Democratic nominee James M. Cox won in Texas, where the white majority was voting solidly Democratic. 1917: James 'Pa' Ferguson Jr., Texas. FERGUSON IMPEACHMENT. In 1924, unable to run under his own name, he ran his wife's campaign for the governorship against Judge Felix Robertson, the candidate endorsed by the Ku Klux Klan. Carillo in 1975. James E. Ferguson Called on Tejanos to rise up/support the revolution; Called on other minorities to join Tejanos to carve out a republic from land US took from Mexico US Pancho Villa Mexican guerilla leader led an attack on Columbus NM (Mar. Which Way Will Harris County Precinct 3 Turn In 2020? Unable to run under his own name, Ferguson ran his wife's campaign for Governor; Miriam A. Ferguson, known as "Ma" Ferguson, was twice elected as governor, serving two non-consecutive terms, from 1925 to 1927 and 1933 to 1935. He was popular for his folksy charm across. He was barred, but managed to have his wife ("Ma Ferguson") elected governor; she was elected for a second term in 1932. Soon after, the alumni group began taking out ads in newspapers calling for the governors impeachment. Jim Pa Ferguson became the first person in Texas to be impeached. Though he had signed legislation creating three new colleges, he found himself in a feud with professors at the University of Texas. Jordan wa, Houston, Sam Hearing the gasps in the chamber, Ferguson immediately asked to strike the comment. The Legislature then came back into session to consider impeachment, an attempt Ferguson immediately condemned. The convention did not endorse Ferguson, but the other anti-prohibition candidates withdrew from the race. Centex baseball preview: What's old, new, borrowed and blue for 2023? Ferguson would often call into question the value of a college diploma, saying it was book learning gone to seed. He said some professors took three years to learn that you couldnt grow wool on an armadillo. His constituency, he claimed, resided where the creeks forked and he felt they were getting short-changed by not getting enough basic education, while the kids at UT were getting too much of it., He said those kids go up to Austin for four years and return home with nothing but a mandolin and liver damage. As my brother Redneck Dave would say, That right there is funny. He was indicted and impeached during his second term, but according to Ferguson technically impeached, after he resigned office. Jessica Brannon-Wranosky is the Distinguished Professor of Digital Humanities and History at Texas A&M UniversityCommerce. You are currently viewing a legacy feature of the Texas Politics Project website. Even during the workday Christina De La Cruzs family is rarely far away. After 10 days have elapsed from article adoption, if the Governor has not acted, then by proclamation of, After 15 days have elapsed from article adoption, if the Governor and Lt. Ross Phares, The Governors of Texas (Gretna, Louisiana: Pelican, 1976). She served two nonconsecutive two-year terms as governor: January 20, 1925 January 17, 1927. Laws governing impeachment in Texas are governed by Article 15 of the Texas Constitution. First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. The chair of the State Library and Historical Commission, Eugene C. Barker, heard talk about these plans and intervened in support of Winkler. He was a popular figure, signing laws protecting sharecroppers and providing state funding for rural schools. After an unsuccessful campaign for president in 1920, Ferguson ran the gubernatorial campaign of his wife, Miriam Ma Ferguson, in 1924. At the same time, officials had begun looking into Fergusons finances. The first and only Texas governor to be impeached is Governor James "Pa" Ferguson. Ferguson did some good things. Rachel M. Gunter further places the Ferguson impeachment in the context of the suffrage movement. And this current flap is far from over. Norman Kittrell, Governors Who Have Been and Other Public Men of Texas (Houston: Dealy-Adey-Elgin, 1921). He was re-elected in 1916. 2003, The Texas State Historical Association. The impeachment process begins with the House of Representatives. [17] Governor of Texas Rick Perry's spokesperson said the investigations send a "chilling message" to gubernatorial appointees. He loaned himself so much money that he practically bankrupted his own bank. James Ferguson was a banker from Temple who would become governor in 1914 - famous, or infamous, as the only Texas governor to face impeachment. He is the author, coauthor, or editor of more than two dozen books, most recently Anti-Black Violence in Twentieth-Century Texas. Connally, John Bowden, Jr. Encyclopedia.com. The veto was retaliation against the university because of its refusal to dismiss certain faculty members whom Ferguson found objectionable, including William Harding Mayes, former Texas Lieutenant Governor and founder and dean of the University of Texas School of Journalism. There is no regularly scheduled session until 2015. The issues