Texas Almanac, 1968-1969 Page: 71
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POSTWAR TEXAS
Texas casualties in the United States
Navy, including Coast Guard and Marines,
totaled 7,258, according to an announcement
in August, 1946. Of the 7,258, a total of 3,023
died in combat and 84 died in prison camp;
3,884 were wounded and 267 were released
prisoners.
Postwar Progress
Gov. Beauford H. Jester (Jan. 21, 1947-
July 11, 1949) won a heated race centered on
the management of the University of Texas.
Dr. Homer P. Rainey, president of the uni-
versity, had become involved with the Board
of Regents, charging them with limiting
academic freedom and mismanagement.
When he was ousted Nov. 1, 1944, he car-
ried his case to the people by running for
governor in the Democratic primaries of
1946. In the runoff primary Jester defeated
Raney, 701,018 to 355,654.
During Governor Jester's first administra-
tion a number of important amendments to
the Constitution were adopted, notably one
abolishing the state ad valorem tax for gen-
eral revenue purposes, and one reducing the
Confederate pension tax from 7c to 2c and
levying a 5c tax for the state colleges. On
April 16, 1947, the explosion at Texas City
of the French SS Grandcamp, loaded with
chemicals, caused 4,000 injuries, with 398
Identified dead, 63 unidentified dead and 115
persons reported missing. Property damage
exceeded $67,000,000.
Governor Jester was re-elected in 1948.
Most notable race was between former Gov.
Coke R. Stevenson and U.S. Representative
Lyndon B. Johnson for U.S. Senator. Steven-
son led in the first primary but the count in
the second primary gave Johnson an 87-vote
lead, the closest major race in Texas po-
litical history. The Fifty-first Legislature set
a landmark in Texas educational history by
enacting the Gilmer-Aikin law, reorganizing
the 'public-school system.
The regular session of the Fifty-first Leg-
islature was the longest in Texas history. It
began Jan. 11, 1948, and adjourned July 6, a
period of 177 days. Counting both regular
and special called sessions, the Fifty-seventh
Legislature holds the record for length of
time in session, meeting a total of 205 days
in 1961-62. An amendment was passed in
1960 by the 56th Legislature limiting regular
sessions of Legislature to a maximum of 140
days.
Following the sudden death of Governor
Jester, July 11, 1949, Lt. Gov. Allan Shivers
became the chief executive.
Gov. Shivers (July 11, 1949-Jan. 15, 1957),
served out the unexpired term and won the
1950 Democratic primary over six other can-
didates, receiving 829,730 votes out of
1,086,564.
Tidelands Dispute
The controversy between the federal gov-
ernment and individual states over ownership
of the tidelands reached a crucial stage for
Texas, when the United States Supreme
Court, June 5, 1950, decided by a vote of 4
to 3 (two not voting) that Texas had lost
ownership of its submerged offshore lands
when it entered the Union. (The Supreme
Court decided the three cases of California,
Texas and Louisiana separately, but these
decisions were accepted as affecting all
coastal submerged lands.)
Two quitclaim bills passed by Congress
were vetoed by President Truman. The tide-
lands issue became a leading one in the pres-
idential campaign of 1952, with Gen. Dwight
D. Eisenhower (Republican) favoring state
ownership and Gov. Adlal Stevenson of Illi-
nois (Democrat) favoring federal ownership.
Texas Atty. Gen. Price Daniel, who had
led the fight before the Supreme Court, an-
nounced for United States Senator against
Senator Tom Connally who withdrew fromthe race. Under Governor Shivers, Atty. Gen.
Daniel and other anti-Truman forces took
control of the Texas Democratic party. The
entire Democratic state ticket, with one ex-
ception, was nominated by the Republican
party under a statute permitting cross filing.
Price Daniel won over the Truman-Demo-
crat aspirant, Lindley Beckworth, in the
Democratic primary and ran on both tickets
in the general election. In the Senate he led
the fight for a quitclaim bill which was
passed and signed by President Eisenhower
May 22, 1953.
This bill called for state ownership to the
"historic limits," and this was generally ac-
cepted as including Texas' claim to the 3-
league limit, about 10.35 miles. However,
the Department of Justice initiated a suit to
limit claims to the 3-mile limit. This was
rejected by the Supreme Court, finally de-
ciding in favor of Texas' claim to the 3-
league (10.35-mile) limit.
The following table shows the counties
which gained under the tidelands decision
and the submerged area gained, in square
miles.
County Sq. Miles
Aransas ............................. 208
B razoria ..................................302
Calhoun ..................................364
Cam eron ................................. 311
Cham bers ............................. 2. . 12
Galveston ................................. 609
Jefferson .................................. 388
K enedy .......................................471
K leberg .. ................................236
Matagorda .......... ............... 835
N ueces ....................................204
W llacy ... .........................136
Events of 1 950s
Rising expenditures, especially for educa-
tion, have dominated governmental issues
since early in the 1950s. In 1953, the Fifty-
third Legislature gave public schoolteachers
a $600 annual pay raise, but the comptroller
disallowed the measure because anticipated
revenue was not sufficient, under the pay.as-
you-go provision in the Constitution. This
session authorized a toll road authority
strengthened the water code and submitted
11 constitutional amendments which were ap-
proved Nov. 2, 1954.
Gov. Shivers in 1954 became Texas' first
governor to be elected to three full terms.
The Fifty-fourth Legislature, the first to
meet under a new constitutional amendment
granting $25-a-day pay for a session limited
to 120 days, worked four weeks over the limit
without pay. The problem of financing In-
creasing state costs for education, highways
and welfare resulted in a one-cent increase
in the state's 4c gasoline tax and certain ex-
cise levies. Schoolteachers were given a $400-
a-year raise.
Longest Drouth
The longest drouth in Texas history start-
ed in 1950. It continued with varying inten-
sity, but with generally subnormal rainfall,
until April-May, 1957. (See Weather chapter.)
Despite the agricultural losses. Texas' eco-
nomic growth was rapid, reflecting the de-
clining dependence upon agriculture alone.
One of the most destructive tornadoes in
Texas history struck Waco, May 11, 1953,
killing 114, injuring 597, and doing $41,150,000
property damage. On the same day, a San
Angelo tornado killed 11, injured 159 and did
$3,239,000 property damage.
Near the end of 1954 charges of irregular-
ity in the General Land Office were made
in connection with the handling of veterans'
land loans. I.,and Commissioner Bascom
Giles, who had been re-elected in 1954, de-
clined to qualify for the new term. Later he
was convicted in connection with the charges.
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Texas Almanac, 1968-1969, book, 1967; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth113809/m1/73/?q=%221964~%22: accessed August 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Texas State Historical Association.