Representing Texas by Ben Guttery

Texas Delegation from about 1960 in the Speaker of the House's Dining Room.

Back row, left to right: Bob Casey, John Young, J. T. Rutherford, Jack Brooks, Frank Ikard, Homer Thormberry, Omar Burleson, Olin Teague, Clark Thompson, Walter Rogers, John Dowdy, Joe Kilgore, Jim Wright, and Gary Beckworth.
Front row, left to right: Paul Kilday, Bob Poage, Wright Patman, Senator Lyndon B. Johnson, Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn, Senator Ralph Yarborough, George Mahon, Albert Thomas, and O. C. Fisher.
The only delegation member not present is Republican Bruce Alger.

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About the Author

Ben Guttery is a Senior Program Manager with the Federal Aviation Administration in Fort Worth. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Geography from Texas State University and a Master's Degree in Urban Planning from Texas A&M University. His first book Encyclopedia of African Airlines (McFarland & Co.) was published in 1998.

About the Book

Representing Texas is a compendium of biographies of the men and women who have represented the state in the United States and Confederate Congresses. These biographies include information about the representative's birth, education, marriages, family, experiences, profession, elections, congressional record, and death records including burial site. In addition to the biographies there are lists of U.S. Senators by succession, U.S. Representatives by district, Representatives and Senators to the Confederate Congresses, Confederate Congressional Districts by county, Confederate Congress session dates, U.S. Congress session dates, and U.S. Congressional Districts by county. A complete set of U.S. Senator election returns and U.S. Representative election returns from Texas completes the work. Also included is a bibliography. The work was completed following interviews with living ex-members of Congress and current, sitting members of Congress from Texas. The work is the only one to address the topic specific to Texas and is a valuable reference for any Texas library and any history or political researcher.

Review

Politics in Texas has been called a contact sport. Texas has had a unique and colorful history of people representing the state in the United States Congress-the House and Senate-and in the Confederate Congresses. This book attempts to look into the lives of the men and women who have represented the state and the interests of the state on the national level. In almost every case, each individual is worthy of an entire publication, and indeed, some are represented by one, but the purpose here is simply to aid in the basic understanding of each individual.

This book details the professional career of each person who has served in the United States and Confederate Congress from Texas. Among the information provided are the congressman's full name, vital statistics such as birth date and place, death date and place, and burial location. Other information includes the offices held, either public or private. Those candidates whom the member of Congress defeated in the general election are also noted. All known political party affiliations and party changes are noted, as are educational, professional, and personal backgrounds. Photographs or drawings of each member are included, with four exceptions.

Following the bibliographical section are several important reference lists. This section includes a chronological list of U.S. senators by succession; U.S. representatives by district; representatives to the Confederate Congress, which includes delegates to the Confederate Provisional Congress, senators to the Confederate Congress, and representatives to the Confederate Congress; the composition of Confederate congressional districts by county; Confederate Congress session dates; U.S. Congress session dates; composition of U.S. congressional districts by county; legislative elections for U.S. senator; U.S. senator election returns; and U.S. representative election returns.

Contents

1. vii Acknowledgments
2. 1 Introduction
3. 1 Republic of Texas
4. 1 Statehood
5. 2 First Representatives
6. 2 Secession
7. 2 Reconstruction
8. 3 Source of Power and Responsibilities
9. 3 Method of Election and Terms of Office
10. 4 Qualifications for the Office
11. 4 Official Benefits
12. 4 Number of Representatives
13. 5 Districts
14. 6 Elections
15. 7 Special Elections
16. 8 Business and Organization
17. 8 Parties
18. 9 Governors as Representatives
19. 10 Deaths, Resignations, and Appointments
20. 10 Former Members
21. 10 Upward Mobility
22. 11 Recent Trends
23. 11 Oath of Office
24. 11 Firsts and Facts for Texas
25. 13 Biographies
26. 167 Chronological List Of U.S. Senators By Succession
27. 168 Chronological List Of U.S. Representatives By District
28. 174 Texas Representatives To The Confederate Congresses
29. 175 Composition Of Confederate Congressional Districts By County
30. 176 Confederate Congress Session Dates
31. 177 U.S. Congress Session Dates
32. 179 Composition Of U.S. Congressional Districts In Texas By County
33. 189 Legislative Elections For U.S. Senator By Succession
34. 189 Class 1-The Rusk Succession
35. 194 Class 2-The Houston Succession
36. 199 U.S. Senator Election Returns By Succession
37. 199 Class 1-The Rusk Succession
38. 204 Class 2-The Houston Succession
39. 209 U.S. Representative Election Returns
40. 317 Alphabetical List Of Texas Congressmen
41. 325 Bibliography
42. 335 Photo Credits