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Impeachment by the Texas Legislature

May 26

posted by TexasLRL in Impeachment, Texas history

Impeachment is an extraordinary method for removing and disqualifying from holding public office an official who has abused the public trust by serious misconduct. Technically, 'impeachment' is merely an accusation, analogous to a criminal indictment, and must be followed by trial and conviction for removal. However, the entire procedure is customarily called impeachment.

Texas Constitution and Statutes
Article XV of the Texas Constitution provides various methods for the removal of public officers and officials, including impeachment; address; removal of district court judges by the Supreme Court; and removal of gubernatorial appointees by the Governor.

  • Article XV § 1 of the Texas Constitution vests the power of impeachment in the Texas House of Representatives.
  • Article XV § 2 of the Texas Constitution lists the officers for whom a trial of impeachment shall be by the Senate: the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Commissioners of the General Land Office, Comptroller of Public Accounts, and Judges of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and the District Courts.

Statutes related to impeachment and removal are found in Chapter 665 of the Government Code.

  • Government Code Section 665.002 additionally authorizes removal from office by impeachment for a state officer; a head of a state department or state institution; or a member, regent, trustee, or commissioner having control or management of a state institution or enterprise.

Examples of cases in which officials were impeached and removed from office
The library has compiled information on two prominent cases in which a state official was impeached by the House and removed by the Senate.

The impeachment of Governor James E. Ferguson
House Committee to Investigate Charges Against James E. Ferguson
House Committee of the Whole on Investigation of Impeachment Charges Against Governor James E. Ferguson
House Committee to Prepare Articles of Impeachment Against Governor James E. Ferguson
House Committee on Select an Attorney to Represent the House during the Investigation of Impeachment Charges Against Governor James E. Ferguson
Senate Committee to Formulate the Rules of Procedure in the Trial Upon the Articles of Impeachment of Governor James B. Ferguson, Governor. (Includes Rules of Procedure on Impeachment.)
House Journal, 35th 2nd C.S. Appendix: testimony and arguments related to impeachment charges against Governor James E. Ferguson
Record of proceedings of the High Court of Impeachment on the trial of Hon. James E. Ferguson, governor : before the Senate of the state of Texas (PDF) (Rules of impeachment found on pp. 857–859)
Senate Journal, 35th 3rd C.S.

Ferguson resigned from office before the Senate officially announced its judgment and argued that since he had resigned, the prohibition on future office holding did not apply to him. The Texas Supreme Court disagreed in Ferguson v. Maddox, 263 S.W. 888 (Tex. 1924).

The impeachment of Judge O. P. Carrillo, judge of the 229th district court
HR 167 64th R.S. 1975 – Judge O.P. Carrillo, creating House Committee to investigate charges.
HR 161 64th R.S. 1975 – Impeachment charges filed against Judge O. P. Carrillo.
HR 221 64th R.S. 1975 – Judge O.P. Carrillo, continuing the committee and providing for convening of the House.
Documents related to the impeachment of O.P. Carrillo (Legislative Reference Library, Collections)

This entry was posted on May 26, 2023 at 3:30 PM and has received 3655 views. Print this entry.

LRL Archives Update

Oct 10

posted by TexasLRL in Texas history, Archives

Enrolled version, Senate Bill 153, 16th Regular Session (1879) October is American Archives Month, an effort around the nation to emphasize the importance of archives and preserving records of enduring value. In celebration of American Archives Month, the Legislative Reference Library (LRL) is proud to highlight its role in managing the records of the Texas Legislature. These include the original legislative bill files, records of House, Senate, and Joint committees, and the records of former members of the Texas Legislature.

 

With the passage of HB 1962, 86th Legislature, R.S. (2019), and HB 4181, 86th Legislature, R.S. (2019), the LRL became the depository for archival legislative records within the state of Texas. Since November 2019, staff at the LRL have been working hard to collect, organize, and describe legislative records, ensuring their preservation and availability for research. Below are just some of the accomplishments staff at the LRL have been able to achieve:

Entry for Sampson and Henricks, p. 387, Cash book, 1871, volume 2-7/327, Texas Legislature financial records, 2022/022

  • The LRL has received and accessioned over 9,100 cubic feet of records. Accessioning archival records involves taking intellectual and physical custody of the materials. It also includes labeling the materials with a unique accession number so that they can be systematically tracked and located.
  • Original bill files from the 1st through 62nd Legislatures (1846–1972) were also transferred to the LRL, completing our bill file collection. Staff at the LRL continue to scan the original bill files and make them available through our Legislative Archive System. The status of this project is available on our website.
  • Our staff has also been inventorying records as they are accessioned and as they are reviewed for research requests. Currently, a total of 1,358 cubic feet have been inventoried.
  • The LRL has worked to complete the transfer of the records of some members of the Texas Legislature to alternative depositories under Government Code, Section 324.0086. To date, the LRL has signed agreements with nine depositories, totaling 787.80 cubic feet of records.

 

The LRL is dedicated to safeguarding the records of the Texas Legislature and making them available for research. We will continue to provide updates and will begin publishing information related to the collections within our holdings as soon as it is available. Current information about our management of legislative records is available under the Legislative Records tab on our website. If you have any questions about the archival records within our holdings, please feel free to contact us directly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cover Image: American Archives Month image: http://files.archivists.org/advocacy/AAM/Graphics/InstaSocial800x800.jpg

This entry was posted on October 10, 2022 at 8:30 AM and has received 569 views. Print this entry.

Happy Juneteenth!

Jun 17

posted by TexasLRL in Texas history

Juneteenth is a celebration of the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in Texas, and has been an official Texas holiday since 1979.

