Richard M. Kleberg

Richard M. Kleberg

Richard Mifflin Kleberg (born November 18, 1887 in Kingsville , Texas , †  May 8, 1955 in Hot Springs , Arkansas ) was an American politician . Between 1931 and 1945 he represented the state of Texas in the US House of Representatives .

Career

Richard Kleberg was a nephew of Congressman Rudolph Kleberg (1847-1924) and a cousin of Robert C. Eckhardt (1913-2001), who also represented the State of Texas in Congress . He was also one of the heirs to the King Ranch , which is one of the largest ranches in the world. He attended the public schools of his home country and then until 1905 the Corpus Christi High School . He then studied until 1911 at the University of Texas at Austin . After studying law in the meantime, he was admitted to the bar in 1909. In 1911 he became King Ranch foreman; from 1913 to 1924 he worked in their administration. In addition, Kleberg was active in the banking industry. From 1929 to 1931 he was chairman of the board of the College of Arts and Industry .

Politically, Kleberg joined the Democratic Party . After the death of MP Harry M. Wurzbach , he was elected as his successor to the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC at the by-election due for the 14th seat of Texas , where he took up his new mandate on November 24, 1931. After six re-elections, he could remain in Congress until January 3, 1945 . During his time in Congress between 1933 and 1941, the Federal Government's New Deal laws were passed under President Franklin D. Roosevelt . Since 1941, the work of the Congress was also shaped by the events of World War II . In 1933 the 20th and 21st amendments were ratified. From 1931 to 1934, the future US President Lyndon B. Johnson was one of Kleberg's employees and began his political career there.

In 1944 Richard Kleberg was no longer nominated for re-election by his party. After his time in the US House of Representatives, he worked again for the King Ranch. He became chairman of the board of the King Ranch Corp. Between 1951 and 1955 he was also a member of the Texas State Hunting and Fishing Commission. He died on May 8, 1955 while visiting Arkansas and was buried in Kingsville.

Web links

• Richard M. Kleberg in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)