Sam Houston But Ferguson ran for governor in the 1918 Democratic primary. ." Seven of the charges related to misapplication of public funds, one to embezzlement, and one to the diversion of a special fund. The impeachment process begins with the House of Representatives. 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. He was re-elected in 1916. 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. 2] THE IMPEACHMENT OF JAMES E. FERGUSON I85 there, was immediately converted to the legal profession. In July 1917, he was indicted for misappropriation of funds. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. Jordan wa, Houston, Sam He was indicted and impeached during his second term, forced to resign and barred from holding further Texas office.[1][2][3][4]. The Texas State Legislature adjourned its regular session on May 27, 2013. Only two elected officials in the history of Texas have ever been successfully impeached. [2], Impeachments have historically been reserved for cases in which a public official committed a criminal act. 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. Ferguson declared that the legislature constituted little more than a "kangaroo court," but only a few The account said Ferguson accused the student protesters of committing treason against him. He was a popular figure, signing laws protecting sharecroppers and providing state funding for rural schools. To impeach, the House simply needs a majority vote on the different charges involved. 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. As much as one might appreciate Fergusons homey aphorisms, a word hed likely have found objectionable because of its academic taint his style loses its charm when you learn all that was revealed at his impeachment. The regents refused. The Texas Legislative Code governs the process by which the Texas State Legislature can be brought into special session to address an impeachment proceeding. "Ferguson Impeachment The second had to do with his utilization of the Temple Bank he had controlling interest in as his personal slush fund. Dictionary of American History. In sum, his down-home authenticity faded away to reveal a man who was mostly a fraud. Though no Texas official has been impeached and removed from office at the state level since Ferguson, Texas politics has hardly been scandal-free. Though he had signed legislation creating three new. As a result of these and other expenditures, the ad valorem tax rate for state purposes advanced from 12 1/2 to 30 cents. Only two Texas public officials have been impeached in the state's history. Lewis L. Gould, Progressives and Prohibitionists: Texas Democrats in the Wilson Era (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1973; rpt., Austin: Texas State Historical Association, 1992). In 1906, he sold Farmers bank and established Temple State Bank. He is the author, coauthor, or editor of more than two dozen books, most recently Anti-Black Violence in Twentieth-Century Texas. They then sent the charges to the State Senate for trial. There are 31 members of the Texas State Senate. In 1917, James E. Ferguson, nicknamed "Pa Ferguson," was impeached and removed from the governorship of Texas. In 1918 he sought the Democratic party nomination for the governorship but was defeated by William P. Hobby. The prohibitionists passed over their better-known leaders and gave their support to Charles H. Morris of Winnsboro, a political unknown. This ragtag pair, better known as "Pa . When they wouldnt, he started replacing them one by one and withheld state funding from the university to force UT to obey his orders. Millions of Texans have rare diseases. Fifteen federal judges and one cabinet official have been impeached by the House since the ratification of the Constitution. One final note of incredulity. 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 . When the House is not in session, there are three ways that the House may be convened for purposes of impeachment. The report concluded that Hall had a legitimate reason for having the documents in question. He was elected governor in 1914, his first election. He was by this time an old man. Jordan, Barbara Charline With charges growing against Ferguson, the House of Representatives drew up 21 charges against him and voted to impeach. On July 21, 1917, in the midst of the excitement, Ferguson appeared before the Travis County grand jury, and several days later it was announced that he had been indicted on nine charges. Jessica Brannon-Wranosky and Bruce A. Glasrud, eds. [11] Another leading Ferguson critic on the UT campus was the historian Eugene C. Barker. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The incumbent State Librarian was Ernest Winkler, who was a professional historian with years of experience as a librarian. This is why I so often say, Im W. F. Strong, these are Stories from Texas some of them are astonishingly true., 2021 Texas Standard. "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. Both women followed husbands who had served earlier. 1. so that gubernatorial elections will not be influenced by a presidential election 2. so that candidates cannot run for governor and a federal office at the same time 3. so that voters will not become overwhelmed by too many candidates in one year 4. because Texas happened to become part of the US during an off-year When the Democratic Party dominated the Texas political landscape, winning the Democratic primary often sealed the election results. There are 150 members of the Texas State House. On December 31, 1899, he married Miriam A. Wallace; they had two children. the lieutenant governor He left home at 16, traveling and taking odd jobs until he returned to farm in Bell County. (b. Gov. In addition, he established Farmers State Bank. [4], In Texas, two officials have been successfully impeached -- Governor James Ferguson in 1917 and Judge O.P. With charges growing against Ferguson, the House of Representatives drew up 21 charges against him and voted to impeach. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. He was impeached in 1917 and removed from office. Jessica Brannon-Wranosky and Bruce A. Glasrud have brought together top scholars to shine a light on this unique chapter in Texas history. State executives | In 1917, Gov. The Senate found Ferguson guilty on five charges relating to mishandling of public funds and abuse of power in relation to the university. [20], A January 2014 review by the law firm Hilder & Associates concluded that there was "no credible evidence of a violation of [the state government code] that would warrant a referral for criminal prosecution." He tapped Reverend Allan Ferguson Cunningham to serve as State Librarian, despite his lack of training or experience in the field. Carillo in 1975. 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'. The State Senate reduced the charges to ten, half of which dealt with the transfer of the $5,600. This call was of doubtful legality, but Ferguson removed all question by calling the legislature to meet for the purpose of making appropriations for the University of Texas. James Edward Ferguson, also called Farmer Jim or Pa was born in Bell County in 1871. July 2, 20146 AM Central. She would serve one more term as governor from 1933 to 1935. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. 