 

On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston to announce the end of slavery in Texas, almost two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

 

The Major General's announcement, General Order Number 3, reads as follows: "The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes, and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere."

 

Representative Al Edwards authored H.B. 1016, 66th R.S. (1979), declaring June 19th, Emancipation Day, an official Texas holiday. The Juneteenth historical marker (right) was installed in Galveston on June 21, 2014. In 2016, a monument dedicated to African Americans in Texas was unveiled on the Texas Capitol grounds (cover image).

 

Last year, Congress passed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act (Public Law 117–17), making June 19 a public holiday. It was signed by President Joe Biden on June 17, 2021.

 

On July 22, 2021, the Texas Senate passed SR 19, 87th 1st C.S., recognizing Opal Lee, "the grandmother of Juneteenth," on the designation of Juneteenth as a national holiday.

 

Learn more about Juneteenth and the holiday's Texas origins in the Handbook of Texas Online.

 

You can also find more information about Juneteenth from the following resources:

 

 

This entry was posted on June 17, 2022 at 4:32 PM and has received 1719 views. Print this entry.

Capitol Spirits: The Headless Horseman

Oct 30

posted by TexasLRL in Texas history

Dark and stormy nights at the Capitol might be the perfect time to become acquainted with some Capitol spirits. Will you see Comptroller Love walking the hallways near the office where he was shot and killed in 1903? Or, will Governor Edmund Davis (1870-1874) tip his hat to you as you walk by him? Stroll across the street to the Governor's Mansion and you might find Sam Houston, standing by his famous four-poster mahogany bed in the bedroom bearing his name. 

 

Have you ever heard of the Headless Horseman? Most people are familiar with "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," an 1820 short story written by Washington Irving. Did you know that Texas has its own Headless Horseman legend?

 

For the past several years around Halloween, we've shared ghostly stories related to Texas. (See our previous posts from 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.) Below, you'll find more information about Texas' Headless Horseman.

 

Texas' Headless Horseman

 

Have you driven the roads south and west of San Antonio late at night? Did you see El Muerto, the Headless One?

  • "The big mustang drank . . . Gaunt in the thin moon, his rider waited, leaning on his saddlehorn with all the patience of death . . . Even the faint light showed the stump above his shoulders; his head — its sombrero still secured — was a restless pendulum, swinging gently . . . El Muerto was gone at a gallop, his head bouncing against his thigh" (William Edwards Syers, Ghost Stories of Texas [Waco, TX: Texian Press, 1981]).

 

William A. A. "Bigfoot" Wallace. Courtesy of the Texas State Cemetery.

 

William A. A. "Bigfoot" Wallace was at the heart of many an interesting Texas tale, so it's no surprise that he's an integral part of the headless horseman story. Bigfoot and friends caught up with the horse thief, Vidal, in the land below Uvalde. According to legend, as a warning to other thieves, Wallace decapitated Vidal, mounted him on a mustang, and strapped his sombreroed head to the saddle horn. In the words of J. Frank Dobie, the mustang "broke away into a run that, as we have seen, scared up a legend not yet dead" (J. Frank Dobie, "The Headless Horseman of the Mustangs," in Tales of Old-Time Texas [Austin: University of Texas Press, [1984]]).

 

Chapman and Hall, The Headless Horseman: A Strange Tale of Texas by Captain Mayne Reid, advertisement. In Part 11 of Our Mutual Friend, Charles Dickens. London: Chapman and Hall, March 1865. https://digitalcommons.wpi.edu/ourmutualfriend/11/.

 

 

 

 

Many authors have given their take on this story. One of the earliest was by Mayne Reid in his 1865 novel, The Headless Horseman: A Strange Tale of Texas. And what role did Creed Taylor play in spreading the tale? He was a larger-than-life character, participating in many pivotal events in Texas history. Was he along on the chase for the horse thief Vidal with Bigfoot Wallace? If not, he was perhaps the first to relate the story of the thief's decapitation and the origin of the big mustang with the headless rider that terrified South Texas. Did he "stretch the blanket" when telling his stories? Find more details in Lou Ann Herda's article, "The Evolution of a Legend: The Headless Horseman of Texas, or It May Not Be True, but It Makes a Good Story," in Both Sides of the Border: A Scattering of Texas Folklore.

 

Check out more stories on our Capitol Spirits Pinterest board.

 

From the Legislative Reference Library, we hope you have a fun and safe Halloween!!

 

Cover image by Daniel Mingus

 

This entry was posted on October 30, 2020 at 2:45 PM and has received 1578 views. Print this entry.

Persons with Disabilities History and Awareness Month – October 2020

Oct 28

posted by TexasLRL in Texas history

 

Helen Keller at a Joint Session of the Legislature, April 8, 1941. Left to right: Speaker of the House Homer Leonard, Governor W. Lee O'Daniel, Helen Keller, and Keller's assistant Polly Thompson. Neal Douglass Photography Collection, Austin History Center, Austin Public Library. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
October is Persons with Disabilities History and Awareness Month. Since 2011, Texas has recognized Persons with Disabilities History and Awareness Month with the passage of HB 3616, 82nd Regular Session (Government Code, Section 662.109). Governor Greg Abbott also signed a proclamation specifically recognizing October 2020 and highlighting how this year coincides with the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

 

The most famous disability rights advocate to address the Texas Legislature may have been Helen Keller when she appeared before a Joint Session of the Texas Legislature on April 8, 1941, during the 47th Regular Session. Keller had been invited to speak after planning a trip to Texas to lecture on behalf of the American Foundation for the Blind. Her invitation became official when Senate Concurrent Resolution 17 was adopted and filed on February 26, 1941.

