why was james ferguson impeached

He decided that the university president must resign, and when Vinson refused, Ferguson vetoed the universitys entire budget. Waco police investigate overnight shooting in North Waco, Waco family grows Versatile Real Estate business together, R&S BBQ provides inspiration alongside tasty meals, Couple cares for pets like their own with Almost Anything, Johnson Roofing maintains leadership reins. Ross Phares, The Governors of Texas (Gretna, Louisiana: Pelican, 1976). 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. The chair of the State Library and Historical Commission, Eugene C. Barker, heard talk about these plans and intervened in support of Winkler. In the wake of the controversy, issues from Fergusons past campaign for governor in 1916 came back into the spotlight. There were . You can cancel at any time. In 1916 Ferguson's reelection seemed certain. A part of his appeal as a candidate for governor was his support for white supremacy in the political process. If that is the case, then the state house must follow procedures outlined regarding calling a special session specifically for the process of impeachment. Only two elected officials in the history of Texas have ever been successfully impeached. Senators will then act as jurors while the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presides over the proceedings. After all, he was known as Farmer Jim. Ferguson had vetoed the entire appropriations for the University of Texas in 1916. [17] Governor of Texas Rick Perry's spokesperson said the investigations send a "chilling message" to gubernatorial appointees. The Legislature cannot call itself into special session. Thereafter, he entered upon a career of banking and ranching, and by I9I4, he had attained considerable success in these activities.' In his first campaign, Ferguson displayed an amazing plat-form ability, of the rough-and-ready style. Dictionary of American History. Ferguson was reelected by a majority of about 60,000 votes, but opposition was sufficient to show that many Texans, including a number who were not prohibitionists, were displeased with his stewardship. The Legislature is aghast at the meddling with the flagship state university. The tenant law was passed but remained on the statute books only a short time before being declared unconstitutional. The fight with the university touched off a massive scandal. 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. But the day before the conviction was certain to come down. Ferguson also ran for President of the United States in the 1920 election as the candidate of the American Party. Governor and President Pro Tempore have not acted, then by proclamation of a signed majority of the members of the Senate. The incumbent State Librarian was Ernest Winkler, who was a professional historian with years of experience as a librarian. James E. Ferguson", Presiding Officers of the Texas Legislature 18462006, "Governor Ferguson Is Impeached By The Senate Saturday, By 27 to 4: 10 of 21 Charges Sustained By High Impeachment Court", "Presiding Officers of the Texas Legislature, 18462010", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=James_E._Ferguson&oldid=1136223529, Candidates in the 1920 United States presidential election, Impeached state and territorial governors of the United States removed from office, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from March 2020, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 29 January 2023, at 09:22. The Senate, sitting as a High Court of Impeachment, spent three weeks considering the charges and finally convicted the governor on ten . Meanwhile, Winkler fought for his job by enlisting the help of his colleagues. Sam Houston's life was, Ann Willis Richards (born 1933) was elected Democratic governor of Texas in 1990, the second woman ever to hold that position in the state's history., American politician Nellie Tayloe Ross (1876-1977) gained fame in the 1920s when she was elected governor of Wyoming, becoming the first woman in the, Barbara Jordan (american Congressional Representative), Jordan, Barbara Charline In sum, his down-home authenticity faded away to reveal a man who was mostly a fraud. As a result of these developments, the speaker of the House called a special session to consider charges of impeachment against the governor. Soon the talk of impeachment is echoing through the halls of the Capitol. This led to a special session being called by the Legislature, to press for Fergusons impeachment. 