System has not protected the privacy rights of students, staff, and patients. The [Texas House of Representatives] immediately turned its attention to the numerous charges against [Governor James Ferguson] and, after a lengthy investigation, prepared twenty-one articles of impeachment. The framers considered impeachment an important check on the power of the presidency and against corruption. 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). The first had to do with his abuse of power while attempting to micromanage the University of Texas. Public policy. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. General Libraries at the University of Texas at Austin, Liberal Arts Instructional Technology Services. But the day before the conviction was certain to come down. 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. The vote was 25-3. When he was four years old, his father died. He resigned his office the day before the judgment was announced and contended that it did not apply to him. "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. Join us! A reiteration and compilation of documents created in the House impeachment proceedings. Both women followed husbands who had served earlier. Farmer Jim wasnt even much of a farmer, though he owned a few farms and was incredibly loyal to farmers. Ferguson had vetoed the entire appropriations for the University of Texas in 1916. He liked to say he was no city slicker and no college dude. A government doesnt require educated fools to run properly. [18] He added that the investigation was "extraordinary political theater. 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. Even his former political allies couldnt find him innocent in the face of such damning evidence and his own indefensible behavior. 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. He is interred next to his wife at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin. Impeachment is the power of a legislative body to address charges of impropriety or criminality by a government official, such as a governor or lieutenant governor. The Legislature cannot call itself into special session. He only made the ballot in Texas, winning just under 10% of the vote. 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. Dictionary of American History. After a trial, the Senate voted him out of office by a vote of 25-3 and banned him from holding any state office. 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. 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 Texas public officials have been impeached in the state's history. During the events that led up to the final quarrel, the University of Texas Board of Regents had repeatedly refused to remove certain faculty members whom Ferguson found objectionable. You have permission to edit this article. 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. After all, he was known as Farmer Jim. He was kicked out of a local prep school, Salado College, at age 12 for misbehavior. 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. 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. 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. 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 an avowed enemy of the KKK, but to hear him talk about black people, youd have thought he had earned his hood. This is simply not true. As a political speaker he had few equals. 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. The accusations, apparently true, were typical of the corruption, graft, and manipulations of American public life. 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. James Ferguson died on September 21, 1944, and was buried in the State Cemetery in Austin. State executives | In July 1917, he was indicted for misappropriation of funds. He claimed to be painstakingly honest; he was an embezzler. To be the Democratic nominee for governor was the same as being elected governor. "Ferguson Impeachment The accusations against Mayes were that he used his ownership of newspapers, including the Brownwood Bulletin, to spread negative information about Ferguson. Carrillospent three years in a federal penitentiary. Scandals of all sorts, from the brazen to the bizarre, have occurred for decades at all levels. Ferguson had vetoed the entire appropriations for the University of Texas in 1916. Pat Neff. As a result of his actions, in 1917, Ferguson became the only Texas governor impeached and removed from office. Mrs. Ferguson served as the first lady of Texas during the gubernatorial terms of her husband (1915-17), who was impeached during his second administration. 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. | He made only a few speeches and must have known long before the votes were cast that Mrs. Ferguson had no chance to win. James Ferguson is the only governor to be impeached and convicted. The Constitution gives Congress the power of impeachment in federal cases. In 1917, James E. Ferguson, nicknamed "Pa Ferguson," was impeached and removed from the governorship of Texas. If the Senate is not in session, there are four ways by which it may be convened.[7]. He moved to Temple and in 1907 joined with others in establishing the Temple State Bank. Ferguson was indicted on nine charges which included misapplication of public funds, embezzlement and the diversion of a special fund. He believed that "a Negro has no business whatever taking a part in the political affairs of the Democratic party, the white man's party." 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. A service of the Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin | Contact us, A service of the Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin, Despite High-Profile Endorsements, Democrat Eliz Markowitz Loses Houston-Area Special Election. Eight governors have been removed from office through impeachment. The movement to impeach and remove James Ferguson as governor ultimately ended with Ferguson _____. W. V. Howerton, ed., Facts on Ferguson: A Review of the Impeachment and a Reply to Charges Made by Ex-Governor Ferguson (Austin, 1918). He can be reached by email: Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles. Cities | Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. Gov. Both elected and non-elected officials can be impeached in Texas. 1917: James 'Pa' Ferguson Jr., Texas. An overview by John R. Lundberg offers a comprehensive survey of the impeachment process. 100% remote. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. 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. She would serve one more term as governor from 1933 to 1935. 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'. [12], [13] In addition, Cigarroa wrote: "During testimony before the Select Committee, some early witnesses implied that the U.T. Ferguson did some good things. The 1920 presidential election was won by Republican candidate Warren Harding. [9] According to his accusers, Hall filed requests of more than 800,000 pages, which some Texas administrators called an unnecessary burden. Their campaign slogan: Two governors for the price of one.. In 1935, the Fergusons lost their ranch in Bell County because of financial troubles during the Great Depression. 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). Heres where Ferguson made his first greatest legal blunder. He started his own newspaper that fall, Ferguson Forum, to promote his views that the impeachment was illegitimate. 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. His father died when he was 4. If the House adopts articles of impeachment, the Texas State Senate must then sit as the court of impeachment. His wife was defeated for re-election in 1926, following questions of improper use of her pardoning power. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. It appears that there were no criminal proceedings in this case. Hilder submitted the report to the legislative committee. 2-stem governor fro 1921-1924 . Ferguson's attack against Mayes resulted in a drive by the legislature to impeach Ferguson. Even during the workday Christina De La Cruzs family is rarely far away. ii) During the period between World Wars I and II, James and Miriam Ferguson were the most powerful couple in Texas. The Freddy's Glass legacyPeople who knew our dad and his story say he would be proud of us, but we say, Man, were proud of himHe truly. 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. July 2, 20146 AM Central. Sam Houston And once again, there is talk of impeachment in the Legislature. 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. 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. You are currently viewing a legacy feature of the Texas Politics Project website. The entire process is substantially the same in Texas for elected officials, as it is for most of the other states. Ferguson was indicted on nine charges in July 1917. The legislature passed generous appropriation bills, and the ad valorem tax rate reached the constitutional maximum of thirty-five cents. Southwestern Historical Quarterly 86 (October 1982). Please visit the expanded Texas Politics Project website to learn more about our updated webtext and to find additional educational resources. The Board of Regents hired the firm to review whether Hall may have violated any federal privacy laws in his handling of student information. In 1917, Gov. The vote made him ineligible to hold any office of honor, trust or profit in the state of Texas. In 1917, barely into his second term as governor of Texas, James E. Ferguson was impeached, convicted, and removed from office. In 1918 he sought the Democratic party nomination for the governorship but was defeated by William P. Hobby. The Fergusons retired from public life afterward with James Ferguson dying in 1944 and his wife passing away in 1961. The conviction forbade Ferguson to hold "any office of honor, trust, or profit" in Texas. Impeachment is the process by which the legislative branch has the authority to remove a sitting public official. The Fergusons beat Robertson and went to the Governor's Mansion for a third time. Proclamation signed by a majority of the members of the House. Ferguson was first elected in 1914, and was reelected in 1916. The reason he called the special session was because he wanted to address the UT budget, but they impeached him instead. House Speaker Franklin Fuller called a special session to consider charges of impeachment against the governor. (b. 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. Three new normal schools were authorized. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. So to prove this to them, Ferguson called a special session to consider a UT funding bill he could sign. 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