He was barred, but managed to have his wife ("Ma Ferguson") elected governor; she was elected for a second term in 1932. 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. Apply today! In 1917, James E. Ferguson, nicknamed "Pa Ferguson," was impeached and removed from the governorship of Texas. Ma placed a distant fifth. He was popular for his folksy charm across. [9] According to historian Dan Utley, Ferguson planned to use state appointments as part of a spoils system to reward his political supporters. Encyclopedia.com. 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 . Please subscribe to keep reading. Preliminary investigations failed to uncover any charge that would merit impeachment, and for a time the incident seemed closed. While the campaign of 1916 was in progress, the Ferguson administration had been charged with a number of irregularities. I dont care who you are.. "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. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. The Legislature is aghast at the meddling with the flagship state university. The fight with the university touched off a massive scandal. So, he quit ahead of time so he could then turn aroundand he was counting on coming right back and getting reelected. Before the process could be completed, Ferguson resigned from office, contending that the legislative action against him was a kangaroo court. 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. Has Austin Eliminated All Restrictions On People Experiencing Homelessness? There were two major elements of the impeachment charges brought against Ferguson in 1917. 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. When Ferguson found that he could not have his way, he vetoed practically the entire appropriation for the university. Though as of this writing, three presidents have been impeached, none have ever been removed from office. At age 12 he entered Salado College (a preparatory school) but was eventually expelled for disobedience. Laws governing impeachment in Texas are governed by Article 15 of the Texas Constitution. Ma Ferguson was elected as Govenor or Texas in 1925 and in 1933. 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. If the state legislature is not in regular session during the time of impeachment, a special session can be called specifically to handle impeachments. 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 left home at 16, traveling and taking odd jobs until he returned to farm in Bell County. The Senate removed Ferguson from office by a vote of 25-3. 4. 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. James Edward Ferguson Collection, Barker Texas History Center, University of Texas at Austin. But Ferguson ran for governor in the 1918 Democratic primary. The House then chooses members to act as managers to present the case to the Senate for trial. Ross Phares, The Governors of Texas (Gretna, Louisiana: Pelican, 1976). Amplify your impact and donate now. The policy of state aid to rural schools was begun, and a rather timid law requiring compulsory school attendance was passed. Two years later they lost a reelection bid amid new scandals concerning excessive pardons and political patronage abuses. Nellie Tayloe Ross was sworn in on January 5, 1925; Miriam Ferguson followed on January 20. These included misappropriation of state funds, falsification of records, unwarranted interference with the control of the University of Texashe directed the board of regents to fire a leading educator and prominent Democrat, A. Carswell Ellisand refusal to divulge the source of a personal loan of $156,500, a huge sum at the time. 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. Retrieved February 23, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/ferguson-impeachment. He convened the commission, and the body approved that Barker write a letter to the Governor-elect. Dr. Ken Bridges is a writer, historian and native Texan who enjoys sharing these stories about people from the Lone Star state. System has not protected the privacy rights of students, staff, and patients. 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. "[3] In general, impeachments are a rare occurrence. The excitement that greeted the veto was soon overshadowed by the greater excitement that surrounded the impeachment trial. Millions of Texans have rare diseases. Bruce Rutherford, The Impeachment of Jim Ferguson (Austin: Eakin Press, 1983). She won that and the general election,[2] saying that she intended to rely on her husband for advice. The chairman of the investigating committee, William H. Bledsoe of Lubbock, called for impeachment. James Ferguson is the only governor to be impeached and convicted. 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. He was replaced by William P. Hobby after the Texas House of Representatives found him guilty in ten of twenty-one charges. Needed buildings were provided at other eleemosynary institutions. He lost the 1922 Democratic Primary race for U.S. Senate by a wide margin. In 1918 he sought the Democratic party nomination for the governorship but was defeated by William P. Hobby. Dictionary of American History. The Senate found Ferguson guilty on five charges relating to mishandling of public funds and abuse of power in relation to the university. A powerful governor clashes with the University of Texas at Austin. Ferguson was the only "wet" candidate in the Democratic primary and garnered all of the anti-prohibitionist votes over a plurality of "dry" candidates. In 1917, Gov. To impeach, the House simply needs a majority vote on the different charges involved. 100% remote. His wife was defeated for re-election in 1926, following questions of improper use of her pardoning power. He only made the ballot in Texas, winning just under 10% of the vote. But the day before the conviction was certain to come down. [18] He added that the investigation was "extraordinary political theater. The legislature passed generous appropriation bills, and the ad valorem tax rate reached the constitutional maximum of thirty-five cents. The impeachment process begins with the House of Representatives. As a result of his actions, in 1917, Ferguson became the only Texas governor impeached and removed from office. Gould, Lewis L. "The University Becomes Politicized: The War with Jim Ferguson." The Fergusons beat Robertson and went to the Governor's Mansion for a third time. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. After 20 days have elapsed from article adoption, if the Governor, Lt. It proved his undoing. The prohibitionists held an elimination convention and pledged their support to Thomas H. Ball of Houston. You have permission to edit this article. When the Democratic Party dominated the Texas political landscape, winning the Democratic primary often sealed the election results. