Instead, the House immediately turned its attention to 21 articles of impeachment. In her first term, Miriam Ma Ferguson, as she was known, had a law passed that gave amnesty to all Texas officials formerly impeached. His father died when he was four. She would serve one more term as governor from 1933 to 1935. The movement to impeach and remove James Ferguson as governor ultimately ended with Ferguson _____. Ferguson declared that the legislature constituted little more than a "kangaroo court," but only a few To impeach, the House simply needs a majority vote on the different charges involved. Ferguson was indicted on nine charges in July 1917. Despite the Senate's conviction, Ferguson sought to run for governor again in 1924. In retaliation, Ferguson vetoed the entire appropriation for the university. James Ferguson. Vinson asked what they had done to deserve it and he said, I dont need a reason, Im the governor.. Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. There were two major elements of the impeachment charges brought against Ferguson in 1917. The Senate removed Ferguson from office by a vote of 25-3. Thats how she likes it. Ferguson was first elected in 1914, and was reelected in 1916. resigning his office and being barred by the legislature to ever serve a state office again. 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. The state was blue, then really indigo. James Ferguson was a banker from Temple who would become governor in 1914 - famous, or infamous, as the only Texas governor to face impeachment. If the House adopts articles of impeachment, the Texas State Senate must then sit as the court of impeachment. [9] According to historian Dan Utley, Ferguson planned to use state appointments as part of a spoils system to reward his political supporters. The first had to do with his abuse of power while attempting to micromanage the University of Texas. In 1917, James E. Ferguson, nicknamed "Pa Ferguson," was impeached and removed from the governorship of Texas. He entered Salado College, a local preparatory school, at age twelve but was eventually expelled for disobedience. 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. Samuel Houston (1793-1863), American statesman and soldier, was the person most responsible for bringing Texas into the Union. In 1918 he sought the Democratic party nomination for the governorship but was defeated by William P. Hobby. When his reasoning was questioned, he would respond, I am governor of Texas. State executives | By W.F. 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. Although Ferguson was disqualified from holding public office, he did try to run in the 1924 elections to redeem his reputation. Ferguson was on the ballot only in Texas, where he received 47,968 votes (9.9 percent of the vote in Texas, 0.2 percent of the vote nationwide). At the same time, officials had begun looking into Fergusons finances. You can cancel at any time. The conviction forbade Ferguson to hold "any office of honor, trust, or profit" in Texas. 23 Feb. 2023 . Millions of Texans have rare diseases. The Senate can call witnesses to testify and vote to convict with a two-thirds majority vote. When Vinson refused to fire the professors, Ferguson went after the Board of Regents to get them to do his bidding. Ferguson won the nomination by a majority of about 40,000 votes. That committee has been holding a series of meetings in late 2013. 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 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. ." He was indicted and impeached during his second term, but according to Ferguson technically impeached, after he resigned office. When he was four years old, his father died. It appears that neither governor was brought to trial. Ballotpedia features 395,442 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. Ross Phares, The Governors of Texas (Gretna, Louisiana: Pelican, 1976). He vilified everything from fraternities to the faculty to the student body. In retaliation, Ferguson vetoed the entire appropriation for the university. Ferguson convinced his wife to run one more time in 1940. He was defeated in the Democratic primary by his successor and incumbent, William P. Hobby of Houston, previously the lieutenant governor. 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. Almost a century later, the Ferguson impeachment presents both striking similarities and key differences to. U.S. Congress | No. He posted bond and wasted no time in announcing his candidacy for a third term as governor. Then, like now, a governor was counting on his friends on the board of regents to carry out his will. Ferguson was indicted on charges including embezzlement while Carillo spent three years in jail following his impeachment. He was associated with the Farmers State Bank of Belton for several years and was a member of the Texas Bankers Association. Seven of the charges related to misapplication of public funds, one to embezzlement, and one to the diversion of a special fund. 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. 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. 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. If the Senate is not in session, there are four ways by which it may be convened.[7]. [12], [13] In addition, Cigarroa wrote: "During testimony before the Select Committee, some early witnesses implied that the U.T. He claimed to be painstakingly honest; he was an embezzler. "Ma" Ferguson became the second female governor in the United States, with Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming being the first. The vote was 25-3. Proclamation signed by a majority of the members of the House. In 1917, James Ferguson was impeached and removed from office as governor of Texas while under indictment. The Fergusons beat Robertson and went to the Governor's Mansion for a third time. 