Beauford H. Jester

Beauford Halbert Jester ( born January 12, 1893 in Corsicana, Texas, † July 11, 1949 in Houston, Texas ) was an American politician and 1947-1949 Governor of the State of Texas.

Early years

Beauford Jester was the son of George Taylor Jester, who had been 1894-1898 Lieutenant Governor of Texas. The younger Jester attended the public schools in Corsicana and then studied until 1916 at the University of Texas. After that, he began studying law at the Law School of Harvard University. This study was interrupted by the First World War, took part in the Jester as a captain of an infantry unit. After the war, he finished his law studies in 1920, he had continued at the University of Texas. After qualifying as a lawyer, he began to practice in his new profession in Corsicana. Many of his cases had to do with the oil industry. In addition to his legal practice, he led a ranch on the next livestock and cotton cultivation was operated. He also from 1925 to 1938, the Navarro County Bar Association and 1940-1941, the State of Texas. From 1929 to 1935 he was a member of the board of the University of Texas since 1933 and its chairman. Under his leadership, this university was expanded.

Political career

Jester was a member of the Democratic Party. Between 1942 and 1947 he was a member of the railroad committee of his state. In 1946, Beauford Jester competed in his party to the nomination for the top candidates for the forthcoming gubernatorial election. Following his victory in the primaries and then in the actual election, he could take office of the Governor of Texas on January 21, 1947. In 1948 he was elected to a second term. During his tenure, judicial reform was carried out, mainly improved the prison system. Simultaneously, the education and health care have been significantly improved. However, in Jesters tenure exceeded the state budget of Texas for the first time the billion mark. Jester also brought some labor laws on the way, some of which were directed against the trade unions. On the other hand, he argued for the abolition of the so-called " Poll Tax Laws " ties that bound the right to vote to certain ownership.

Governor Jester died in July 1949 on surprising during a train trip to Galveston near Houston from a heart attack. He was the first governor of Texas, who died during his tenure. With his wife Mabel Buchanan he had three children.