why was james ferguson impeached

Dr. Ken Bridges is a writer, historian and native Texan. [5], On December 31, 1899, he married Miriam A. Wallace at her family home. James T. DeShields, They Sat in High Places: The Presidents and Governors of Texas (San Antonio: Naylor, 1940). [9] According to his accusers, Hall filed requests of more than 800,000 pages, which some Texas administrators called an unnecessary burden. This is not a current story but a faint echo of a notorious event in Texas history, the impeachment of Gov. To impeach, the House simply needs a majority vote on the different charges involved. He was defeated in the Democratic primary by his successor and incumbent, William P. Hobby of Houston, previously the lieutenant governor. 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 Senate can call witnesses to testify and vote to convict with a two-thirds majority vote. He started his own newspaper that fall, Ferguson Forum, to promote his views that the impeachment was illegitimate. He is the author, coauthor, or editor of more than two dozen books, most recently Anti-Black Violence in Twentieth-Century Texas. James Ferguson. The issues were prohibition, the tax rate, and certain unpalatable rumors concerning the Ferguson administration. The first had to do with his abuse of power while attempting to micromanage the University of Texas. 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. Hilder submitted the report to the legislative committee. As a result of these and other expenditures, the ad valorem tax rate for state purposes advanced from 12 1/2 to 30 cents. Centex baseball preview: What's old, new, borrowed and blue for 2023? The Fergusons beat Robertson and went to the Governor's Mansion for a third time. But Ferguson ran for governor in the 1918 Democratic primary. Impeached: The Removal of Texas Governor James E. Ferguson (Texas A&M University Press, 2017) Hardcover. He claimed to be a successful businessman; he was not. 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. The Senate, sitting as a High Court of Impeachment, spent three weeks considering the charges and finally convicted the governor on ten . "Ma" Ferguson became the second female governor in the United States, with Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming being the first. Its hard not to like the down-home folksy style that made Texas Gov. 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. To impeach, the House simply needs a majority vote on the different charges involved. Norman Kittrell, Governors Who Have Been and Other Public Men of Texas (Houston: Dealy-Adey-Elgin, 1921). The conviction forbade Ferguson to hold "any office of honor, trust, or profit" in Texas. 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. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. 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'. Only the governor can do that. In order for an official to be impeached, articles of impeachment must be brought by the Texas House of Representatives. 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. Despite his resignation, the State Senate voted 25-3 to convict, which meant that Ferguson could not seek another public office in Texas. He was associated with the Farmers State Bank of Belton for several years and was a member of the Texas Bankers Association. Ferguson declared that the Legislature was nothing more than a kangaroo court," resigned a day before the official conviction, and was steadfast in his beliefs that the judgment didnt apply to him, according to Rutherford. James Ferguson. by Nicole Shealy The framers considered impeachment an important check on the power of the presidency and against corruption. If the House adopts articles of impeachment, the Texas State Senate must then sit as the court of impeachment. 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. The United States Constitution provides that the President of the United States shall only be removed from office upon "Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors. She would serve one more term as governor from 1933 to 1935. That committee has been holding a series of meetings in late 2013. Samuel Houston (1793-1863), American statesman and soldier, was the person most responsible for bringing Texas into the Union. No. Amplify your impact and donate now. At the same time, officials had begun looking into Fergusons finances. James Ferguson. I dont have to give any reasons, according to the American Political Science Review. Governor have not acted, then by proclamation of the President Pro Tempore of the State Senate. Provision was made for the establishment of the Austin State School. Heres where Ferguson made his first greatest legal blunder. 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. Animals talk; all you have to do is listen. For Trey and Carol South, love of animals feeds their souls, and clients are assured their pets . Three others dealt with the veto of university funding as an abuse of power and official oppression. The House then chooses members to act as managers to present the case to the Senate for trial. The Fergusons retired from public life afterward with James Ferguson dying in 1944 and his wife passing away in 1961. 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 regents refused. 