  • FLANAGAN, JAMES WINWRIGHT (1805-1887). Relatives: James Winwright Flanagan - father; David Webster Flanagan - son. Handbook of Texas Online .
  • FLANAGAN, DAVID WEBSTER (1832-1924). Handbook of Texas Online .
  • Included on list of leaders of the Texas Constitutional Union Party in 1860. The party was formed in January of 1860. "The Constitutional Union Party in Texas," Vol. 82, No. 3, p. 238, 256-262. Southwestern Historical Quarterly .
  • Delegate to Constitutional Convention, 1868. Included in "List of Delegates to the Reconstruction Convention, As Announced in Special order No. 213, Dated Headquarters Fifth Military District, New Orleans, LA., April 13th, 1868." Journal of the Reconstruction Convention, Which Met at Austin, Texas, June 1, A.D., 1868 (1870), pp 533-534. Texas Constitutions Digitization Project (Tarlton Law Library, The University of Texas at Austin) 2009.
  • Delegate to Constitutional Convention, 1875. Included in Journal of the Constitutional Convention of the State of Texas: Begun and Held at the City of Austin Texas. Constitutional Convention (1875). Galveston : Printed for the Convention at the "News" Office, 1875, pp. 3-4. Texas Constitutions Digitization Project (Tarlton Law Library, The University of Texas at Austin) 2009.
  • Biographical sketch of Donald Campbell, p. 91. "Campbell died in office on November 6, 1871, and was succeeded as president pro tempore on November 13 by none other than Webster Flanagan." The Texas Senate: Volume II, Civil War to the Eve of Reform, 1861-1889 1999.
  • Webster Flanagan often served as president pro tempore during Don Campbell's illness. On Campbell's death, he was elected president pro tem for the remainder of the Twelfth Legislature, serving ex officio in the office to which his father had been elected. The Texas Senate: Volume II, Civil War to the Eve of Reform, 1861-1889 1999.
  • Biographical sketch of James Winwright Flanagan and Webster Flanagan, pp. 97-98, 100. Print edition includes portrait of Webster Flanagan, p. 99. The Texas Senate: Volume II, Civil War to the Eve of Reform, 1861-1889 1999.
  • Mentioned in biographical sketch of his father, James Flanagan. The Texas Senator 1978.
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