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. [15][16] No unelected official in Texas has ever been successfully impeached or removed from office. 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. Angry that two professors had openly criticized his administration, Ferguson demanded that the Board of Regents fire them. In 1918 he sought the Democratic party nomination for the governorship but was defeated by William P. Hobby. The state was blue, then really indigo. When his reasoning was questioned, he would respond, I am governor of Texas. Dan Moody. They then sent the charges to the State Senate for trial. Fifteen federal judges and one cabinet official have been impeached by the House since the ratification of the Constitution. . youngest governor in Texas history. He left home at sixteen and wandered for two years through the states of the Far West, where he lived by accepting any employment offered. Meanwhile, Winkler fought for his job by enlisting the help of his colleagues. 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). Hilder submitted the report to the legislative committee. Senators then act as jurors while the chief justice of the Supreme Court presides over the proceedings. He was indicted and impeached during his second term, forced to resign and barred from holding further Texas office.[1][2][3][4]. Impeached. He decided that the university president must resign, and when Vinson refused, Ferguson vetoed the universitys entire budget. Aside from the act instituting the highway department, the second Ferguson administration was marked by little in the way of important legislation. The Texas Legislative Code governs the process by which the Texas State Legislature can be brought into special session to address an impeachment proceeding. As a result it was impossible for the convention to eliminate him and obviously unwise to divide the vote by naming a rival candidate. In 1917, barely into his second term as governor of Texas, James E. Ferguson was impeached, convicted, and removed from office. The UT battle was the one he should have avoided. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. He claimed to be a successful businessman; he was not. 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. Impeachment is the equivalent of an indictment. He showed up most every day to his own trial, invited or not, with two armed Texas Rangers as escorts. (February 23, 2023). Ferguson was indicted on charges including embezzlement while Carillo spent three years in jail following his impeachment. The day before he was thrown out of office he resigned, saying it didn't count. "[14], An effort was begun in June 2013 to try and impeach Hall from his position as regent. While there, legislators legally took up another matter, impeachment. Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). [9] According to his accusers, Hall filed requests of more than 800,000 pages, which some Texas administrators called an unnecessary burden. After an unsuccessful campaign for president in 1920, Ferguson ran the gubernatorial campaign of his wife, Miriam Ma Ferguson, in 1924. Hall updated Governor Rick Perry's office in April 2013 with the full list. So to prove this to them, Ferguson called a special session to consider a UT funding bill he could sign. The legislature then came back into session to consider impeachment, an attempt Ferguson immediately condemned. This independence made him critical of existing policies, earning him sufficient popular support to win office, but also the consequent wrath of the establishment that could have protected him from investigation. Scandals of all sorts, from the brazen to the bizarre, have occurred for decades at all levels. He was re-elected in 1916. He was replaced by William P. Hobby after the Texas House of Representatives found him guilty in ten of twenty-one charges. 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. In her first term, Miriam Ma Ferguson, as she was known, had a law passed that gave amnesty to all Texas officials formerly impeached. Its our 10th year participating in Amplify, and to celebrate, weve got $15,000 in matching funds from four generous Tribune supporters. He was a popular figure, singing laws protecting sharecroppers and providing state funding for rural schools. 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. 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 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 ruling declared that he could no longer hold office in Texas, but he ran the campaigns of his wife, Miriam "Ma" Ferguson. State executives | Oklahoma has impeached and removed two governors, and West Virginia impeached four members of its State Supreme Court at the same time in 2018. Tags He was an avowed enemy of the KKK, but to hear him talk about black people, youd have thought he had earned his hood. The most that the select committee can do would be to recommend to the full state house that articles of impeachment be drafted. James T. DeShields, They Sat in High Places: The Presidents and Governors of Texas (San Antonio: Naylor, 1940). Dictionary of American History. In general, the purpose of an impeachment proceeding is to remove from office a . Ferguson convinced his wife to run one more time in 1940. In 1928, for the first time since 1914, Ferguson was not an active participant in a political campaign, but even then he took some interest in the race for the governorship and gave his support to Louis J. Wardlaw. Barred from state office, he ran for president in 1920 on the American Party ticket. In 1922 he was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States Senate. Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. The vote was 25-3. James Edward Ferguson, also called Farmer Jim or Pa was born in Bell County in 1871. We help women historians thrive through events, resources, and community. With charges growing against Ferguson, the House of Representatives drew up 21 charges against him and voted to impeach. Though he was kicked out of office and disgraced in front of his colleagues, Ferguson was still popular among his hardcore supporters and rallied back. Even his former political allies couldnt find him innocent in the face of such damning evidence and his own indefensible behavior. 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. Governor and President Pro Tempore have not acted, then by proclamation of a signed majority of the members of the Senate. The movement to impeach and remove James Ferguson as governor ultimately ended with Ferguson _____. 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. There were . 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. 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. 