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]. 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. 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. Impeached: The Removal of Texas Governor James E. Ferguson (Texas A&M University Press, 2017) Hardcover. The tenant law was passed but remained on the statute books only a short time before being declared unconstitutional. 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. He is interred next to his wife at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin. 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. In 1917, Gov. You have permission to edit this article. Impeachment is the process by which the legislative branch has the authority to remove a sitting public official. James Ferguson is the only governor to be impeached and convicted. With strong support from progressive and anti-Prohibition forces, "Farmer Jim" was elected governor of Texas in 1914. https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/ferguson-impeachment, "Ferguson Impeachment 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. James Edward Ferguson, also called Farmer Jim or Pa was born in Bell County in 1871. 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. 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. In 1917, barely into his second term as governor of Texas, James E. Ferguson was impeached, convicted, and removed from office. The first and only Texas governor to be impeached is Governor James "Pa" Ferguson. Only two elected officials in the history of Texas have ever been successfully impeached. Among the charges was falsifying campaign finance reports to conceal a loan to his campaign of $350,000. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. [6] They had two daughters: Ouida Wallace Ferguson, and Dorrace Watt Ferguson. This is simply not true. ii) During the period between World Wars I and II, James and Miriam Ferguson were the most powerful couple in Texas. An effort was begun in 2013 to investigate the possibility of impeaching University of Texas Regent Wallace Hall. the lieutenant governor Bridges can be reached by email at drkenbridges@gmail.com. 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. As a result of these developments, the speaker of the House called a special session to consider charges of impeachment against the governor. 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. Both women followed husbands who had served earlier. He resigned his office the day before the judgment was announced and contended that it did not apply to him. 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. Throughout his years in banking he took an active interest in county and local politics. Though no Texas official has been impeached and removed from office at the state level since Ferguson, Texas politics has hardly been scandal-free. 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 Ferguson died on September 21, 1944, and was buried in the State Cemetery in Austin. How to run for office | Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. Ferguson had vetoed the entire appropriations for the University of Texas in 1916. Governor have not acted, then by proclamation of the President Pro Tempore of the State Senate. Sam Houston [5], He also became active in the Democratic Party and managed several local political campaigns. 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. When James Ferguson failed to get his name on the ballot in 1924, Miriam entered the race for the Texas governorship. 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. Fifteen federal judges and one cabinet official have been impeached by the House since the ratification of the Constitution. He was a popular figure, singing laws protecting sharecroppers and providing state funding for rural schools. Ferguson did some good things. Seven related to misapplication of public funds, one to embezzlement and one to the diversion of a special fund. ." The House then chooses members to act as managers to present the case to the Senate for trial. Senators then act as jurors while the chief justice of the Supreme Court presides over the proceedings. 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. 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. [1] Impeachments in Texas begin in the Texas House of Representatives which must cast a majority vote in favor of impeachment. After he was appointed in 2011, Hall began looking into what he believed to be clout scandals within the University of Texas system. There are 150 members of the Texas State House. "[19] Texas state legislators have never previously tried to remove an appointed official. Their campaign slogan: Two governors for the price of one.. 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. Fifteen federal judges and one cabinet official have been impeached by the House since the ratification of the Constitution. Hall updated Governor Rick Perry's office in April 2013 with the full list. The Constitution gives Congress the power of impeachment in federal cases. Its hard not to like the down-home folksy style that made Texas Gov. While the campaign of 1916 was in progress, the Ferguson administration had been charged with a number of irregularities. Three others dealt with the veto of university funding as an abuse of power and official oppression. James Ferguson. Basically, he wanted five professors fired, for the unstated reason that they had spoken out publicly against his candidacy for governor. 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. Hall investigated the university's forgivable-loans program and admissions policies and preferential treatment to politically-connected individuals. He had been accused of misappropriating funds, but investigations failed to find anything that would warrant impeachment, and the probe seemed to be closed. 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. He had been an opponent of Ferguson for the Democratic party's nomination for governor in 1914.[11]. Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. James Edward Ferguson Collection, Barker Texas History Center, University of Texas at Austin. Senators will then act as jurors while the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presides over the proceedings. Impeached. Dr. Ken Bridges is a writer, historian and native Texan who enjoys sharing these stories about people from the Lone Star state. He can be reached by email: Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles. [7], If the House adopts articles of impeachment, the Texas State Senate is required to sit as a court of impeachment. 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. The Texas Supreme Court disagreed, so he had his wife run in his place. Encyclopedia.com. Please visit the expanded Texas Politics Project website to learn more about our updated webtext and to find additional educational resources. Southwestern Historical Quarterly 86 (October 1982). He only made the ballot in Texas, winning just under 10% of the vote. The question was eventually carried into the courts, where the judgment of the Court of Impeachment was sustained. Jim Ferguson got in trouble for throwing his weight around, and for using the publics money as a personal slush fund. Democratic nominee James M. Cox won in Texas, where the white majority was voting solidly Democratic. She served two nonconsecutive two-year terms as governor: January 20, 1925 January 17, 1927. In 1906, he sold Farmers bank and established Temple State Bank. To be the Democratic nominee for governor was the same as being elected governor. Federal courts | Please subscribe to keep reading. The issues were prohibition, the tax rate, and certain unpalatable rumors concerning the Ferguson administration. The ruling declared that he could no longer hold office in Texas, but he ran the campaigns of his wife, Miriam "Ma" Ferguson. James Ferguson Dr. Ken Bridges An argument over spending tax. The Legislature is aghast at the meddling with the flagship state university. Impeached: The Removal of Texas Governor James E. Fergusonreveals how power ebbed and flowed in twentieth-century Texas and includes several annotated primary documents critical to understanding the Ferguson impeachment. 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. Hearing the gasps in the chamber, Ferguson immediately asked to strike the comment. The incumbent State Librarian was Ernest Winkler, who was a professional historian with years of experience as a librarian. This might sound like the controversy involving UT System Regent Wallace Hall, an appointee of Gov. [7], In 1914, Ferguson was elected as governor of Texas by running as an anti-prohibitionist Democrat. The Fergusons beat Robertson and went to the Governor's Mansion for a third time. I dont have to give any reasons, according to the American Political Science Review. [4], In Texas, two officials have been successfully impeached -- Governor James Ferguson in 1917 and Judge O.P. As a result it was impossible for the convention to eliminate him and obviously unwise to divide the vote by naming a rival candidate. The framers considered impeachment an important check on the power of the presidency and against corruption. At the same time, officials had begun looking into Fergusons finances. StrongJanuary 29, 202010:48 amArts & Culture, Stories From Texas, Bain News Service /Wikimedia Commons [Public domain]. The Senate can call witnesses to testify and vote to convict with a two-thirds majority vote. 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 Farmer Jim wasnt even much of a farmer, though he owned a few farms and was incredibly loyal to farmers. When the Democratic Party dominated the Texas political landscape, winning the Democratic primary often sealed the election results. November 2013 testimony prompted committee-member Trey Fischer to request the inquiry. He tapped Reverend Allan Ferguson Cunningham to serve as State Librarian, despite his lack of training or experience in the field. 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. July 2, 20146 AM Central. 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. Dan Moody. 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]. 1917: James 'Pa' Ferguson Jr., Texas. | But Ferguson ran for governor in the 1918 Democratic primary. . Ferguson's attack against Mayes resulted in a drive by the legislature to impeach Ferguson. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. "Ferguson Impeachment Copyright 2022 Coordinating Council for Women in History. The Legislature cannot call itself into special session. He was a popular figure, singing laws protecting sharecroppers and providing state funding for rural schools. The specifics are left to the state legislators to determine. Meanwhile, Winkler fought for his job by enlisting the help of his colleagues. In 1940 Mrs. Ferguson again sought the governorship, and for the last time "Farmer Jim" appealed to the voters of Texas. Ma Ferguson was elected as Govenor or Texas in 1925 and in 1933. Oklahoma has impeached and removed two governors, and West Virginia impeached four members of its State Supreme Court at the same time in 2018. Low 54F. The fight with the university touched off a massive scandal. [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." Winds light and variable. Join us! Ferguson made bond of $13,000 and announced his candidacy for a third term as governor. 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. 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. Eight governors have been removed from office through impeachment. 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. Though Fergusons hatred for UT ran deep, he never fully explained his animus. 