were prohibition, the tax rate, and certain unpalatable rumors concerning the Ferguson administration. Impeachment is the equivalent of an indictment. However, the date of retrieval is often important. Texas History Minute: Jim Ferguson only Texas governor to be impeached, removed By Ken Bridges Jan 30, 2020 0 1 of 2 Gov. He had been accused of misappropriating funds, but investigations failed to find anything that would warrant impeachment, and the probe seemed to be closed. There are 31 members of the Texas State Senate. James Ferguson. The Constitution gives the House power to impeach the president, officials appointed by the president (including cabinet officers) and judges. He submitted his resignation the day before he was scheduled to be formally convicted. The House sent 21 articles of impeachment to the Senate. And once again, there is talk of impeachment in the Legislature. Ferguson was first elected in 1914, and was reelected in 1916. As a result of these and other expenditures, the ad valorem tax rate for state purposes advanced from 12 1/2 to 30 cents. The ruling declared that he could no longer hold office in Texas, but he ran the campaigns of his wife, Miriam "Ma" Ferguson. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. He showed up most every day to his own trial, invited or not, with two armed Texas Rangers as escorts. She would serve one more term as governor from 1933 to 1935. A part of his appeal as a candidate for governor was his support for white supremacy in the political process. School districts | Some legislators justified the impeachment on the grounds that Hall did not disclose several lawsuits that he was involved in when he originally completed his Regent background check. "In light of the fundamental role attorneys play, it would lead to an absurd result were it criminal for an official to provide student records to his or her attorney in the face of litigation, or anticipated litigation, involving these records," Philip Hilder wrote in the report. [8] Hall, as an individual citizen, filed FOIA requests with the University system after his inquiries via his role as a Regent were rebuffed. [5], He also became active in the Democratic Party and managed several local political campaigns. Gov. When the House is not in session, there are three ways that the House may be convened for purposes of impeachment. . The Senate, acting as a court of impeachment, spent three weeks considering the charges and convicted the governor of 10 of them. Though Fergusons hatred for UT ran deep, he never fully explained his animus. Impeached provides a new examination of the rise and fall of Ferguson's political fortunes, offering a focused look at how battles over economic class, academic freedom, women's enfranchisement, and concentrated political power came to be directed toward one . 2020 Census Making An Invisible Population Visible, Lyceum Poll Finds Bernie Sanders Most Likely Democrat To Beat Trump In Texas, One Texans Journey to Understanding His Identity as a Queer Muslim, In West Texas, Knowing Your Address Can Be The Difference Between Life And Death. But it is Hall not his political patron, Perry who would be targeted for possible impeachment. To impeach, the House simply needs a majority vote on the different charges involved. General Libraries at the University of Texas at Austin, Liberal Arts Instructional Technology Services. James Edward Ferguson Jr. (August 31, 1871 September 21, 1944), known as Pa Ferguson, was an American Democratic politician and the 26th Governor of Texas, in office from 1915 to 1917. Carrillospent three years in a federal penitentiary. The policy of state aid to rural schools was begun, and a rather timid law requiring compulsory school attendance was passed. The first had to do with his abuse of power while attempting to micromanage the University of Texas. Bridges can be reached by email at drkenbridges@gmail.com. TEXAS HISTORY MINUTE: The impeachment of Pa Ferguson, Texas lawmakers push for statewide paid parental leave, Graford secures regional quarterfinal in domina, Parker County man arrested on charges of impersonating an officer, 'New' doors opening: Poston Dry Goods now Mineral Wells hub, Mineral Wells native celebrates 103rd birthday, UPDATED playoff basketball scores: 2/20-2/21/23, Brock moves on with emphatic win over Holliday, Graford secures regional quarterfinal in dominant fashion, Millsap's Coach Johnson relishes his 'calling'. A powerful governor clashes with the University of Texas at Austin. January 1996 in Austin, Texas), first black southern woman in the United States Congress. This ragtag pair, better known as "Pa . It reveals the attempt and failure of a megalomaniac in the governors chair to dominate the state university by political methods for political purposes, the American Political Science Review wrote a year later. The excitement that greeted the veto was soon overshadowed by the greater excitement that surrounded the impeachment trial. The House then chooses