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. With strong support from progressive and anti-Prohibition forces, "Farmer Jim" was elected governor of Texas in 1914. The founders did not invent impeachment. In 1917, James E. Ferguson, nicknamed "Pa Ferguson," was impeached and removed from the governorship of Texas. However, the judgment to impeachhanded down one day after his resignation-was upheld, preventing him from holding public office in Texas. Impeachment is the equivalent of an indictment. 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. 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. And once again, there is talk of impeachment in the Legislature. 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. He gave a speech in his own defense and blamed the charges on that N-word loving senator from the north, Senator Johnson. Not Lyndon. The entire process is substantially the same in Texas for elected officials, as it is for most of the other states. The Constitution gives the House power to impeach the president, officials appointed by the president (including cabinet officers) and judges. The State Senate reduced the charges to ten, half of which dealt with the transfer of the $5,600. . Her most recent publications include contributions to Texas Women: Their Histories, Their Lives and Discovering Texas History. However, the date of retrieval is often important. Only the governor can do that. And here, Ferguson made his second blunder. 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. He was a popular figure, signing laws protecting sharecroppers and providing state funding for rural schools. Proclamation signed by a majority of the members of the House. Jim Pa Ferguson became the first person in Texas to be impeached. He was indicted and impeached during his second term, but according to Ferguson technically impeached, after he resigned office. Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. . "Ferguson Impeachment He served 15 months as governor. In 1924, his wife, Miriam Ma Ferguson won election as governor as a stand-in candidate in a tightly-contested race. Nine of the charges can be described as violations of the law, while the obtaining of $156,500 from a secret source was certainly not in keeping with good policy. "[19] Texas state legislators have never previously tried to remove an appointed official. U.S. Congress | FERGUSON IMPEACHMENT FERGUSON IMPEACHMENT. He only made the ballot in Texas, winning just under 10% of the vote. In retaliation, Ferguson vetoed the entire appropriation for the university. 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. That committee has been holding a series of meetings in late 2013. Sam Houston 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. In 1917, barely into his second term as governor of Texas, James E. Ferguson was impeached, convicted, and removed from office. Jessica Brannon-Wranosky concludes with an assessment of the historical memory of Fergusons impeachment throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. He tapped Reverend Allan Ferguson Cunningham to serve as State Librarian, despite his lack of training or experience in the field. [11] Another leading Ferguson critic on the UT campus was the historian Eugene C. Barker. Which Way Will Harris County Precinct 3 Turn In 2020? He ended up back in the Governors Mansion for a third time when she became the first woman governor in Texas history. 23 Feb. 2023 . There is no regularly scheduled session until 2015. [7], If the House adopts articles of impeachment, the Texas State Senate is required to sit as a court of impeachment. Ferguson made bond of $13,000 and announced his candidacy for a third term as governor. [10][11] However, a letter from University chancellor Francisco Cigarroa in February 2014 said that Hall likely requested fewer than 100,000 pages. The vote was 25-3. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Advocates are pushing for legislation to help them. Norman Kittrell, Governors Who Have Been and Other Public Men of Texas (Houston: Dealy-Adey-Elgin, 1921). Seven of the charges related to misapplication of public funds, one to embezzlement, and one to the diversion of a special fund. Interns wanted: Get paid to help ensure that every voter has unbiased election information. 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. 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. At the same time, officials had begun looking into Fergusons finances. Winds light and variable.. An argument over spending tax dollars, an attempt to silence political opponents, and charges of a kangaroo court.. He was a popular figure, singing laws protecting sharecroppers and providing state funding for rural schools. Both women followed husbands who had served earlier. Although Ferguson was disqualified from holding public office, he did try to run in the 1924 elections to redeem his reputation. ." | He was elected governor in 1914, his first election. Southwestern Historical Quarterly 86 (October 1982). Jim Pa Ferguson became the first person in Texas to be impeached. He was impeached in 1917 and removed from office. The Fergusons beat Robertson and went to the Governor's Mansion for a third time. 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 took the stand on his own behalf and was mostly a weak and contradictory witness, unable to explain discrepancies. In 1935, the Fergusons lost their ranch in Bell County because of financial troubles during the Great Depression. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. 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. [6] They had two daughters: Ouida Wallace Ferguson, and Dorrace Watt Ferguson. The fight with the university touched off a massive scandal. Ferguson also ran for President of the United States in the 1920 election as the candidate of the American Party. After returning to Bell County, he farmed and worked with a railroad-bridge gang until, after a brief study of law, he was admitted to the bar in 1897 and began the practice of law in Belton. The second had to do with his utilization of the Temple Bank he had controlling interest in as his personal slush fund. He was re-elected in 1916. The issues were prohibition, the tax rate, and certain unpalatable rumors concerning the Ferguson administration. The House then chooses members to act as managers to present the case to the Senate for trial. Senators will then act as jurors while the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presides over the proceedings. In 1917, Gov. 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). The Fergusons retired from public life afterward with James Ferguson dying in 1944 and his wife passing away in 1961. Three others dealt with the veto of university funding as an abuse of power and official oppression. She would serve one more term as governor from 1933 to 1935. Ma placed a distant fifth. Henry S. Johnston of Oklahoma He was impeached in 1917 and removed from office. He moved to Temple and in 1907 joined with others in establishing the Temple State Bank. Rachel M. 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