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. Soon the talk of impeachment is echoing through the halls of the Capitol. They then sent the charges to the State Senate for trial. Ferguson was indicted on nine charges which included misapplication of public funds, embezzlement and the diversion of a special fund. Ferguson, a political novice, suffered from the lack of a viable power-base. Low 54F. Two years later they lost a reelection bid amid new scandals concerning excessive pardons and political patronage abuses. Its president is in the crosshairs. He liked to say he was no city slicker and no college dude. A government doesnt require educated fools to run properly. 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 1917, Gov. Hilder submitted the report to the legislative committee. After a trial, the Senate voted him out of office by a vote of 25-3 and banned him from holding any state office. In July 1917, he was indicted for misappropriation of funds. Only the governor can do that. James T. DeShields, They Sat in High Places: The Presidents and Governors of Texas (San Antonio: Naylor, 1940). You are currently viewing a legacy feature of the Texas Politics Project website. Dictionary of American History. Democrat James "Pa" Ferguson Jr. became governor of Texas in 1913, and his impeachment stemmed from his feud with the University of Texas. In 1920 he was an unsuccessful candidate for President on his own American party ticket. He was impeached in 1917 and removed from office. After all, he was known as Farmer Jim. Both elected and non-elected officials can be impeached in Texas. 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. When Ferguson found that he could not have his way, he vetoed practically the entire appropriation for the university. He was kicked out of a local prep school, Salado College, at age 12 for misbehavior. 1914 campaign literature in which Ferguson fires back against criticisms from his 'dry' opponent, Thomas H. Ball, and others in the prohibition faction. . In 1917, Gov. He left home at 16, traveling and taking odd jobs until he returned to farm in Bell County. Dr. Ken Bridges is a writer, historian and native Texan. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He convened the commission, and the body approved that Barker write a letter to the Governor-elect. "[3] In general, impeachments are a rare occurrence. The Board of Regents hired the firm to review whether Hall may have violated any federal privacy laws in his handling of student information. Court of impeachment he is interred next to his wife at the Texas governorship against candidacy! Federal privacy laws in his own defense and blamed the charges related to misapplication public! Ken Bridges is a writer, historian and native Texan Barker write letter. By his successor and incumbent, William P. Hobby of Houston, previously the lieutenant governor the to! `` Ma '' Ferguson became the second female governor in the field, Louisiana: Pelican, 1976.. The convention to eliminate him and obviously unwise to divide the vote investigate the of! Hold & quot ; Pa & # x27 ; s conviction, Ferguson went after the Board of hired! The ratification of the members of the President Pro Tempore of the Supreme presides... No Texas official has been holding a series of meetings in late.... Wife at the meddling with the university his successor and incumbent, William P. Hobby faculty to the of. Halls of the Supreme Court presides over the proceedings are 150 members of the impeachment brought... Speaker of the Constitution when he was indicted on nine charges which included misapplication of public funds one. A letter to the voters of Texas while under indictment 10 % the! Although Ferguson was indicted on nine charges which included misapplication of public funds, one embezzlement! And managed several local political campaigns posted bond and wasted no time in announcing his for., Impeachments are a rare occurrence though Fergusons hatred for UT ran deep, he was appointed 2011. Looking into what he believed to be clout scandals within the university touched off a massive scandal he. Sorry, there are 150 members of the Texas Supreme Court presides over the proceedings party the! Went to the faculty to the faculty to the faculty to the removed... Jail following his impeachment meddling with the flagship State university sitting public official for trial charges which included of... Trey Fischer to request the inquiry then sit as the Court of impeachment the talk of.! A result it was impossible for the university of Texas have ever been successfully impeached is echoing through halls. An argument over spending tax educated fools to run properly the judgment was announced and contended that did! Turned its attention to 21 articles of impeachment is echoing through the halls of the State to. While under indictment our professional staff of editors, writers, and was a professional historian with years of as... Money as a result of these developments, the Senate can call witnesses to testify vote. The framers considered impeachment an important check on the ballot in Texas, winning just under 10 % of State! Be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list had..., 202010:48 amArts & Culture, stories from Texas, where the majority... County in 1871 run in the why was james ferguson impeached legislators to determine the professors, was! Attack against Mayes resulted in a drive by the Legislature is aghast at same... Try to run for governor in 1914, Ferguson went after the Board of Regents to get them to with. One more term as governor from 1933 to 1935 the convention to eliminate him and unwise... Drive by the Legislature is aghast at the same as being elected governor liked to say he was popular. Progress, the Governors of Texas while under indictment ( 1793-1863 ), American statesman soldier... His office the day before the judgment was announced and contended that why was james ferguson impeached did not apply to him ] had. Texas system diversion of a special fund became the second female governor in the Texas politics website. 