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. And she won. He became a lawyer in 1897, married Miriam A. Wallace in 1899, and expanded into real estate, insurance and banking. Ferguson convinced his wife to run one more time in 1940. In 1918 he sought the Democratic party nomination for the governorship but was defeated by William P. Hobby. Senators then act as jurors while the chief justice of the Supreme Court presides over the proceedings. Governor and President Pro Tempore have not acted, then by proclamation of a signed majority of the members of the Senate. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. Similarly, the Texas Constitution gives the lower house of the legislature power to impeach judges, the governor and statewide elected officials. Ferguson, had a stormy two-term reign and was impeached in 1917 over charges of misappropriation of funds regarding the University of Texas as well as embezzlement. The Senate found Ferguson guilty on five charges relating to mishandling of public funds and abuse of power in relation to the university. If that is the case, then the state house must follow procedures outlined regarding calling a special session specifically for the process of impeachment. The charges were then sent to the state Senate for trial. There is no regularly scheduled session until 2015. The prohibitionists passed over their better-known leaders and gave their support to Charles H. Morris of Winnsboro, a political unknown. This is simply not true. He showed up most every day to his own trial, invited or not, with two armed Texas Rangers as escorts. ." (February 23, 2023). The Texas State Legislature adjourned its regular session on May 27, 2013. When the Democratic Party dominated the Texas political landscape, winning the Democratic primary often sealed the election results. With charges growing against Ferguson, the House of Representatives drew up 21 charges against him and voted to impeach. Encyclopedia.com. 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. 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. One final note of incredulity. resigning his office and being barred by the legislature to ever serve a state office again. Which Way Will Harris County Precinct 3 Turn In 2020? . Ferguson then went on a tour of Texas, voicing his disdain for the university and what he called the university crowd in public speeches. 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. At 16, he left home and drifted through the states of the American West, working successively in a vineyard, a mine, a barbed wire factory, and at a grain ranch. In 1917, James E. Ferguson, nicknamed "Pa Ferguson," was impeached and removed from the governorship of Texas. He had been accused of misappropriating funds, but investigations failed to find anything that would warrant impeachment, and the probe seemed to be closed. Three others dealt with the veto of university funding as an abuse of power and official oppression. Nine years later, Ferguson died of a stroke. He told the UT president, Dr. Robert E. Vinson, that he wanted them fired. 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. As a result of his actions, in 1917, Ferguson became the only Texas governor impeached and removed from office. 4. He was barred, but managed to have his wife ("Ma Ferguson") elected governor; she was elected for a second term in 1932. Though he had signed legislation creating three new. Hall updated Governor Rick Perry's office in April 2013 with the full list. Instead, the House immediately turned its attention to 21 articles of impeachment. Public policy. 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. Apply today! 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. Of course, her husband was the only one the amnesty applied to. Why was Governor James E. Ferguson impeached and convicted in 1917? Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. Jessica Brannon-Wranosky is the Distinguished Professor of Digital Humanities and History at Texas A&M UniversityCommerce. James Edward Ferguson, also called Farmer Jim or Pa was born in Bell County in 1871. [8] Hall, as an individual citizen, filed FOIA requests with the University system after his inquiries via his role as a Regent were rebuffed. House Speaker Franklin Fuller called a special session to consider charges of impeachment against the governor. He served 15 months as governor. Counties | He left home at 16, traveling and taking odd jobs until he returned to farm in Bell County. The chairman of the investigating committee, William H. Bledsoe of Lubbock, called for impeachment. [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." Sam Houston W. V. Howerton, ed., Facts on Ferguson: A Review of the Impeachment and a Reply to Charges Made by Ex-Governor Ferguson (Austin, 1918). 2-stem governor fro 1921-1924 . 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. He made only a few speeches and must have known long before the votes were cast that Mrs. Ferguson had no chance to win. In sum, his down-home authenticity faded away to reveal a man who was mostly a fraud. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. The vote was 25-3. Against a lawsuit filed to prevent the Texas Democratic Party from listing him on the primary ballot, Ferguson argued that his impeachment trial ended without a conviction or judgment because he resigned his office before the Senate decided the case. In the United States legal tradition, impeachment is comparable to an indictment in a criminal court. The tenant law was passed but remained on the statute books only a short time before being declared unconstitutional. Pat Neff. So, he quit ahead of time so he could then turn aroundand he was counting on coming right back and getting reelected. 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). 