Gov. Price Daniel

About

PRICE DANIEL was born in Dayton’, Texas. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from Baylor University in Waco’, Texas. In addition to practicing law, he was a reporter for a number of newspapers, including the Fort Worth’ Star-Telegram and the Waco’ News–Tribune, in the late 1920s and early 1930s. He was a member of the Texas State Democratic Executive Committee as well as the Texas House of Representatives, in which he was elected Speaker in 1943. During World War II he was assigned to the Security Intelligence Corps and then graduated from the Judge Advocate General’s School, from which he was sent to the Far East to establish service schools for the Marine Corps. He went on to become Texas Attorney General and then a member of the U.S. Senate before waging a successful campaign for governor. During his three terms as governor, legislation was enacted increasing appropriations for education, more than forty dams and reservoirs were constructed, and major progress was made in the development of the state’s highway system. In addition, steps were approved under Daniel’s guidance to more firmly regulate insurance companies and control lobbyists. Finally, although Daniels was dissatisfied with legislation establishing a state sales tax, he permitted it to become law in 1961. Disaffection in the Democratic party eventually led to Daniel’s defeat for an unprecedented fourth term as governor, and he returned to his law practice in Austin’. In 1971 he was appointed Associate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court. Daniel was buried in Liberty, Texas.

Source

Sobel, Robert, and John Raimo, eds. Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978, Vol. 4. Westport, CT: Meckler Books, 1978. 4 vols.

The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography, Vol. I. New York: James T. White & Company.

Texas State Library & Archives Commission

Governors of Texas, 1846-present

Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress