Richard M. Kleberg

Richard Mifflin Kleberg (* November 18, 1887 in Kingsville, Texas, † 8 May 1955 in Hot Springs, Arkansas ) was an American politician. Between 1931 and 1945 he represented the state of Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Career

Richard Kleberg was a nephew of Congressman Rudolph Kleberg (1847-1924) and a cousin of Robert C. Eckhardt (1913-2001), who also represented the State of Texas in Congress. He was also one of the heirs of the King Ranch, the world's one of the largest ranches. He attended the public schools of his native land and from then until 1905, the Corpus Christi High School. Then he studied until 1911 at the University of Texas at Austin. After an interim law school, he was admitted to the bar in 1909. In 1911 he became foreman of the King Ranch; 1913 to 1924 he worked in the administration. In addition, Kleberg was active in the banking industry. In the years 1929-1931 he was chairman of the College of Arts and Industry.

Politically, Kleberg joined the Democratic Party. After the death of Mr Harry M. Wurzbach he was in the overdue election for the 14 seats of Texas as his successor in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington DC chosen, where he took up his new mandate on 24 November 1931. After six re- elections he could remain until January 3, 1945 in the Congress. During his time in Congress, the New Deal legislation of the Federal Government were passed under President Franklin D. Roosevelt 1933-1941. Since 1941 the work of the Congress of the events of the Second World War was marked. In 1933, the 20th and the 21st Amendment to the Constitution ratified. From 1931 to 1934, the later U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson was one of the employees Kleberg and began his political career there.

Richard Kleberg in 1944 was not nominated by his party for re-election. After the end of his time in the U.S. House of Representatives, he worked again for the King Ranch. He was CEO of King Ranch Corp.. Between 1951 and 1955 he was also a member of the Hunting and Fishing Commission of the State of Texas. He died on May 8, 1955 during a visit to Arkansas and was buried in Kingsville.