 

Senate Concurrent Resolution 37, filed April 7, 1941, provided for a Joint Session of the Legislature and for appointing a committee of ten members (five members of the House and five members of the Senate) to escort Keller to the House of Representatives at the time of her address. According to the Galveston Daily News ("Blind Solons Named Committee Heads to Meet Helen Keller," April 6, 1941, page 17), two blind members of the Texas Legislature, Senator Olan R. Van Zandt and Representative Lon E. Alsup, served as cochairmen of the committee to meet Keller. (Van Zandt and Alsup were also author and coauthor of HB 844, 42nd Regular Session (1931), which created the State Commission for the Blind.)

 

The proceedings of the Joint Session were described in both the House Journal and the Senate Journal of the 47th Regular Session. 

 

A signed copy of Senate Concurrent Resolution 17, 47th Regular Session (1941), a letter from Senator Olan R. Van Zandt to Helen Keller regarding her visit, and a signed copy of Senate Concurrent Resolution 37, 47th Regular Session (1941), are now found within the holdings of the Helen Keller Archive at the American Foundation for the Blind.

 

This entry was posted on October 28, 2020 at 9:30 AM and has received 1121 views. Print this entry.

Buffalo Soldier Heritage Month

Jul 28

posted by TexasLRL in Texas history

Senate Bill 1457 of the 76th Regular Session (1999) designated July as Buffalo Soldiers Heritage Month in Texas. The bill, authored by Senator Royce West, coauthored by Senator Rodney Ellis, and sponsored by Representative Bob Hunter, amended Texas Government Code Section 662 by codifying Buffalo Soldiers Heritage Month. Prior to this legislation, Senator Dan Kubiak honored the Buffalo Soldiers with a Buffalo Soldier Heritage pilot program for at-risk youth with House Bill 2031, 74th Regular Session (1995). 

 

On July 28th, 1866, the U.S. Army Reorganization Act authorized the formation of 30 new units, including two cavalry and four infantry regiments "which shall be composed of colored men." These men became known as "Buffalo Soldiers." There is no consensus on the origin of the Buffalo Soldier name, but a common theory is that it was bestowed upon these units of African Americans soldiers by the Cheyenne Native American tribes of the area. The actual Cheyenne translation that was given was "wild buffalo."

 

The Ninth and 10th Cavalry and the 24th and 25th Infantry regiments were stationed at Texas forts stretching from the Panhandle to the Valley. In addition to keeping the peace on the Western frontier, Buffalo Soldiers built roads, telegraph lines, and forts, and mapped vast portions of the Texas frontier. One group worked as some of the first park rangers in national parks. Additionally, the first black graduate of West Point, Lt. Henry Flipper, served with the 10th Cavalry in West Texas. 

 
                                                           

Images left to right: Lt. Henry O. Flipper, circa 1877, Records of the U.S. House of Representative National Archives and Records Administration; Buffalo Soldiers in the 24th Infantry at Yosemite National Park, circa 1899, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Alfred Bendiner Memorial Collection

 

 

Cover image: Formation of Black Soldiers, after Spanish-American War; Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division

This entry was posted on July 28, 2020 at 8:00 AM and has received 1694 views. Print this entry.

First Lady Frances Cox Henderson Bicentennial Day

Jul 21

posted by TexasLRL in Texas history

During the 86th Regular Session (2019), Senator Judith Zaffirini authored Senate Resolution 163 designating July 21, 2020, as First Lady Frances Cox Henderson Bicentennial Day in Texas.

 

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 21, 1820, Frances learned to speak at least eighteen languages, excelled in math, became an accomplished musician, and wrote and translated short stories. She met James Pinckney Henderson in Paris while he was serving as envoy to Great Britain and France from the Republic of Texas. They married in London, England, in 1839. Upon returning to Texas, Frances studied to become well versed in law in order to carry on her husband's law practice when he was away on state business.

 

She became the first First Lady of Texas when her husband was elected the first Governor of the State of Texas, serving from 1846 to 1847. One of her contributions to Texas was to establish Episcopal churches in San Augustine, Rusk, Palestine, Marshall, and Nacogdoches. It was during her work with the church that she became the first woman to address the clergy of the diocese in 1855. In 1857, J. Pinckney Henderson was appointed to fill the seat of United States Senator Thomas J. Rusk, taking the Henderson family to Washington D.C.

 

Following her husband's death in 1858, Frances moved to New Jersey, where she spent her remaining years as a community leader. She died in her daughter’s home on January 25, 1897, and is buried in East Orange, New Jersey. Frances' contributions to Texas are recognized with a memorial marker on the back of her husband's headstone in the Texas State Cemetery.

 

Senate Resolution 163 encourages all Texans to honor the memory of the Lone Star State’s first First Lady, Frances Cox Henderson.

 

Photograph of Frances Cox Henderson courtesy of findagrave.com.

This entry was posted on July 21, 2020 at 8:00 AM and has received 1180 views. Print this entry.