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. He was reelected in 1916 but the following year was impeached on grounds of misusing public funds and removed from office. He was re-elected in 1916. And here, Ferguson made his second blunder. Ferguson was the only "wet" candidate in the Democratic primary and garnered all of the anti-prohibitionist votes over a plurality of "dry" candidates. When his reasoning was questioned, he would respond, I am governor of Texas. James Ferguson. How to run for office | He was replaced by William P. Hobby after the Texas House of Representatives found him guilty in ten of twenty-one charges. He started his own newspaper that fall, Ferguson Forum, to promote his views that the impeachment was illegitimate. His law practice did not require all of his time, so Ferguson expanded his interests to include real estate and insurance and later turned his attention to banking. Landowners were assured, however, that they need not be alarmed by the proposal, as it would benefit all concerned. Thats how she likes it. The vote made him ineligible to hold any office of honor, trust or profit in the state of Texas. James Edward Ferguson, also called Farmer Jim or Pa was born in Bell County in 1871. Barred from state office, he ran for president in 1920 on the American Party ticket. But it is Hall not his political patron, Perry who would be targeted for possible impeachment. The second was state District Judge OliveroCarrilloin 1976, who was impeached for income tax fraud. Ferguson was born to the Reverend James E. Ferguson, and Fannie Ferguson near Salado in south Bell County, Texas. Bruce Rutherford, The Impeachment of Jim Ferguson (Austin: Eakin Press, 1983). 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 politician. At the same time, officials had begun looking into Fergusons finances. The convention did not endorse Ferguson, but the other anti-prohibition candidates withdrew from the race. Legislators have accused Hall of abusing his power and targeting University of Texas, Austin President Bill Powers, while Hall maintains he was acting as a responsible regent investigating situations of clout and accountability problems within the University of Texas system. Vinson asked what they had done to deserve it and he said, I dont need a reason, Im the governor.. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). He only made the ballot in Texas, winning just under 10% of the vote. 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. The colleges were permitted to begin building programs, and the educational appropriation bills were more generous than usual. Proclamation signed by a majority of the members of the House. The fact is that he had parked state funds in his bank for personal gain and he had run his bank as a one-man Ponzi scheme. She even used the word Christian in the law, implying that Christian forgiveness was appropriate here. "Ferguson Impeachment Ferguson was indicted on charges including embezzlement while Carillo spent three years in jail following his impeachment. After all, he was known as Farmer Jim. Jim Pa Ferguson became the first person in Texas to be impeached. Ballot measures, Who represents me? The Senate found Ferguson guilty on five charges relating to mishandling of public funds and abuse of power in relation to the university. Tags 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. Impeached provides a new examination of the rise and fall of Fergusons political fortunes, offering a focused look at how battles over economic class, academic freedom, womens enfranchisement, and concentrated political power came to be directed toward one politician. The House immediately turned its attention to the numerous charges against the governor and, after a lengthy investigation, prepared twenty-one articles of impeachment. Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. The Legislature is aghast at the meddling with the flagship state university. In 1913, William Sulzer was impeached and removed from office as governor of New York. He became a lawyer in 1897, married Miriam A. Wallace in 1899, and expanded into real estate, insurance, and banking. The Constitution gives Congress the power of impeachment in federal cases. Kay Reed Arnold then follows the Ferguson story into the halls of academia at the University of Texaswhich Ferguson threatened to closesparking a fierce response by faculty, alumni, students, and, especially, the Womens Committee for Good Government. He ended up back in the Governors Mansion for a third time when she became the first woman governor in Texas history. Pat Neff. Copyright 2022 Coordinating Council for Women in History. Encyclopedia.com. And she won. An effort was begun in 2013 to investigate the possibility of impeaching University of Texas Regent Wallace Hall. The charges of impeachment grew from a controvesy with the University of Texas administration, and resulted in Ferguson being charged with misapplication of public funds among nine other charges. Hall updated Governor Rick Perry's office in April 2013 with the full list. He left home at 16, traveling and taking odd jobs until he returned to farm in Bell County. In 1917, Gov. The campaign proved him to be a man of considerable native ability and the possessor of a captivating personality. The first had to do with his abuse of power while attempting to micromanage the University of Texas. Angry that two professors had openly criticized his administration, Ferguson demanded that the Board of Regents fire them. 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. Preliminary investigations failed to uncover any charge that would merit impeachment, and for a time the incident seemed closed. Similarly, the Texas Constitution gives the lower house of the legislature power to impeach judges, the governor and statewide elected officials. In 1930 he conducted the unsuccessful campaign of his wife for the governorship, and in 1932 he conducted her successful campaign for the same office. He was associated with the Farmers State Bank of Belton for several years and was a member of the Texas Bankers Association. The legislature then came back into session to consider impeachment, an attempt Ferguson immediately condemned. Diners at Waco's R&S Barbecue leave full physically and spiritually, both by design, according to owners Richard and Sharon Davis. ii) During the period between World Wars I and II, James and Miriam Ferguson were the most powerful couple in Texas. Only the governor can do that. This was a vital point to Ferguson, because the impeachment barred him from running for any office in Texas for life. Which Way Will Harris County Precinct 3 Turn In 2020? Ferguson was indicted on nine charges which included misapplication of public funds, embezzlement and the diversion of a special fund. The Texas Senate reduced the charges to 10, half of which dealt with the transfer of the $5,600. 23 Feb. 2023 . He started his own newspaper that fall, Ferguson Forum, to promote his views that the impeachment was illegitimate. Double your gift when you give by 6 p.m. Thursday. Three others dealt with the veto of university funding as an abuse of power and official oppression. The most discussed plank in his platform, which appealed especially to tenant farmers, proposed a law that would limit the rent charged by landlords and prevent the collection of bonuses. 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