Former member of the Texas House of Representatives, Speaker of the House, attorney general, and governor of Texas, 1956-63, United States Senator, 1953-57. Early years; election to Texas Legislature, 1938; O’Daniel gubernatorial campaign of 1938; transactions tax and the “Immortal 56”; reelection to the Legislature, 1940; O’Daniel senatorial race of 1941; impressions of Coke Stevenson; Speaker of the House, 1943; views on the role of the Speaker in the legislative process; campaign for attorney general, 1946; tidelands controversy; presidential elections of 1952 and 1956; election to the U.S. Senate, 1952; Democratic National Convention, 1952; decision to support Eisenhower; Tidelands Bill; continental shelf legislation; Gossett-Lodge Amendment; Natural Gas Act; Mccarthyism; school desegregation; narcotics legislation; evaluation of Dwight Eisenhower; Democratic State Convention of 1956; election as governor, 1956; problems with the Legislature; major legislative accomplishments.

Former member of the Texas House of Representatives, Speaker of the House, attorney general, and governor of Texas, 1956-63, United States Senator, 1953-57. Early years; election to Texas Legislature, 1938; O’Daniel gubernatorial campaign of 1938; transactions tax and the “Immortal 56”; reelection to the Legislature, 1940; O’Daniel senatorial race of 1941; impressions of Coke Stevenson; Speaker of the House, 1943; views on the role of the Speaker in the legislative process; campaign for attorney general, 1946; tidelands controversy; presidential elections of 1952 and 1956; election to the U.S. Senate, 1952; Democratic National Convention, 1952; decision to support Eisenhower; Tidelands Bill; continental shelf legislation; Gossett-Lodge Amendment; Natural Gas Act; Mccarthyism; school desegregation; narcotics legislation; evaluation of Dwight Eisenhower; Democratic State Convention of 1956; election as governor, 1956; problems with the Legislature; major legislative accomplishments.