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. However, the date of retrieval is often important. we are currently accepting new members. Yet the House rejected a broad attempt to impeach Johnson for abuse of power in 1867, because many congressmen felt a president had to commit a crime to be impeached. Even during the workday Christina De La Cruzs family is rarely far away. Vinson asked what they had done to deserve it and he said, I dont need a reason, Im the governor.. Winds light and variable. Double your gift when you give by 6 p.m. Thursday. . I dont care who you are.. The report concluded that Hall had a legitimate reason for having the documents in question. He ended up back in the Governors Mansion for a third time when she became the first woman governor in Texas history. In 1913, William Sulzer was impeached and removed from office as governor of New York. Ferguson was born to the Reverend James E. Ferguson, and Fannie Ferguson near Salado in south Bell County, Texas. Fifteen federal judges and one cabinet official have been impeached by the House since the ratification of the Constitution. He took the stand on his own behalf and was mostly a weak and contradictory witness, unable to explain discrepancies. He maintained his. The impeachment process begins with the House of Representatives. The most that the select committee can do would be to recommend to the full state house that articles of impeachment be drafted. Low 54F. The actual trial on those charges, and subsequent removal of an official on conviction on those charges, is separate from the act of impeachment itself. Impeachment is the equivalent of an indictment. Ferguson made bond of $13,000 and announced his candidacy for a third term as governor. Impeachment is the process by which the legislative branch has the authority to remove a sitting public official. [12], [13] In addition, Cigarroa wrote: "During testimony before the Select Committee, some early witnesses implied that the U.T. The Senate can call witnesses to testify and vote to convict with a two-thirds majority vote. Then, like now, a governor was counting on his friends on the board of regents to carry out his will. "Ferguson Impeachment He moved to Temple and in 1907 joined with others in establishing the Temple State Bank. Almost a century later, the Ferguson impeachment presents both striking similarities and key differences to. James Edward Ferguson, also called Farmer Jim or Pa was born in Bell County in 1871. While there, legislators legally took up another matter, impeachment. he was accused of misuse of public funds following his call for a special legislative session When a governor is removed from office, resigns, or dies or becomes incapacitated while in office, who becomes governor? Millions of Texans have rare diseases. There are 31 members of the Texas State Senate. She would serve one more term as governor from 1933 to 1935. ." https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/ferguson-impeachment, "Ferguson Impeachment Even his former political allies couldnt find him innocent in the face of such damning evidence and his own indefensible behavior. Jim Ferguson so enormously popular 100 years ago. The Senate can call witnesses to testify and vote to convict with a two-thirds majority vote. While the campaign of 1916 was in progress, the Ferguson administration had been charged with a number of irregularities. The conviction forbade Ferguson to hold "any office of honor, trust, or profit" in Texas. | Ma placed a distant fifth. Its hard not to like the down-home folksy style that made Texas Gov. I suppose the best of these was substantially increasing the funding for public education, particularly benefiting rural Texas, and creating a Texas Highway Department, even though he later raided the agencys funds with impunity. Cities | 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. Norman Kittrell, Governors Who Have Been and Other Public Men of Texas (Houston: Dealy-Adey-Elgin, 1921). In 1925, Miriam became the first female governor of Texas after campaigning as a stand-in for her husband, and James E. Ferguson became the first gentleman of Texas for her two terms. [10], After being re-elected in 1916, Ferguson vetoed the appropriations for the University of Texas. This might sound like the controversy involving UT System Regent Wallace Hall, an appointee of Gov. James Edward Ferguson: James E. Ferguson Born Bell County, Texas August 31, 1871 Died Austin, Texas September 21, 1944 Governor of the State of Texas . Gould, Lewis L. "The University Becomes Politicized: The War with Jim Ferguson." In 1917, James Ferguson was impeached and removed from office as governor of Texas while under indictment. His wife was defeated for re-election in 1926, following questions of improper use of her pardoning power. Johnson Roofing built a business on topping off buildings, but when it comes to its legacy, Bill Johnson and daughter Sherri focus on the foundation. the lieutenant governor Eight governors have been removed from office through impeachment. 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. As a political speaker he had few equals. One final note of incredulity. Ferguson was the only "wet" candidate in the Democratic primary and garnered all of the anti-prohibitionist votes over a plurality of "dry" candidates. They then sent the charges to the State Senate for trial. The legislature then came back into session to consider impeachment, an attempt Ferguson immediately condemned. 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. We help women historians thrive through events, resources, and community. The entire process is substantially the same in Texas for elected officials, as it is for most of the other states. Centex baseball preview: What's old, new, borrowed and blue for 2023? Texas History Minute: Jim Ferguson only Texas governor to be impeached, removed By Ken Bridges Jan 30, 2020 0 1 of 2 Gov. After 20 days have elapsed from article adoption, if the Governor, Lt. 