Texas Governor James V. Allred
Wichita Falls, Wichita County, Texas
Marker Inscription
From this courthouse, James V. Allred began his career that led to highest state office. As lawyer with firm of O'Neal and Martin, he won elections as district attorney in 1923 and Attorney General of Texas, 1931. Governor from 1935 to 1939, he corrected many social and economic ills, ushering in era of better government for state. In his last years, he was a federal judge. He is remembered for his crusading liberalism and his personal integrity. He married Joe Betsy Miller. They had three sons. (1970)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
James V. Allred climbed from the Wichita Falls bar to the Texas governorship during the depths of the Great Depression, serving from 1935 to 1939. A reform-minded Democrat allied with the New Deal spirit of the era, he pushed changes to state government before later taking a seat on the federal bench. The marker roots his rise at this very courthouse, where he practiced and first won public office as district attorney.
Why it matters
Allred represents the Depression-era reform politics that reshaped state government across America in the 1930s, when New Deal energy reached from Washington into statehouses like Texas's.
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Related people
- · James V. Allred
- · Joe Betsy Miller
Themes & tags
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