Notable Names in the Minutes: Texas Governors

Mar 2

posted by TexasLRL in Committees, Texas history, Legislative process

A few months ago, we shared some notable names in the minutes—famous figures like Willie Nelson and Larry Hagman who have testified at legislative hearings. But sometimes the notable figures come from the executive branch of the Texas government:

  • Governor Ann Richards testified on March 3, 1991, before the House Insurance Committee in favor of an insurance bill (HB 2, 72R) that later passed. During a special session, she testified on July 16, 1991, before the Senate State Affairs Committee for a government reorganization bill (SB 7, 72nd 1st C.S.) that did not pass. Typescripts of her prepared testimonials are available for both bills—with a caveat noted on her testimony for SB 7 that "Governor Richards frequently deviates from prepared remarks."
  • Governor George W. Bush testified on the need for tort reform at the 74th Legislature's Senate Committee on Economic Development meeting on February 2, 1995. (Search within the document to find his name on witness lists for bills SB 25, SB 28, and SB 32, all of which passed.) We do not have his testimony transcripts.
  • Governor Rick Perry also "frequently departs from prepared remarks," according to the May 20, 2004, testimony published for his remarks to the House Select Committee on Public School Finance for the 78th Legislature.

This entry was posted on March 2, 2020 at 9:30 AM and has received 851 views. Print this entry.

Legislative Families: Grandchildren, Cousins, In-Laws, and More!

Dec 9

posted by TexasLRL in Texas history, Members of the Legislature

In previous posts on legislative families, we have looked at legislative spouses, siblings, and parents/children. In the final post, we are highlighting the extended family. Many legislators come from families that have devoted countless hours of time and energy to the Texas Legislature. See who has followed in legislative family footsteps over the generations.*

  • Barclay-Lindsey family

    • James Walter Barclay served in the House, 1859–1866 (8th–10th)

      • father-in-law to Dave Lindsey, grandfather to John Lindsey
    • David Sudduth Lindsey served in the House, 1893–1897 (23rd–24th)
      • son-in-law to James Barclay, father to John Lindsey
    • John Lindsey served in the House, 1921–1923 (37th)
      • son to Dave Lindsey, grandson to James Barclay

  • Bee-Tarver family

    • Hamilton Prioleau Bee served in the House, 1851–1859 (3rd–7th)

      • brother-in-law to Edward Tarver, father of Carlos Bee
    • Edward Rex Tarver served in the House, 1895–1897 (24th), 1899–1900 (26th)
      • brother-in-law to Hamilton Bee, uncle to Carlos Bee
    • Carlos Bee served in the Senate, 1915–1919 (34th–35th)
      • son to Hamilton Bee, nephew to Edward Tarver

  • Benavides family

    • Bacilio Benavides served in the House, 1859–1861 (8th)

      • uncle to Santos Benavides
    • Santos Benavides served in the House, 1879–1885 (16th–18th)
      • nephew to Bacilio Benavides

  • Blount-Owsley family

    • J.M. Blount served in the Senate, 1866–1870 (11th)

      • father to James P. Blount
    • James P. Blount served in the House, 1885–1887 (19th)
      • son to J.M. Blount, brother-in-law to J.G. Kearby
    • J.G. Kearby served in the Senate, 1891–1895 (22nd–23rd)
      • brother-in-law to James P. Blount
    • Alvin Clark Owsley served in the House, 1889–1892 (21st–22nd), and 1895–1897 (24th)
      • father to Alvin M. Owsley, son-in-law to J.M. Blount, brother-in-law to James P. Blount
    • Alvin M. Owsley served in the House, 1913–1915 (33rd)
      • son to Alvin C. Owsley, nephew to James P. Blount, grandson to J.M. Blount

  • Bourland-Day-Manion family

    • William H. Bourland served in the House, 1846–1849 (1st–2nd), and 1853–1855 (5th)

      • brother to James Bourland
    • James G. Bourland served in the Senate, 1846–1849 (1st–2nd)
      • brother to William H. Bourland, father-in-law to Samuel Day and A.B. Manion
    • Samuel Day served in the House, 1873–1874 (13th)
      • son-in-law to James Bourland, brother-in-law to Austin Brooks Manion
    • Austin Brooks Manion served in the House, 1876–1879 (15th)
      • son-in-law to James Bourland, brother-in-law to Samuel Day

  • Burleson-Loyd-Negley family

    • Edward Burleson served in the Senate, 1846–1851 (1st–4th)

      • great-uncle to A.J. Loyd, great-grandfather to Laura Burleson Negley
    • Andrew Jackson Loyd served in the House, 1899–1901 (26th)
      • great-nephew to Edward Burleson
    • Laura Burleson Negley served in the House, 1929–1931 (41st)
      • great-granddaughter to Edward Burleson

  • Camp family

    • John Lafayette Camp, Sr. served in the Senate, 1874–1875 (14th)

      • father to John L. Camp, Jr., grandfather to W. Nunnelee Camp
    • John Lafayette Camp, Jr. served in the Senate, 1885–1889 (19th–20th)
      • son to John L. Camp, Sr., uncle to W. Nunnelee Camp
    • W. Nunnelee Camp served in the House, 1911–1912 (32nd)
      • nephew to John L. Camp, Jr., grandson to John L. Camp, Sr.

  • Canales family

    • José Tomás Canales served in the House, 1905–1911 (29th–31st) and 1917–1921 (35th–36th)

      • uncle to Terry Canales, great-uncle to Gabi Canales and Terry A. Canales
    • Terry A. Canales served in the House, 1973–1977 (63rd–64th)
      • father to Gabi Canales and Terry A. Canales, nephew to J.T. Canales
    • Gabi Canales served in the House, 2003–2005 (78th)
      • daughter of Terry A. Canales, sister of Terry Canales, great-niece to J.T. Canales
    • Terry Canales serves in the House, 2013–present (83rd–86th)
      • son of Terry A. Canales, brother of Gabi Canales, great-nephew to J.T. Canales

  • Cocke family

    • Frederick Bird Smith Cocke, Sr. served in the House, 1861–1863 (9th), and 1879–1881 (16th)

      • father to Fred Cocke, Jr. and J.R. Cocke, grandfather to William A. Cocke
    • James Rogers Cocke served in the House, 1893–1897 (23rd–24th)
      • son to Frederick Cocke, Sr., brother to Fred Cocke, Jr., uncle to William A. Cocke
    • Frederick Bird Smith Cocke, Jr. served in the House, 1899–1901 (26th)
      • son to Frederick Cocke, Sr., brother to J.R. Cocke, uncle to William A. Cocke
    • William Alexander Cocke served in the House, 1907–1909 (30th)
      • grandson to Frederick Cocke, Sr., nephew to J.R. Cocke and Fred Cocke, Jr.