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. 2-stem governor fro 1921-1924 . Similarly, the Texas Constitution gives the lower house of the legislature power to impeach judges, the governor and statewide elected officials. ." State legislature | The legality of the speaker calling a session was questionable the Texas Constitution says only the governor can call a special session but the point became moot when Ferguson called his own special session to discuss the budget for the University of Texas. He served 15 months as governor. In 1924, unable to run under his own name, he Mr. Ferguson, known as "Pa", ran his wife's campaign for the governorship against Judge Felix Robertson, the candidate endorsed by the Ku Klux Klan. Gov. . Oklahoma has impeached and removed two governors, and West Virginia impeached four members of its State Supreme Court at the same time in 2018. 9, 1916) Gen. John J. Pershing led US forces in a hunt for Villa from March 14, 1916 to Feb. 7, 1917 Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. The controversy grew out of the refusal of the board of regents to remove certain faculty members whom the governor found objectionable. Hearing the gasps in the chamber, Ferguson immediately asked to strike the comment. He was a popular figure, singing laws protecting sharecroppers and providing state funding for rural schools. He tapped Reverend Allan Ferguson Cunningham to serve as State Librarian, despite his lack of training or experience in the field. Landowners were assured, however, that they need not be alarmed by the proposal, as it would benefit all concerned. James Edward Ferguson, also called Farmer Jim or Pa was born in Bell County in 1871. There are 150 members of the Texas State House. Jessica Brannon-Wranosky is the Distinguished Professor of Digital Humanities and History at Texas A&M UniversityCommerce. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. He was re-elected in 1916. 1914 campaign literature in which Ferguson fires back against criticisms from his 'dry' opponent, Thomas H. Ball, and others in the prohibition faction. Even his former political allies couldn't find him innocent in the face of such damning evidence - and his own indefensible behavior. Gov. She served two nonconsecutive two-year terms as governor: January 20, 1925 January 17, 1927. At the same time, officials had begun looking into Fergusons finances. Barred from state office, he ran for president in 1920 on the American Party ticket. Samuel Houston (1793-1863), American statesman and soldier, was the person most responsible for bringing Texas into the Union. The Texas Senate, many of whom had served under William Harding Mayes and with whom Mayes maintained cordial relationships,[14] removed Ferguson as governor and declared him ineligible to hold office under Texas jurisdiction. He became a lawyer in 1897, married Miriam A. Wallace in 1899, and expanded into real estate, insurance and banking. Jordan, Barbara Charline It was, in his mind, absolute. When they wouldnt, he started replacing them one by one and withheld state funding from the university to force UT to obey his orders. He entered Salado College, a local preparatory school, at age twelve but was eventually expelled for disobedience. He became a lawyer in 1897, married Miriam A. Wallace in 1899, and expanded into real estate, insurance, and banking. In 1922 he was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States Senate. Aside from the act instituting the highway department, the second Ferguson administration was marked by little in the way of important legislation. Therefore, its best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publications requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. He posted bond and wasted no time in announcing his candidacy for a third term as governor. He convened the commission, and the body approved that Barker write a letter to the Governor-elect. Ballotpedia's election legislation tracker, Political favoritism in admissions to the University of Texas, Forgivable loans program at the University of Texas Law School, House Select Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations (TSAO), Joint Committee on Oversight of Higher Ed Governance, Excellence & Transparency, University of Texas System Board of Regents, 1987 Memorandum within the Texas Legislative Council regarding removal of state officers by the state legislature, Analysis of Constitutional Impeachment Procedures in Texas, Texas House Bill 588, the "Top 10% Rule" (1997), https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Impeachments_in_Texas&oldid=8020920, Conflicts in school board elections, 2021-2022, Special Congressional elections (2023-2024), 2022 Congressional Competitiveness Report, State Executive Competitiveness Report, 2022, State Legislative Competitiveness Report, 2022, Partisanship in 2022 United States local elections. [2], Impeachments have historically been reserved for cases in which a public official committed a criminal act. In his eyes, the university was made up of corruptionists, draft dodgers, two-bit thieves and butterfly chasers, according to a historical account compiled by what is now the Texas Exes. The Texas Senate reduced the charges to 10, half of which dealt with the transfer of the $5,600. He had been an opponent of Ferguson for the Democratic party's nomination for governor in 1914.