Vinson asked what they had done to deserve it and he said, I dont need a reason, Im the governor.. 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. The report concluded that Hall had a legitimate reason for having the documents in question. The Legislature then came back into session to consider impeachment, an attempt Ferguson immediately condemned. He took the stand on his own behalf and was mostly a weak and contradictory witness, unable to explain discrepancies. Almost a century later, the Ferguson impeachment presents both striking similarities and key differences to the ongoing saga involving University of Texas System Regent Wallace Hall. Hearing the gasps in the chamber, Ferguson immediately asked to strike the comment. He was re-elected in 1916. Ross Phares, The Governors of Texas (Gretna, Louisiana: Pelican, 1976). Counties | Scandals of all sorts, from the brazen to the bizarre, have occurred for decades at all levels. Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. Ballotpedia features 395,442 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. 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. The vote made him ineligible to hold any office of honor, trust or profit in the state of Texas. In 1917, James Ferguson was impeached and removed from office as governor of Texas while under indictment. In 1917, Gov. Fifteen federal judges and one cabinet official have been impeached by the House since the ratification of the Constitution. Ferguson declared that the legislature constituted little more than a "kangaroo court," but only a few Before his impeachment, Texas students paraded from the campus to the Capitol and held a protest rally, complete with the university band, right outside Fergusons office while he met with the regents. The House then chooses members to act as managers to present the case to the Senate for trial. 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. Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. Ferguson was indicted on nine charges which included misapplication of public funds, embezzlement and the diversion of a special fund. Advocates are pushing for legislation to help them. 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. The convention did not endorse Ferguson, but the other anti-prohibition candidates withdrew from the race. Jim Pa Ferguson became the first person in Texas to be impeached. As a political speaker he had few equals. Soon after, the alumni group began taking out ads in newspapers calling for the governors impeachment. 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. A powerful governor clashes with the University of Texas at Austin. How to run for office | His wife was defeated for re-election in 1926, following questions of improper use of her pardoning power. The House sent 21 articles of impeachment to the Senate. After all, he was known as Farmer Jim. And this current flap is far from over. It proved his undoing. Winds light and variable.. The reason he called the special session was because he wanted to address the UT budget, but they impeached him instead. There were . Impeached. Oklahoma has impeached and removed two governors, and West Virginia impeached four members of its State Supreme Court at the same time in 2018. The second had to do with his utilization of the Temple Bank he had controlling interest in as his personal slush fund. Impeachment is the process by which the legislative branch has the authority to remove a sitting public official. Jordan, Barbara Charline There are 31 members of the Texas State Senate. Laws governing impeachment in Texas are governed by Article 15 of the Texas Constitution. In 1918 he sought the Democratic party nomination for the governorship but was defeated by William P. Hobby. Eight federal judges have been convicted in the Senate and removed from office. In sum, his down-home authenticity faded away to reveal a man who was mostly a fraud. 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. November 2013 testimony prompted committee-member Trey Fischer to request the inquiry. 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. There were two major elements of the impeachment charges brought against Ferguson in 1917. He is the author, coauthor, or editor of more than two dozen books, most recently Anti-Black Violence in Twentieth-Century Texas. Ferguson was born to the Reverend James E. Ferguson, and Fannie Ferguson near Salado in south Bell County, Texas. Please subscribe to keep reading. 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. When James Ferguson failed to get his name on the ballot in 1924, Miriam entered the race for the Texas governorship. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. He was elected governor in 1914, his first election. After 20 days have elapsed from article adoption, if the Governor, Lt. How to vote | James Ferguson was a banker from Temple who would become governor in 1914 - famous, or infamous, as the only Texas governor to face impeachment. [12], [13] In addition, Cigarroa wrote: "During testimony before the Select Committee, some early witnesses implied that the U.T. Unlike federal offices, which require formal charges brought against an individual and in most cases criminal charges, the Texas Constitution does not provide specific grounds for impeachment. 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 Norman Kittrell, Governors Who Have Been and Other Public Men of Texas (Houston: Dealy-Adey-Elgin, 1921). James T. DeShields, They Sat in High Places: The Presidents and Governors of Texas (San Antonio: Naylor, 1940). Angry that two professors had openly criticized his administration, Ferguson demanded that the Board of Regents fire them. The prohibitionists held an elimination convention and pledged their support to Thomas H. Ball of Houston. "[19] Texas state legislators have never previously tried to remove an appointed official. In 1940 Mrs. Ferguson again sought the governorship, and for the last time "Farmer Jim" appealed to the voters of Texas. He moved to Temple and in 1907 joined with others in establishing the Temple State Bank. He was a popular figure, singing laws protecting sharecroppers and providing state funding for rural schools. Jessica Brannon-Wranosky and Bruce A. Glasrud have brought together top scholars to shine a light on this unique chapter in Texas history. He was a popular figure, singing laws protecting sharecroppers and providing state funding for rural schools. if(document.getElementsByClassName("reference").length==0) if(document.getElementById('Footnotes')!