  • Crabb family

    • Hillary Crabb served in the House, 1853 (4th) and 1855–1857 (6th)

      • great-grandfather to Joe Crabb
    • Joe Crabb served in the House, 1993–2011 (73rd–81st)
      • great-grandson to Hillary Crabb

  • Cuellar-Martinez family

    • Renato Cuellar served in the House, 1987–1997 (70th–74th)

      • uncle to Armando Martinez
    • Armando Martinez serves in the House, 2005–present (79th–86th)
      • nephew to Renato Cuellar

  • Daniel family

    • Price Daniel, Sr. served in the House, 1939–1945 (46th–48th)

      • brother to Bill Daniel, father to Price Daniel, Jr.
    • Bill Daniel served in the House, 1949–1955 (51st–53rd)
      • brother to Price Daniel, Sr., uncle to Price Daniel, Jr.
    • Price Daniel, Jr. served in the House, 1969–1975 (61st–63rd)
      • son to Price Daniel, Sr., nephew to Bill Daniel

  • De La Garza family

    • Eligio De La Garza served in the House, 1953–1965 (53rd–58th)

      • uncle to Eddie De La Garza
    • Eddie De La Garza served in the House, 1991–1997 (72nd–74th)
      • nephew to Eligio De La Garza

  • Dies family

    • W.W. Dies served in the House, 1897–1901 (25th–26th)

      • uncle to Martin Dies, Jr.
    • Martin Dies served in the Senate, 1959–1967 (56th–59th)
      • nephew to W.W. Dies

  • Dougherty-Leo family

    • Edward Dougherty served in the House, 1859–1861 (8th)

      • father-in-law to Alexander Leo, Jr.
    • Alexander Leo, Jr. served in the House, 1883 (18th)
      • son-in-law to Edward Dougherty

  • Dunnam family

    • W.V. Dunnam, Sr. served in the House, 1917–1919 (35th)

      • grandfather to Jim Dunnam
    • Jim Dunnam served in the House, 1997–2011 (75th–81st)
      • grandson to W.V. Dunnam

  • Durant family

    • John Durant served in the Senate, 1861–1866 (9th–10th)

      • uncle to William Durant
    • William Durant served in the House, 1883–1885 (18th)
      • nephew to John Durant

  • Farrar-Duff family

    • Bowd Farrar served in the House, 1925–1933 (39th–42nd)

      • uncle to Virginia Duff
    • Virginia Elizabeth Duff served in the House, 1951–1963 (52nd–57th)
      • niece to Bowd Farrar

  • Faubion family

    • James Henry Faubion served in the House, 1885–1891 (19th–21st), 1893–1895 (23rd), and in the Senate, 1903–1905 (28th)

      • uncle to H.E. Faubion
    • Herbert Elmo Faubion served in the House, 1919–1925 (36th–38th)
      • nephew to J.H. Faubion

  • Few-Lewis family

    • William Allen Few served in the House, 1933–1934 (43rd)

      • father-in-law to Don A. Lewis
    • Donald A. Lewis served in the House, 1947–1951 (50th–51st)
      • son-in-law to W.A. Few

  • Fowler family

    • John H. Fowler served in the House, 1853–1855 (5th)

      • great-uncle to G.R. Fowler
    • Godfrey Rees Fowler served in the House, 1903–1905 (28th)
      • great-nephew to John H. Fowler

  • Fly family

    • George Washington Lafayette Fly served in the House, 1881–1883 (17th)

      • father to William Madden Fly, grandfather to William Stoner Fly
    • William Madden Fly served in the House, 1915–1923 (34th–37th), and 1926–1929 (39th–40th)
      • son to George Washington Lafayette Fly, uncle to William Stoner Fly
    • William Stoner Fly served in the House, 1947–1953 (50th–52nd), and in the Senate, 1954–1961 (53rd–56th)
      • grandson to George Washington Lafayette Fly, nephew to William Madden Fly

  • Garrison-Carter-Sanford family

    • Caleb Jackson Garrison served in the House, 1876–1881 (15th–16th), and 1883–1885 (18th), and in the Senate, 1885–1889 (20th)

      • brother to T.S. Garrison, uncle to E.H. Carter, great-uncle to Gary B. Sanford
    • Thomas Smith Garrison served in the House, 1897–1899 (25th)
      • brother to C.J. Garrison, uncle to E.H. Carter, grandfather to Gary B. Sanford
    • E.H. Carter served in the Senate, 1911–1914 (32nd–33rd)
      • nephew to C.J. and T.S. Garrison, cousin-once-removed to Gary B. Sanford
    • Gary Bonner Sanford served in the House, 1922–1927 (37th–39th)
      • grandson to T.S. Garrison, great-nephew to C.J. Garrison, cousin-once-removed to E.H. Carter

  • Guinn-Hearne family

    • Robert Guinn served in the Senate, 1853–1870 (5th–11th)

      • brother-in-law to D.T. Hearne
    • D.T. Hearne served in the House, 1883–1887 (18th–19th)
      • brother-in-law to Robert Guinn

  • Hamilton-Perry-Ratliff family

    • David Henry Hamilton served in the House, 1893–1895 (23rd)

      • great-great-grandfather to Rick Perry
    • Rick Perry served in the House, 1985–1991 (69th–71st)
      • great-great-grandson to D.H. Hamilton
    • Dennis Pace Ratliff served in the House, 1931–1935 (42nd–43rd)
      • grandfather-in-law to Rick Perry

  • Hogg family Gov. James Hogg is Joseph's son and Mike's father.