members to act as managers to present the case to the Senate for trial. (February 23, 2023). If that is the case, then the state house must follow procedures outlined regarding calling a special session specifically for the process of impeachment. There are 150 members of the Texas State House. He lost the 1922 Democratic Primary race for U.S. Senate by a wide margin. Jessica Brannon-Wranosky and Bruce A. Glasrud, eds. But the mere fact that Ferguson had been impeached and made ineligible to hold any office of trust or profit under the state did not in any sense remove him from the field of Texas politics. But the mere fact that Ferguson had been impeached and made ineligible to hold any office of trust or profit under the state did not in any sense remove him from the field of Texas politics . In general, the purpose of an impeachment proceeding is to remove from office a . In the United States legal tradition, impeachment is comparable to an indictment in a criminal court. Encyclopedia.com. As a result of his actions, in 1917, Ferguson became the only Texas governor impeached and removed from office. Oklahoma has impeached and removed two governors, and West Virginia impeached four members of its State Supreme Court at the same time in 2018. She would serve one more term as governor from 1933 to 1935. He only made the ballot in Texas, winning just under 10% of the vote. When they wouldnt, he started replacing them one by one and withheld state funding from the university to force UT to obey his orders. Found in volume 15,291 (available at govinfo). He decided that the university president must resign, and when Vinson refused, Ferguson vetoed the universitys entire budget. He can be reached by email: Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles. Their campaign slogan: Two governors for the price of one.. Title 6, Chapter 665 of the Texas Government Code addresses the impeachment and removal of public officers by the state house. [4], In Texas, two officials have been successfully impeached -- Governor James Ferguson in 1917 and Judge O.P. Elections in 2023 | Although he had never held office, he was not a stranger to political problems; he had done much work in keeping local-option prohibition from Bell County, had been one of the Bell County managers in the campaign of Robert L. Henry for Congress in 1902, had helped carry Bell County for Cone Johnson in his contest with Joseph Weldon Bailey in 1908, had served as a campaign manager for Robert V. Davidson in 1910, and had aided Oscar B. Colquitt in his successful gubernatorial campaign (1912). The regents refused. Both elected and non-elected officials can be impeached in Texas. months before, both the House and the Senate had refused to sustain charges against him, and his removal from office was far from certain when the legislature convened in special session. The Court of Impeachment, by a vote of twenty-five to three, removed Ferguson from office and made him ineligible to hold any office of honor, trust, or profit under the state of Texas. The Arizona House and Senate impeached Mecham, a Republican, in 1988 after a state grand jury convicted him on six felony charges of fraud, perjury and filing false documents. Meanwhile, Winkler fought for his job by enlisting the help of his colleagues. The fight with the university touched off a massive scandal. The chairman of the investigating committee, William H. Bledsoe of Lubbock, called for impeachment. He was associated with the Farmers State Bank of Belton for several years and was a member of the Texas Bankers Association. There were two major elements of the impeachment charges brought against Ferguson in 1917. Henry S. Johnston of Oklahoma Angry that two professors had openly criticized his administration, Ferguson demanded that the Board of Regents fire them. In retaliation, Ferguson vetoed the entire appropriation for the university. James Ferguson. The State Senate reduced the charges to ten, half of which dealt with the transfer of the $5,600. In July 1917, he was indicted for misappropriation of funds. There were . Diners at Waco's R&S Barbecue leave full physically and spiritually, both by design, according to owners Richard and Sharon Davis. He convened the commission, and the body approved that Barker write a letter to the Governor-elect. In 1917, Gov. Only 17 federal officers have been impeached since 1776. In 1924, his wife, Miriam Ma Ferguson won election as governor as a stand-in candidate in a tightly contested race. So to prove this to them, Ferguson called a special session to consider a UT funding bill he could sign. An overview by John R. Lundberg offers a comprehensive survey of the impeachment process. He started his own newspaper that fall, Ferguson Forum, to promote his views that the impeachment was illegitimate. He was reelected in 1916 but the following year was impeached on grounds of misusing public funds and removed from office. She won that and the general election,[2] saying that she intended to rely on her husband for advice. Gulf of Mexico warming at faster rate than global ocean, study finds, As Texas STAAR test goes fully online, teachers feel defeated, Texas Education Agency projects confidence, Texas Standard for Feb. 23, 2023: Why many cotton farmers arent planting as much this year. ." Both women followed husbands who had served earlier. If the Senate is not in session, there are four ways by which it may be convened.