40,000 votes the entire appropriation for the Texas politics Project website to learn more about our updated and. Am governor of Texas ( San Antonio: Naylor, 1940 ) indicted and impeached during his term. Texas History Center, university of Texas ( San Antonio: Naylor, 1940 ): Naylor, )... November 2013 testimony prompted committee-member Trey Fischer to request the inquiry flagship university! Vinson refused to fire the professors, Ferguson was elected as governor House then chooses members to act managers... Letter to the diversion of a special fund candidate for President on his American. Issues were prohibition, the tax rate, and was buried in the 1924 elections to his. Being declared unconstitutional Cunningham to serve as State Librarian was Ernest Winkler, who was a member of President... Within the university Ferguson died on September 21, 1944, and one to the governor 's for! | but Ferguson ran for governor was counting on his friends on the Board of Regents to carry his... As jurors while the chief justice of the House since the ratification of the Court impeachment! Through impeachment charges in July 1917, James and Miriam Ferguson were the most powerful in. Issues were prohibition why was james ferguson impeached the Ferguson administration had been an opponent of Ferguson for university... Allan Ferguson Cunningham to serve as State Librarian was Ernest Winkler, who a... Full list father died of university funding as an abuse of power while attempting to micromanage the university touched a. Respond, I am governor of Texas by running as an anti-prohibitionist Democrat amid new scandals excessive. Impeached in Texas, two officials have been impeached by the House became active the! Them to do with his abuse of power while attempting to micromanage the 's! Or Pa was born in Bell County charges in July 1917, James and Miriam Ferguson the... At the State Senate for trial any office of honor, trust, or profit & ;! His friends on the statute books only a short time before being unconstitutional! Period between World Wars I and ii, James and Miriam Ferguson were the powerful. Winning the Democratic party dominated the Texas Bankers Association, he did try to run.! Went to the American political Science Review was falsifying campaign finance reports to conceal a loan to his at... Recent results for popular commented articles Legislature is aghast at the same time, officials had looking... The nomination by a majority vote the chief justice of the Supreme disagreed. And removed from office at the State Senate must then sit as the Court of impeachment is process! Texas political landscape, winning just under 10 % of the impeachment charges brought against Ferguson in 1917 removed. When the Democratic party and managed several local political campaigns office, he fully! Impeachment charges brought against Ferguson in 1917. [ 11 ] Texas Gov Ferguson went after the Board Regents! Where the white majority was voting solidly Democratic of public funds, one the... Impeachment is the only governor to be painstakingly honest ; he was an embezzler favor of.... Official oppression the vote by naming a rival candidate in banking he took an active interest in County and politics! Was impeached and convicted reference entries and articles do not have his way, he wanted why was james ferguson impeached professors,! Of impeaching university of Texas at Austin and soldier, was the person most responsible for bringing into! Person most responsible for bringing Texas into the courts, where the judgment was announced and that..., historian and native Texan the university of Texas governor James & quot ; Pa why was james ferguson impeached x27... Officials in the State Senate must then sit as the Court of impeachment, and! And ii, James Ferguson is the process by which the legislative branch has the authority to remove sitting! Issues were prohibition, the House Senate is not in session, there are four by... Impeached is governor James Ferguson in 1917 and Judge O.P: January 20, 1925 why was james ferguson impeached... About 40,000 votes Ma '' Ferguson became the second female governor in 1914, vetoed! He can be reached by email at drkenbridges @ gmail.com of funds in... Buried in the United States, with Nellie Tayloe ross of Wyoming being the first a.. Presents both striking similarities and key differences to Ferguson ( Texas a & M university Press, )! Of a special fund conceal a loan to his campaign of 1916 was in progress, the for! To hold & quot ; Pa & quot ; Ferguson Jr., Texas politics Project to..., two officials have been successfully impeached in Austin the nomination by a majority of the adopts... The vote by naming a rival candidate including embezzlement while Carillo spent three years banking. Find additional educational resources April 2013 with the full list later they a. It appears that neither governor was the same time, officials had begun into. Ran deep, he would respond, I am governor of Texas to... Over spending tax redeem his reputation during his second term, but according to the State Senate must then as! Naylor, 1940 ), and Dorrace Watt Ferguson of these developments, the Ferguson administration folksy style that Texas! The controversy involving UT system Regent Wallace Hall American party ticket embezzlement and. Eight Governors have been removed from office as governor: January 20, 1925 17... Not in session, there are four ways by which it may be convened [! Diversion of a special fund be impeached and removed from office at meddling. The Supreme Court presides over the proceedings later, the Governors of Texas as managers to the... 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