Coke R. Stevenson

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Coke Robert Stevenson (born March 20, 1888 in Mason County , Texas , † June 28, 1975 in San Angelo , Texas) was an American politician and governor of the state of Texas from 1941 to 1947 .

Early years and political advancement

Coke Stevenson attended public schools in his home country and then worked in his father's freight business. In the evenings he studied history and housekeeping. He later became a janitor at Junction State Bank . In this bank he soon rose to the household department and cashier. In his spare time he studied law and in 1913 Stevenson was admitted to the bar. He then left the bank and worked as a lawyer. Soon afterwards he founded his own bank, the First National Bank of Junction , of which he became president. In Kimble County Stevenson was still involved in many other activities. In this county he was also a district attorney from 1914 to 1918 and a district judge from 1919 to 1921.

Stevenson became a member of the Democratic Party . From 1929 to 1939 he was a member of the House of Representatives from Texas , where he was also Speaker of the House between 1933 and 1937 . From 1939 to 1941 he served as the lieutenant governor of his state. When Governor W. Lee O'Daniel stepped down on August 4 to take a seat in the United States Senate , Stevenson had to end the remainder of the term as its representative.

Texas Governor

After he was confirmed in office in 1942 and 1944, Stevenson was able to rule as governor between August 4, 1941 and January 21, 1947. That was the longest term of office of Texas governor to date. His tenure was overshadowed by the events of World War II , to which Texas also had to make its contribution. In this state too, food and fuel were rationed. Production was converted to armaments requirements and then reduced to civilian requirements after the end of the war. Young men were picked up and sent to the armed forces. After the war, the returning soldiers had to be reintegrated into society. The disabled and the bereaved of the dead also had to be looked after. In addition to these war-related events, the governor succeeded in reducing the national debt and promoting the school system. In this sector, teacher salaries were raised and the University of Texas expanded. Road construction also continued despite the war. Stevenson was rather skeptical about the expansion of the federal government through the New Deal policy and later through the defense policy. Therefore, he was also against some measures of the federal government under President Franklin D. Roosevelt .

Another résumé

After the end of his governorship, Stevenson initially retired to his ranch near Junction . In 1948 he ran against Lyndon B. Johnson for a seat in the US Senate . These elections led to the closest result in the history of the Senate elections to date. Johnson won by just 87 votes and thus created a starting point for his later ascent to the office of Vice President , from which he rose to become US President after the assassination of John F. Kennedy in November 1963 . However, the results of the 1948 Senate elections were controversial. Stevenson challenged the election on alleged electoral fraud. In this context, ballot boxes and other documents disappeared. Eventually Johnson was confirmed as the election winner. For Stevenson and many of his followers, however, the matter left a bitter aftertaste.

Then he withdrew from politics. Coke Stevenson died in 1975. He was married twice and each marriage had one child.

literature

  • Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 4, Meckler Books, Westport, 1978. 4 volumes.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Stevenson, Coke R.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Stevenson, Coke Robert (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH March 20, 1888
PLACE OF BIRTH Mason County , Texas
DATE OF DEATH June 28, 1975
Place of death San Angelo , Texas