[7]. The Texas Legislative Code governs the process by which the Texas State Legislature can be brought into special session to address an impeachment proceeding. The charges were then sent to the state Senate for trial. The Texas Senate reduced the charges to 10, half of which dealt with the transfer of the $5,600. Jim Ferguson got in trouble for throwing his weight around, and for using the publics money as a personal slush fund. On December 31, 1899, he married Miriam A. Wallace; they had two children. This led to a special session being called by the Legislature, to press for Fergusons impeachment. Nellie Tayloe Ross was sworn in on January 5, 1925; Miriam Ferguson followed on January 20. As a result of these developments, the speaker of the House called a special session to consider charges of impeachment against the governor. As a result it was impossible for the convention to eliminate him and obviously unwise to divide the vote by naming a rival candidate. Fifteen federal judges and one cabinet official have been impeached by the House since the ratification of the Constitution. He often said, civilization begins and ends with the plow. Ferguson was a mesmerizing speaker and storyteller and was splendidly fluent in the dialects of rural Texas. At the same time, officials had begun looking into Fergusons finances. James Edward Ferguson, also called Farmer Jim or Pa was born in Bell County in 1871. [9] According to historian Dan Utley, Ferguson planned to use state appointments as part of a spoils system to reward his political supporters. The Board of Regents hired the firm to review whether Hall may have violated any federal privacy laws in his handling of student information. He claimed to be painstakingly honest; he was an embezzler. (b. Barred from state office, he ran for president in 1920 on the American Party ticket. The account said Ferguson accused the student protesters of committing treason against him. But the day before the conviction was certain to come down. In 1917, barely into his second term as governor of Texas, James E. Ferguson was impeached, convicted, and removed from office. Although Ferguson was disqualified from holding public office, he did try to run in the 1924 elections to redeem his reputation. Gould, Lewis L. "The University Becomes Politicized: The War with Jim Ferguson." [18] He added that the investigation was "extraordinary political theater. Pat Neff. "Ferguson Impeachment Winds light and variable.. In 1913, William Sulzer was impeached and removed from office as governor of New York. the lieutenant governor He was kicked out of a local prep school, Salado College, at age 12 for misbehavior. After he was appointed in 2011, Hall began looking into what he believed to be clout scandals within the University of Texas system. Ferguson, a political novice, suffered from the lack of a viable power-base. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. Ferguson convinced his wife to run one more time in 1940. When the Democratic Party dominated the Texas political landscape, winning the Democratic primary often sealed the election results. Two years later they lost a reelection bid amid new scandals concerning excessive pardons and political patronage abuses. James Ferguson is the only governor to be impeached and convicted. Seven of the charges related to misapplication of public funds, one to embezzlement, and one to the diversion of a special fund. Ferguson was indicted on nine charges in July 1917. Only two Texas public officials have been impeached in the state's history. Ferguson was so enraged by the demonstrators that he got into a yelling match with one of the student protestors and had to be restrained from climbing out of his window to fight them, according to The Impeachment of Jim Ferguson, a 1983 book by Bruce Rutherford. James Edward (Pa) Ferguson (1871-1944), Texas governor, son of James Edward and Fannie (Fitzpatrick) Ferguson, was born on August 31, 1871, near Salado, Bell County, Texas. His second term, but according to Ferguson technically impeached, after he was an embezzler, new borrowed... Advanced from 12 1/2 to 30 cents years to learn that you couldnt grow wool on armadillo... [ 2 ] saying that she intended to rely on her husband for.! His abuse of power while attempting to micromanage the University of Texas system are... First had to do with his abuse of power while attempting to micromanage the.. Is not in session, there is funny into Fergusons finances student information funds, one to the.. 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