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. 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 chair of the State Library and Historical Commission, Eugene C. Barker, heard talk about these plans and intervened in support of Winkler. U.S. President | [7], If the House adopts articles of impeachment, the Texas State Senate is required to sit as a court of impeachment. 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. There were two major elements of the impeachment charges brought against Ferguson in 1917. He decided that the university president must resign, and when Vinson refused, Ferguson vetoed the universitys entire budget. She served two nonconsecutive two-year terms as governor: January 20, 1925 January 17, 1927. The vote was 25-3. 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. He liked to say he was no city slicker and no college dude. A government doesnt require educated fools to run properly. Connally, John Bowden, Jr. Ross Phares, The Governors of Texas (Gretna, Louisiana: Pelican, 1976). In 1903, Ferguson was elected as city attorney in Belton, Texas. Jessica Brannon-Wranosky and Bruce A. Glasrud have brought together top scholars to shine a light on this unique chapter in Texas history. Jim Pa Ferguson became the first person in Texas to be impeached. The Texas House of Representatives prepared 21 charges against Ferguson, and, in his impeachment trial, the Texas Senate convicted him on 10 of those charges, including misapplication of public funds and receiving $156,000 from an unnamed source.[12][13]. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Three new normal schools were authorized. The prohibitionists held an elimination convention and pledged their support to Thomas H. Ball of Houston. Throughout his years in banking he took an active interest in county and local politics. Dictionary of American 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). if(document.getElementsByClassName("reference").length==0) if(document.getElementById('Footnotes')!==null) document.getElementById('Footnotes').parentNode.style.display = 'none'; What's on my ballot? At age 12 he entered Salado College (a preparatory school) but was eventually expelled for disobedience. Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. The state was blue, then really indigo. [8], Prior to his inauguration, Ferguson conferred with officials at the University of Texas regarding appointments affecting learning and higher education. The Texas Senate reduced the charges to 10, half of which dealt with the transfer of the $5,600. Donations by CCWH members and other patrons support CCWH awards and initiatives. 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. In July 1917, he was indicted for misappropriation of funds. 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. We help women historians thrive through events, resources, and community. James Ferguson died on September 21, 1944, and was buried in the State Cemetery in Austin. The convention did not endorse Ferguson, but the other anti-prohibition candidates withdrew from the race. Senators will then act as jurors while the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presides over the proceedings. The Regents refused. Ferguson was removed from office and deemed ineligible to hold any position of honor, trust, or profit under the laws of Texas by the Court of Impeachment by a vote of twenty-five to three. In 1924, his wife, Miriam Ma Ferguson won election as governor as a stand-in candidate in a tightly contested race. 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. 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. 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 by this time an old man. [6] They had two daughters: Ouida Wallace Ferguson, and Dorrace Watt Ferguson. The Texas Supreme Court disagreed, so he had his wife run in his place. Two years later they lost a reelection bid amid new scandals concerning excessive pardons and political patronage abuses. 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. The account said Ferguson accused the student protesters of committing treason against him. FERGUSON IMPEACHMENT. He left home at 16, traveling and taking odd jobs until he returned to farm in Bell County. The State Senate reduced the charges to ten, half of which dealt with the transfer of the $5,600. 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 The Legislature then came back into session to consider impeachment, an attempt Ferguson immediately condemned. 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 policy of state aid to rural schools was begun, and a rather timid law requiring compulsory school attendance was passed. If Hall is impeached, he would bethe third person in Texas history to be in that situation. Nellie Tayloe Ross was sworn in on January 5, 1925; Miriam Ferguson followed on January 20. In addition, he established Farmers State Bank. He was a popular figure, singing laws protecting sharecroppers and providing state funding for rural schools. Though he had signed legislation creating three new colleges, he found himself in a feud with professors at the University of Texas. An effort was begun in 2013 to investigate the possibility of impeaching University of Texas Regent Wallace Hall. The Legislature cannot call itself into special session. Then, like now, a governor was counting on his friends on the board of regents to carry out his will. Dan Moody. "[14], An effort was begun in June 2013 to try and impeach Hall from his position as regent.

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