    • Joseph Lewis Hogg served in the Senate, 1846 (1st)

      • grandfather to Mike Hogg
    • Mike Hogg served in the House, 1927–1931 (40th–41st)
      • grandson to Joseph L. Hogg

  • Holland family William is believed to be one of Bird Holland's sons by an enslaved woman. Bird bought the brothers' freedom and took them to Ohio.

    • Spearman Holland served in the House, 1846–1847 (1st), 1857–1859 (7th), and 1861–1863 (9th), and in the Senate, 1863–1866 (10th)

      • brother to Bird Holland, father to James Holland, uncle^ to William Holland
    • Bird Holland served in the House, 1853–1855 (5th)
      • brother to Spearman Holland, father^ to William Holland, uncle to James Holland
    • William H. Holland served in the House, 1876–1879 (15th)
      • son^ to Bird Holland, nephew^ to Spearman Holland, cousin^ to James Holland
    • James K. Holland served in the House, 1849–1851 (3rd), and 1863 (9th), and in the Senate, 1853–1855 (5th)
      • son to Spearman Holland, nephew to Bird Holland, cousin^ to William Holland

  • Jackson-Denny family

    • Robert Hal Jackson served in the House, 1947–1951 (50th–51st)

      • second cousin to Mary Denny
    • Mary Denny served in the House, 1993–2007 (1993–2007)
      • second cousin to Robert Hal Jackson

  • Jolley-Bock family

    • James Jolley served in the House, 1885–1887 (19th)

      • great-grandfather to Bennie Bock II
    • Bennie Bock II served in the House, 1973–983 (63rd–67th)
      • great-grandson to James Jolley

  • Jones-Mills family

    • Henry Jones served in the House, 1846–1847 (1st)

      • father-in-law to Roger Quarles Mills, grandfather to Charles Mills
    • Roger Quarles Mills served in the House, 1859–1861 (8th)
      • son-in-law to Henry Jones, father to Charles Mills
    • Charles H. Mills served in the House, 1913–1915 (33rd)
      • son to Roger Quarles Mills, grandson to Henry Jones

  • Jones family

    • Wiley Jones served in the House, 1863–1866

      • father-in-law to John Mathis
    • John Manson Mathis served in the House, 1918–1919 (35th), and 1931–1935 (42nd–43rd)
      • son-in-law to Wiley Jones

  • Jones family

    • Benjamin Franklin Jones served in the House, 1879–1881 (16th)

      • brother to Charles H. Jones and W.H. Jones, father to J.S. Jones
    • Charles Hill Jones served in the House, 1866–1870 (11th)
      • brother to Benjamin Jones and W.H. Jones, uncle to J.S. Jones
    • William H. Jones served in the House, 1876–1879 (15th), and 1885–1887 (19th)
      • brother to Benjamin Jones and Charles H. Jones, uncle to J.S. Jones
    • James Slaughter Jones served in the House, 1901–1903 (27th)
      • son to Benjamin Jones, nephew to Charles H. Jones and W.H. Jones

  • Lea-Boothe family

    • Pryor Lea served in the Senate, 1861–1866 (9th–10th)

      • grandfather-in-law to Joseph Boothe
    • Joseph Boothe served in the House, 1887–1889 (20th)
      • grandson-in-law to Pryor Lea

  • Mauritz-Patman family

    • Fred Mauritz served in the House, 1935–1939 (44th–45th), and in the Senate, 1941–1947 (47th–50th)

      • father-in-law to Bill Patman
    • William N. Patman served in the Senate, 1961–1981 (57th–66th)
      • son-in-law to Fred Mauritz

  • Maverick family

    • Samuel Augustus Maverick served in the House, 1851–1855, and 1859–1863 (8th–9th), and in the Senate, 1855–1859 (6th–7th)

      • great-grandfather to Maury Maverick
    • Maury Maverick served in the House, 1951–1957 (52nd–54th)
      • great-grandson to Samuel Maverick

  • McLane-Pierce family

    • Charles McLane served in the Senate, 1882–1883 (17th)

      • stepfather to C.C. Pierce
    • C.C. Pierce served in the House, 1907–1910 (30th–31st)
      • stepson to Charles McLane

  • Meyer-Gattis family

    • Charles J.H. Meyer served in the House, 1893–1895 (23rd)

      • great-great-grandfather to Dan Gattis
    • Dan Gattis served in the House, 2003–2011 (78th–81st)
      • great-great-grandson to C.J.H. Meyer

  • Mobley family

  • Moursund family

    • Albert W.H. Moursund served in the House, 1881–1885 (17th–18th)

      • father to Anton N. Moursund, grandfather to Albert Moursund III
    • Anton N. Moursund served in the House, 1901–1903 (27th)
      • son to A.W. Moursund, Sr., father to Travis Moursund, uncle to Albert Moursund III
    • Albert Wadel Moursund III served in the House, 1949–1953 (51st–52nd)
      • grandson to A.W. Moursund, Sr., cousin to Travis Moursund
    • Travis Bruce Moursund served in the House, 1927–1929 (40th)
      • son to Anton N. Moursund, grandson to A.W. Moursund, Sr., cousin to Albert Moursund III