[11]. In 1935, the Fergusons lost their ranch in Bell County because of financial troubles during the Great Depression. The letter claimed that Winkler was the best person for the job. An effort was begun in 2013 to investigate the possibility of impeaching University of Texas Regent Wallace Hall. The first and only Texas governor to be impeached is Governor James "Pa" Ferguson. If the state legislature is not in regular session during the time of impeachment, a special session can be called specifically to handle impeachments. How to run for office | The Senate, acting as a court of impeachment, spent three weeks considering the charges and convicted the governor of 10 of them. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. An argument over spending tax dollars, an attempt to silence political opponents, and charges of a kangaroo court. This is not a current story but a faint echo of a notorious event in Texas History, the impeachment of Gov. She won that and the general election,[2] saying that she intended to rely on her husband for advice. She even used the word Christian in the law, implying that Christian forgiveness was appropriate here. In 1917, barely into his second term as governor of Texas, James E. Ferguson was impeached, convicted, and removed from office. When his reasoning was questioned, he would respond, I am governor of Texas. In 1917, Gov. In 1918 he sought the Democratic party nomination for the governorship but was defeated by William P. Hobby. Other high-profile librarians voiced their support of Winkler, as did the son of an ex-governor, and a chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. 4. The Ferguson controversy with the university brought renewed interest in the old charges, however, and at about the same time a number of new charges were made. The second had to do with his utilization of the Temple Bank he had controlling interest in as his personal slush fund. Bridges can be reached by email at [email protected]. Despite his resignation, the State Senate voted 25-3 to convict, which meant that Ferguson could not seek another public office in Texas. The following sections are outlined in Article 15 of the Texas Constitution. Ferguson then went on a tour of Texas, voicing his disdain for the university and what he called the university crowd in public speeches. [11] Another leading Ferguson critic on the UT campus was the historian Eugene C. Barker. That committee has been holding a series of meetings in late 2013. Found in volume 15,291 (available at govinfo). 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 Five of the articles sustained by the Senate charged Ferguson with the misapplication of public funds, three related to his quarrel with the University, one declared that he had failed properly to respect and enforce the banking laws of the state, and one charged that he had received $156,500 in currency from a source that he refused to reveal. James Ferguson. He was re-elected in 1916. Despite the Senate's conviction, Ferguson sought to run for governor again in 1924. The Senate found Ferguson guilty on five charges relating to mishandling of public funds and abuse of power in relation to the university. The movement to impeach and remove James Ferguson as governor ultimately ended with Ferguson _____. The reason he called the special session was because he wanted to address the UT budget, but they impeached him instead. The Fergusons beat Robertson and went to the Governor's Mansion for a third time. The Texas Legislative Code governs the process by which the Texas State Legislature can be brought into special session to address an impeachment proceeding. And she won. His mother continued to live on the farm, and he began working in the fields as a young boy. You have permission to edit this article. He loaned himself so much money that he practically bankrupted his own bank. The Texas Supreme Court disagreed, so he had his wife run in his place. His father died when he was 4. Similarly, the Texas constitution gives the lower house of the legislature power to impeach judges, the governor, and statewide elected officials. When Vinson refused to fire the professors, Ferguson went after the Board of Regents to get them to do his bidding. Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. Ouida Ferguson Nalle, The Fergusons of Texas, or "Two Governors for the Price of One": A Biography of James Edward Ferguson and His Wife (San Antonio: Naylor, 1946). Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. The chairman of the investigating committee, William H. Bledsoe of Lubbock, called for impeachment. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). His wife was defeated for re-election in 1926, following questions of improper use of her pardoning power.

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