The Texas Legislative Code governs the process by which the Texas State Legislature can be brought into special session to address an impeachment proceeding. . James "Pa" Ferguson was the Governor of Texas from 1915 to 1917, when he was impeached and convicted on several charges. The Legislature cannot call itself into special session. Eight governors have been removed from office through impeachment. July 2, 20146 AM Central. 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." Despite the Senate's conviction, Ferguson sought to run for governor again in 1924. https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/ferguson-impeachment, "Ferguson Impeachment He was kicked out of a local prep school, Salado College, at age 12 for misbehavior. As historian Cortez Ewing pointed out, Ferguson was the voice of the people, and with his sixth-grade education, he promoted the idea that he had not suffered the damages of higher degrees. Ferguson was indicted on nine charges which included misapplication of public funds, embezzlement and the diversion of a special fund. [18] He added that the investigation was "extraordinary political theater. Though he had signed legislation creating three new colleges, he found himself in a feud with professors at the University of Texas. Impeachment is the equivalent of an indictment. Before the process could be completed, Ferguson resigned from office, contending that the legislative action against him was a kangaroo court. When the House is not in session, there are three ways that the House may be convened for purposes of 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. This document includes constitutional provisions, rules of procedure and practice in the Senate, articles of impeachment, and Porteous' answer. You have permission to edit this article. Laws governing impeachment in Texas are governed by Article 15 of the Texas Constitution. She won that and the general election,[2] saying that she intended to rely on her husband for advice. Ma placed a distant fifth. [17] Governor of Texas Rick Perry's spokesperson said the investigations send a "chilling message" to gubernatorial appointees. 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 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. 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 ruling declared that he could no longer hold office in Texas, but he ran the campaigns of his wife, Miriam "Ma" Ferguson. I dont care who you are.. Its hard not to like the down-home folksy style that made Texas Gov. It appears that neither governor was brought to trial. He lost the 1922 Democratic Primary race for U.S. Senate by a wide margin. The chairman of the investigating committee, William H. Bledsoe of Lubbock, called for impeachment. 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. Jordan wa, Houston, Sam Though he had signed legislation creating three new. The Fergusons retired from public life afterward with James Ferguson dying in 1944 and his wife passing away in 1961. The first had to do with his abuse of power while attempting to micromanage the University of Texas. Ferguson was also surpassed by three other unsuccessful candidates: Ferguson failed at his bid for the United States Senate in 1922, having lost in the Democratic runoff election to Earle Bradford Mayfield. Title 6, Chapter 665 of the Texas Government Code addresses the impeachment and removal of public officers by the state house. 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 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 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. Ferguson convinced his wife to run one more time in 1940. The charges of impeachment grew from a controvesy with the University of Texas administration, and resulted in Ferguson being charged with misapplication of public funds among nine other charges. 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. The Texas Senate reduced the charges to 10, half of which dealt with the transfer of the $5,600. The chair of the State Library and Historical Commission, Eugene C. Barker, heard talk about these plans and intervened in support of Winkler. He had attempted to stack the board of regents with friends who would help fire these professors and staffers, and he had called for the resignation of the universitys president, Robert Vinson. Of course, her husband was the only one the amnesty applied to. In 1917, James E. Ferguson, nicknamed "Pa Ferguson," was impeached and removed from the governorship of Texas. In 1917, Gov. 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 . 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. Samuel Houston (1793-1863), American statesman and soldier, was the person most responsible for bringing Texas into the Union. Governor have not acted, then by proclamation of the President Pro Tempore of the State Senate. The Senate can call witnesses to testify and vote to convict with a two-thirds majority vote. Though as of this writing, three presidents have been impeached, none have ever been removed from office. He left home at 16, traveling and taking odd jobs until he returned to farm in Bell County. Even during the workday Christina De La Cruzs family is rarely far away. . In 1917, barely into his second term as governor of Texas, James E. Ferguson was impeached, convicted, and removed from office. The specifics are left to the state legislators to determine. 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. 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. An argument over spending tax dollars, an attempt to silence political opponents, and charges of a kangaroo court.. The prohibitionists held an elimination convention and pledged their support to Thomas H. Ball of Houston. Connally, John Bowden, Jr. 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 Constitution gives Congress the power of impeachment in federal cases. 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 . 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. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Landowners were assured, however, that they need not be alarmed by the proposal, as it would benefit all concerned. He was reelected in 1916 but the following year was impeached on grounds of misusing public funds and removed from office. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. 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. 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. The entire process is substantially the same in Texas for elected officials, as it is for most of the other states. Apply today! The incumbent State Librarian was Ernest Winkler, who was a professional historian with years of experience as a librarian. Some have said Hall is being targeted for uncovering evidence of political favoritism with respect to admissions processes.[6]. Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. As a result it was impossible for the convention to eliminate him and obviously unwise to divide the vote by naming a rival candidate. Millions of Texans have rare diseases. The question was eventually carried into the courts, where the judgment of the Court of Impeachment was sustained. A part of his appeal as a candidate for governor was his support for white supremacy in the political process. You have permission to edit this article. 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 most that the select committee can do would be to recommend to the full state house that articles of impeachment be drafted. 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. Impeached: The Removal of Texas Governor James E. Ferguson (Texas A&M University Press, 2017) Hardcover. He was indicted and impeached during his second term, but according to Ferguson technically impeached, after he resigned office. 2] THE IMPEACHMENT OF JAMES E. FERGUSON I85 there, was immediately converted to the legal profession. He is the author, coauthor, or editor of more than two dozen books, most recently Anti-Black Violence in Twentieth-Century Texas. Ferguson was first elected in 1914, and was reelected in 1916. 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 To impeach, the House simply needs a majority vote on the different charges involved. However, the judgment to impeachhanded down one day after his resignation-was upheld, preventing him from holding public office in Texas. 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. 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. Please subscribe to keep reading. In 1917, barely into his second term as governor of Texas, James E. Ferguson was impeached, convicted, and removed from office. One final note of incredulity. Dictionaries thesauruses pictures and press releases. That committee has been holding a series of meetings in late 2013. Dictionary of American History. He decided that the university president must resign, and when Vinson refused, Ferguson vetoed the universitys entire budget. 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