  • Munson family

    • Mordello Stephen Munson served in the House, 1857–1861 (7th–8th), 1866–1870 (11th), and 1875–1876 (14th)

      • father to Milam Stephen Munson, Sr., grandfather to Milam Stephen Munson, Jr.
    • Milam Stephen Munson, Sr. served in the House, 1909–1911 (31st)
      • son to Mordello Stephen Munson, father to Milam Stephen Munson, Jr.
    • Milam Stephen Munson, Jr. served in the House, 1931–1935 (42nd–43rd)
      • son to Milam Stephen Munson, Jr., grandson to Mordello Stephen Munson

  • Patton-Jordan family

    • Edward Patton served in the House, 1891–1893 (22nd)

      • great-grandfather to Barbara Jordan
    • Barbara Jordan served in the Senate, 1967–1973 (60th–62nd)
      • great-granddaughter to Edward Patton

  • Perry-Stevenson-Murr family

    • Henry Grady Perry served in the House, 1921–1923 (37th), and 1949–1953 (51st–52nd)

      • father to Wilbur Wright Perry, brother-in-law to Coke Robert Stevenson
    • Wilbur Wright Perry served in the House, 1953–1955 (53rd)
      • son to H. Grady Perry
    • Coke Robert Stevenson served in the House, 1929–1939 (41st–45th)
      • brother-in-law to H. Grady Perry, grandfather to Andrew Murr
    • Andrew Murr serves in the House, 2015–present (84th–86th)
      • grandson to Coke Robert Stevenson

  • Rains-Barrett family

    • Emory Rains served in the House, 1847–1849 (2nd), 1851–1853 (4th–5th), and in the Senate, 1859–1861 (8th)

      • great-uncle to Eli B. Barrett
    • Eli Brown Barrett served in the House, 1921–1925 (37th–38th), and 1933–1935 (43rd)
      • great-nephew to Emory Rains

  • Rowland-Gough family

    • James Franklin Rowland served in the House, 1889–1893 (21st–22nd)

      • uncle to James Rowland Gough
    • James Rowland Gough served in the House, 1891–1897 (22nd–24th), and in the Senate, 1897–1901 (25th–26th)
      • nephew to J.F. Rowland

  • Runnels family

    • Hiram George Runnels elected but never sworn (7th)

      • uncle to Hardin Runnels and Howell Runnels
    • Hardin Richard Runnels served in the House, 1847–1855 (2nd–5th)
      • brother to Howell Runnels, nephew to Hiram G. Runnels
    • Howell Runnels served in the House, 1855–1859 (6th–7th)
      • brother to Hardin Runnels, nephew to Hiram G. Runnels

  • Russell family

    • William Jarvis Russell served in the House, 1849–1851 (3rd)

      • father to William H. Russell, grandfather to W.J. Russell
    • William H. Russell served in the Senate, 1874–1876 (14th)
      • son to William Jarvis Russell, father to W.J. Russell
    • William Jarvis Russell served in the House, 1893–1895 (23rd), and 1899–1905 (26th–28th)
      • son to William H. Russell, grandson to William Jarvis Russell

  • Shepard family

    • James Shepard served in the House, 1850–1851 (3rd), and 1856–1857 (6th)

      • brother to Chauncy Shepard, uncle to Seth Shepard
    • Chauncy Shepard served in the Senate, 1857–1866 (7th–10th)
      • brother to James Shepard, father to Seth Shepard
    • Seth Shepard served in the Senate, 1874–1876 (14th)
      • son to Chauncy Shepard, nephew to James Shepard

  • Stewart family

    • William Henry Stewart served in the House, 1848–1851 (2nd–3rd), and 1859–1861 (8th)

      • grandfather to Maco Stewart, Jr., great-grandfather to Maco Stewart III
    • Maco Stewart, Jr. served in the House, 1923–1925 (38th)
      • father to Maco Stewart III, grandson to William H. Stewart
    • Maco Stewart III served in the House, 1961–1963 (57th)
      • son to Maco Stewart, Jr., great-grandson to William H. Stewart

  • Stollenwerck family

  • Tarlton-Morrow-Farenthold family

    • Benjamin Tarlton served in the House, 1881–1883 (17th), and 1885–1887 (19th)

      • brother-in-law to W.C. Morrow, grandfather to Frances "Sissy" Farenthold
    • W.C. Morrow served in the Senate, 1913–1917 (33rd–34th)
      • brother-in-law to Benjamin Tarlton, great-uncle to Frances "Sissy" Farenthold
    • Frances "Sissy" Farenthold served in the House, 1969–1973 (61st–62nd)
      • granddaughter to Benjamin Tarlton, great-niece to W.C. Morrow

  • Terrell family

    • Henry Berryman Terrell served in the House, 1901–1909 (27th–30th), and in the Senate, 1909–1915 (31st–34th)

      • brother to George Terrell, uncle to J. Turney Terrell
    • George Butler Terrell served in the House, 1899–1903 (26th–27th), 1907–1913 (30th–32nd), 1917–1920 (35th–36th), and 1931–1933 (42nd)
      • brother to H.B. Terrell, father to J. Turney Terrell
    • J. Turney Terrell served in the House, 1930–1933 (41st–42nd)
      • son to George Terrell, nephew to H.B. Terrell

  • Thurmond family

    • Pulaski A. Thurmond served in the House, 1863 (9th)

