James E. Ferguson

James E. Ferguson
Born	James Edward Ferguson Jr. Near Salado, Bell County, Texas, U.S.
Died	21 September 1944(1944-09-21) (aged 73)
Other names	Pa Ferguson
Occupation(s)	Politician, banker, lawyer
Years active	Early 1900s–1935
Known for	26th Governor of Texas; first gentleman of Texas; impeachment and removal from office

James Edward Ferguson Jr. (August 31, 1871 – September 21, 1944), commonly referred to as Pa Ferguson, was a prominent American politician affiliated with the Democratic Party. He served as the 26th governor of Texas from 1915 until 1917. During his second term, Ferguson faced indictment, impeachment, was compelled to resign, and was prohibited from holding any future Texas public office.

Since he was barred from running under his own name, Ferguson orchestrated his wife's political campaigns; Miriam A. Ferguson, nicknamed "Ma" Ferguson, was elected governor twice in non-consecutive terms spanning 1925 to 1927 and again from 1933 to 1935. Miriam holds the distinction of becoming Texas’s first female governor in 1925 and effectively acted as her husband's political stand-in, while he served as the state's first gentleman throughout her administrations.

Early life

Born near Salado in Bell County, Texas, Ferguson was the son of Reverend James E. Ferguson and Fannie Ferguson. At the age of 12, he enrolled at Salado College, a preparatory institution, but was expelled due to disciplinary issues. By sixteen, he had gained varied work experience across the American West including positions in vineyards, mining operations, a barbed wire manufacturing plant, and on a grain ranch. Returning to Texas thereafter, he pursued legal studies in Bell County and successfully passed the bar exam.

On December 31, 1899, he wed Miriam A. Wallace; the couple had two daughters: Ouida Wallace and Dorrace Watt Ferguson. In 1903, Ferguson secured election as city attorney of Belton, Texas and went on to establish Farmers State Bank. After selling that bank in 1906, he founded Temple State Bank.

Ferguson was deeply involved in Democratic Party politics at the local level and actively managed campaigns. His political platform prominently featured white supremacist views, advocating that African Americans should be excluded from participation in Democratic electoral politics.

First term as governor

In the 1914 gubernatorial election, Ferguson won office as an anti-prohibitionist Democrat during a period when the party dominated Texas politics. Running as the sole "wet" candidate in the primary against several "dry" opponents, he consolidated all anti-prohibition support.

Throughout his initial term, Ferguson implemented reforms aimed at enhancing labor conditions and introduced legislation that limited farm tenants’ rent payments to a share of cotton and grain produced. Although this law passed decisively through both legislative chambers, enforcement was weak and it was ultimately ruled unconstitutional in 1921.

Prior to taking office, Ferguson engaged with University of Texas officials regarding appointments impacting higher education leadership. Historian Dan Utley observes that Ferguson intended to dispense state appointments as political favors under a spoils system. For example, he appointed Reverend Allan Ferguson Cunningham as State Librarian despite Cunningham’s lack of qualifications over incumbent Ernest Winkler, a seasoned professional. The State Library and Historical Commission intervened in support of Winkler with backing from leading librarians and civic organizations.

Second term as governor

During his second tenure, Ferguson introduced additional reforms including establishing Mothers' pensions and further labor laws. His term ended prematurely after his re-election in 1916 when he vetoed funding for the University of Texas at Austin. This veto was an act of retaliation against the university’s refusal to dismiss faculty members whom Ferguson opposed—most notably William Harding Mayes, a former Texas lieutenant governor and founder of UT's School of Journalism who had been a political adversary.

Mayes faced accusations that his newspapers, such as the Brownwood Bulletin, were used to disseminate unfavorable coverage about Ferguson. Another significant critic at UT was historian Eugene C. Barker.

The feud with Mayes catalyzed efforts toward Ferguson’s impeachment. Legislative leader William H. Bledsoe spearheaded calls for impeachment proceedings which culminated in nine indictments against Ferguson in July 1917. The Texas House drafted twenty-one charges; ultimately, the Senate convicted him on ten counts including misappropriation of public funds and accepting $156,000 from an undisclosed source.

With many senators connected to Mayes politically, the Senate removed Ferguson from office and barred him from holding any future Texas state positions. Alongside Attorney General Ken Paxton, who was acquitted in 2023, Ferguson remains one of only two statewide officials in Texas history to be impeached—he is uniquely distinguished as the sole official convicted and ousted.

Despite these setbacks, Ferguson sought election again in the 1918 Democratic primary but was defeated by incumbent governor William P. Hobby of Houston, who had previously served as lieutenant governor.

Presidential candidate

In the 1920 United States presidential race, Ferguson represented the American Party as its nominee. His name appeared exclusively on the Texas ballot, where he garnered 47,968 votes, amounting to 9.9% of the state's total and approximately 0.2% nationally. His campaign platform included opposition to the League of Nations and national prohibition, along with a call for a complete pardon of Eugene V. Debs. Ferguson attempted to unite anti-Democratic voters in Texas by seeking backing from Warren Harding and the Republican Party. The election ultimately resulted in a victory for Republican Harding, while Democrat James M. Cox carried Texas. On a national scale, Ferguson finished behind candidates such as Eugene Victor Debs (Socialist), Parley P. Christensen (Farmer–Labor), and Aaron S. Watkins (Prohibition).

Although Ferguson did not win the presidency, the American Party succeeded in electing four members to the Texas House of Representatives: Walter J. Kveton (Sealy), Otto F. Menking (Fayetteville), Henry Julius Neinast (Burton), and John Henry Wessels (La Grange). On January 28, 1922, Ferguson disbanded the American Party to focus on seeking the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in the 1922 election.

Senate bid and First Gentleman of Texas

Ferguson was defeated in the 1922 Democratic runoff for the United States Senate by Earle Bradford Mayfield.

In 1924, he put forward his wife, Miriam ("Ma"), as a candidate in the Democratic primary for governor. With his strategic political support, she won both the primary and general elections. Nicknamed "Pa," Ferguson directed her campaign against Judge Felix Robertson, who was endorsed by the Ku Klux Klan. This victory marked their third time securing the governorship; however, they were unsuccessful in their reelection bid two years later amid controversies surrounding pardons and misuse of patronage.

Miriam Ferguson served two separate two-year terms as governor: from January 20, 1925, to January 17, 1927, and again from January 17, 1933, to January 15, 1935. She holds the distinction of being the second female governor in U.S. history after Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming.

See also

• Conservative Democrat