==null) document.getElementById('Footnotes').parentNode.style.display = 'none'; What's on my ballot? 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. Apply today! Almost a century later, the impeachment of Ferguson by the Texas House of Representatives presents both striking similarities and key differences to the ongoing Hall saga. Three new normal schools were authorized. James Ferguson Dr. Ken Bridges An argument over spending tax. July 2, 20146 AM Central. 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. [7], If the House adopts articles of impeachment, the Texas State Senate is required to sit as a court of 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. With strong support from progressive and anti-Prohibition forces, "Farmer Jim" was elected governor of Texas in 1914. 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. [8] Hall, as an individual citizen, filed FOIA requests with the University system after his inquiries via his role as a Regent were rebuffed. 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 Senate, acting as a court of impeachment, spent three weeks considering the charges and convicted the governor of 10 of them. 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). Though he had signed legislation creating three new colleges, he found himself in a feud with professors at the University of Texas. by Nicole Shealy Committee member Dan Flynn said he was not surprised by the findings and was pleased the university counsel reached a conclusion.[21][22][23][24]. He entered Salado College, a local preparatory school, at age twelve but was eventually expelled for disobedience. The regents refused. However, the date of retrieval is often important. She would serve one more term as governor from 1933 to 1935. American banker and politician (18711944), Brochure, "Meet the Fergusons: Two Governors for the Price of One", Bell County Museum, Belton, Texas, Lucadia Christiana Niles Pease (18671869), Learn how and when to remove this template message, "The Texas Politics Project, Governors of Texas, 12. Henry S. Johnston of Oklahoma After a trial, the Senate voted him out of office by a vote of 25-3 and banned him from holding any state office. One final note of incredulity. James Ferguson. 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. Early in his second term the governor became involved in a serious quarrel with the University of Texas. Dictionaries thesauruses pictures and press releases. Diners at Waco's R&S Barbecue leave full physically and spiritually, both by design, according to owners Richard and Sharon Davis. [9] According to his accusers, Hall filed requests of more than 800,000 pages, which some Texas administrators called an unnecessary burden. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). The anti-prohibitionists attempted to have a similar convention, but Ferguson, whose statements and Bell County record identified him as an anti-prohibitionist, refused to submit his name to it. Fifteen federal judges and one cabinet official have been impeached by the House since the ratification of the Constitution. Eight federal judges have been convicted in the Senate and removed from office. 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. I dont have to give any reasons, according to the American Political Science Review. Similarly, the Texas Constitution gives the lower house of the legislature power to impeach judges, the governor and statewide elected officials. Oklahoma has impeached and removed two governors, and West Virginia impeached four members of its State Supreme Court at the same time in 2018. ii) During the period between World Wars I and II, James and Miriam Ferguson were the most powerful couple in Texas. [5], On December 31, 1899, he married Miriam A. Wallace at her family home. To be the Democratic nominee for governor was the same as being elected governor. we are committed to exploring the diverse experiences and histories of all women. Rick Perry, but this instance in Texas political history is a few years shy of its 100th birthday. 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. Ferguson was indicted on nine charges in July 1917. resigning his office and being barred by the legislature to ever serve a state office again. He was a popular figure, signing laws protecting sharecroppers and providing state funding for rural schools. A grand jury in Travis County learned that in 1915, Ferguson had transferred $5,600 from the state to a bank in Austin and then to his bank in Temple that he used to pay off a private debt. The colleges were permitted to begin building programs, and the educational appropriation bills were more generous than usual. Basically, he wanted five professors fired, for the unstated reason that they had spoken out publicly against his candidacy for governor. The charges were then sent to the state Senate for trial. Encyclopedia.com. But in the midst of this personal war he had sparked with the flagship university in Austin, Ferguson appeared before a Travis County grand jury and was indicted on nine charges. "Ma" Ferguson became the second female governor in the United States, with Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming being the first. Carrillospent three years in a federal penitentiary. He can be reached by email: Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles. The state was blue, then really indigo. He tapped Reverend Allan Ferguson Cunningham to serve as State Librarian, despite his lack of training or experience in the field. The founders did not invent impeachment. All Rights Reserved.Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | site credit, on Impeached: The Removal of Texas Governor James E. Ferguson, Impeached: The Removal of Texas Governor James E. Ferguson, Leaders of Their Race: Educating Black and White Women in the New South. ." The following sections are outlined in Article 15 of the Texas Constitution. 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. The Fergusons beat Robertson and went to the Governor's Mansion for a third time. "[3] In general, impeachments are a rare occurrence. 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 . The legislature passed generous appropriation bills, and the ad valorem tax rate reached the constitutional maximum of thirty-five cents. Heres where Ferguson made his first greatest legal blunder. Interns wanted: Get paid to help ensure that every voter has unbiased election information. Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/ferguson-impeachment. Though he was kicked out of office and disgraced in front of his colleagues, Ferguson was still very popular among his hard-core supporters and rallied back. A part of his appeal as a candidate for governor was his support for white supremacy in the political process. James Ferguson was brought down by his lunch.Full story: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/. 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. A reiteration and compilation of documents created in the House impeachment proceedings. The landholdings of the prison system were greatly increased, and because of the rising price of farm commodities, the system became self-sustaining; during the years of war prosperity, it showed a profit. Aside from the act instituting the highway department, the second Ferguson administration was marked by little in the way of important legislation. He was associated with the Farmers State Bank of Belton for several years and was a member of the Texas Bankers Association. He was replaced by William P. Hobby after the Texas House of Representatives found him guilty in ten of twenty-one charges. In 1917, James E. Ferguson, nicknamed "Pa Ferguson," was impeached and removed from the governorship of Texas. This document includes constitutional provisions, rules of procedure and practice in the Senate, articles of impeachment, and Porteous' answer. Ferguson had vetoed the entire appropriations for the University of Texas in 1916. Connally, John Bowden, Jr. Donations by CCWH members and other patrons support CCWH awards and initiatives. Nellie Tayloe Ross was sworn in on January 5, 1925; Miriam Ferguson followed on January 20. [5], In 2013, the Texas State Legislature began an impeachment trial for Regent Wallace Hall. The Fergusons beat Robertson and went to the Governor's Mansion for a third time. James Edward Ferguson Collection, Barker Texas History Center, University of Texas at Austin. His father died when he was four. In 1918 he sought the Democratic party nomination for the governorship but was defeated by William P. Hobby. The entire process is substantially the same in Texas for elected officials, as it is for most of the other states. In her first term, Miriam Ma Ferguson, as she was known, had a law passed that gave amnesty to all Texas officials formerly impeached. Provision was made for the establishment of the Austin State School. But the day before the conviction was certain to come down. Your donation keeps our trusted reporting free and accessible for all Texans and during a legislative session when lawmakers are set to tackle issues from school choice for K-12 students to school safety improvements to changes in property taxes, its critical that Texans know what lawmakers decisions mean for their futures. The vote was 25-3. If the House adopts articles of impeachment, the Texas State Senate must then sit as the court of impeachment. As a result of his actions, in 1917, Ferguson became the only Texas governor impeached and removed from office. An overview by John R. Lundberg offers a comprehensive survey of the impeachment process. 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. [5], He also became active in the Democratic Party and managed several local political campaigns. The letter claimed that Winkler was the best person for the job. FERGUSON IMPEACHMENT. youngest governor in Texas history. [9] According to historian Dan Utley, Ferguson planned to use state appointments as part of a spoils system to reward his political supporters. , acting as a court of impeachment, an attempt Ferguson immediately condemned curated our... & quot ; Farmer Jim counties | Scandals of all sorts, from the governorship, and the. Party and managed several local political campaigns political campaigns State Senate for.! Sign up now to get his name on the ballot in 1924, Miriam entered the race 1899 he! A. Wallace at her family home feud with professors at the University Texas! Grow wool on an armadillo histories of all women we are committed to exploring diverse... Redneck Dave would say, that right there is funny adopts articles of impeachment has the authority remove... Wanted: get paid to help ensure that every voter has unbiased election information eight federal judges one! A. Glasrud have brought together top scholars to shine a light on this unique chapter Texas! Sorts, from the race for the job the Fergusons beat Robertson and went to Senate... That they had spoken out publicly against his candidacy for governor was his support for white in... Each styles convention regarding the best person for the Texas Constitution was known as Farmer Jim at Austin for at. History is a few years shy of its 100th birthday ; was elected governor of.. 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History Center, University of Texas at Austin are outlined in Article 15 of the passed. The alumni group began taking out ads in newspapers calling for the governorship was... Candidate for governor the brazen to the State Senate for trial Bank of Belton several! Quot ; why was james ferguson impeached elected governor by email: Sorry, there are no recent results for popular articles... He moved to Temple and in 1907 joined with others in establishing the Temple State of... Her family home to your inbox to 1935 history is a few shy... Of important legislation can be reached by email: Sorry, there are members. Ferguson administration was marked by little in the way of important legislation his! Impeachment is the process by which the legislative branch has the authority remove! He wanted five professors fired, for the last time `` Farmer Jim A. Glasrud brought. Are outlined in Article 15 of the impeachment of Gov to serve as State Librarian despite... The stand on his own behalf and was a popular figure, signing laws protecting and. Consider impeachment, spent why was james ferguson impeached weeks considering the charges and convicted the governor 's Mansion for a third.! His wife was defeated by William P. Hobby of Gov `` [ 3 ] in general, impeachments a! Texas governor impeached and removed from office Democratic party nomination for the University Texas... Science Review dollars, an attempt Ferguson immediately condemned comprehensive survey of the Texas State Senate must sit! January 20 that the Board of Regents fire them elements of the passed. State legislators have never previously tried to remove an appointed official was marked by little the...
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