      • brother to George Thurmond and Alfred Thurmond
    • Alfred Thurmond served in the House, 1866–1870 (11th), and 1873–1874 (13th)
      • brother to George Thurmond and Pulaski Thurmond
    • George Murat Thurmond served in the House, 1901–1903 (27th)
      • brother to Alfred Thurmond and Pulaski Thurmond, father to Roger H. Thurmond, grandfather to George M. Thurmond and Roger H. Thurmond, Jr.
    • Roger Harold Thurmond served in the House, 1929 (41st)
      • son of George Thurmond, father to George M. Thurmond and Roger H. Thurmond, Jr., nephew to Alfred Thurmond and Pulaski Thurmond
    • George Murat Thurmond served in the House, 1955–1959 (54th–55th)
      • grandson of George M. Thurmond, great-nephew of Alfred Thurmond and Pulaski Thurmond
    • Roger H. Thurmond, Jr. served from 1959–1967 (56th–59th)
      • grandson of George M. Thurmond, great-nephew of Alfred Thurmond and Pulaski Thurmond

  • Truitt-Stephens family

    • James Alfred Truitt served in the Senate, 1846–1849 (1st–2nd), 1851–1853 (4th), 1855–1859 (6th–7th), and 1866–1870 (11th)

      • grandfather to James W. Truitt, John H. Truitt, and J.H. Stephens
    • Alfred M. Truit served in the Senate, 1849–1851 (3rd)
      • son of James Alfred Truitt, uncle^ to James W. Truitt and John H. Truitt
    • James W. Truitt served in the House, 1881–1883 (17th), and 1891–1895 (22nd–23rd)
      • brother to John H. Truitt, grandson to James Alfred Truitt, nephew^ to Alfred M. Truitt, cousin^ to J.H. Stephens
    • John Hays Truitt served in the House, 1887–1889 (20th)
      • brother to James W. Truitt, grandson to James Alfred Truitt, nephew^ to Alfred M. Truitt, cousin^ to J.H. Stephens
    • John Hall Stephens served in the House, 1889–1893 (21st–22nd)
      • grandson to James Alfred Truitt, cousin^ to James W. Truitt and John H. Truitt

  • Wurzbach-Kleberg-Eckhardt family

    • Charles Louis Wurzbach served in the House, 1876–1885 (15th–18th), and 1891–1892 (22nd)

      • father to William Wurzbach, grandfather to Bob Eckhardt
    • William Augustus Wurzbach served in the House, 1895–1897 (24th)
      • son to Charles Wurzbach, uncle to Bob Eckhardt
    • Marcellus Eugene Kleberg served in the House, 1873–1874 (13th)
      • brother to Rudolph Kleberg, uncle to Robert J. Eckhardt, great-uncle to Bob Eckhardt
    • Rudolph Kleberg served in the Senate, 1883–1886 (18th–19th)
      • brother to Marcellus Kleberg, uncle to Robert J. Eckhardt, great-uncle to Bob Eckhardt
    • Robert J. Eckhardt served in the Senate, 1915–1917 (34th)
      • uncle to Bob Eckhardt, nephew to Rudolph Kleberg, nephew to Marcellus Kleberg
    • Robert C. "Bob" Eckhardt served in the House, 1959–1967 (56th–59th)
      • grandson to Charles Wurzbach, nephew to William Wurzbach, nephew to Robert J. Eckhardt, great-nephew to Rudolph Kleberg, great-nephew to Marcellus Kleberg

*Many of the fathers and sons were "Senior" and "Junior," or at least shared the same first name. If we did not find indication of nicknames, we used "FirstName, Sr./Jr." on the second reference. In cases where we believe legislators had a preference for a nickname or abbreviated name, we used that name on the second reference. Names are in chronological order within family groups. We've attempted to identify all of the legislative extended families, but let us know if you think we missed some! This information 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.

 
^ denotes where we are fairly certain of a familial connection but do not have sufficient documentation. Let us know if you can help confirm or deny our hunches!

This entry was posted on December 9, 2019 at 8:50 AM and has received 1542 views. Print this entry.

Notable Names in the Minutes

Nov 25

posted by TexasLRL in Committees, Texas history, Legislative process

Most of the people who testify at legislative hearings are "regular" people—active citizens or members of organizations who want to make their voices heard about proposed legislation. However, in our committee minutes scanning project, famous names sometimes jump out at us. Here are a few examples:

  • Musician Willie Nelson was the second individual to testify at the House Committee on Government Organization public hearing on April 4, 1989. Nelson spoke in favor of SB 489, 71R, a sunset bill that provided for the continuation of the Department of Agriculture. Noted in the minutes: "Chair recognized Willie Nelson of Austin, Texas, representing himself, as well as rabbits and horned toads." Congresswoman Barbara Jordan "of Austin, Texas, representing herself"—the Texas Legislature's own past Sen. Jordan—testified immediately following Nelson.
  • On March 11, 2009, the 81st Legislature's House Committee on Appropriations heard from Linda Gray and Larry Hagman, actors of Dallas fame, regarding film incentive funding.
  • Sometimes you have to know your Texas history—and possible name misspellings—to spot the notable figure mention. In the 39th Legislature (1925), the House Committee to Investigate Certain State Departments was charged with, among other items, investigating "the administration of highway affairs by the State Highway Commission." Former Rep. Sam Johnson, at the time a section foreman with the Highway Commission, testified before the committee, and he talks about his son, "Linden Johnson," who was driving tractors and helping Sam with payroll. "Lyndon" is the correct spelling of Rep. Johnson's son's name—as in future U.S. president Lyndon Baines Johnson! 

This entry was posted on November 25, 2019 at 9:00 AM and has received 1116 views. Print this entry.

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