Oneal, Benjamin Grady, 1874-1960

Born in Grenada, Mississippi, lawyer, legislator, and historical preservationist Benjamin Grady Oneal (1874-1960) moved to Breckenridge, Texas, with his parents at the age of four. He attended the University of Texas; Peabody Normal College in Nashville, Tennessee; and the University of Texas Law School, from which he graduated in 1906. Oneal and his wife Cora Maud (Norton) taught school in Weatherford, Texas, before Oneal began a law practice with Frederick G. “Fritz” Lanham. In 1916, the couple moved to Wichita Falls, where Oneal continued to practice law and was elected to the State Senate in 1930. Serving from 1931 to 1936, he supported larger appropriations for public schools and wildlife conservation and secured passage of the Oneal Amendment No. 1 to the Texas Centennial Bill of 1935, which provided for historical markers, preservation of historic buildings, and monuments to early Texas patriots. Oneal was also active in the preservation and restoration of Fort Belknap.

Source:

Lentz, Lamar. “ Oneal, Benjamin Grady .” Handbook of Texas Online . Accessed February 17, 2011.

Born in Grenada, Mississippi, lawyer, legislator, and historical preservationist Benjamin Grady Oneal (1874-1960) moved to Breckenridge, Texas, with his parents at the age of four.

He attended the University of Texas; Peabody Normal College in Nashville, Tennessee; and the University of Texas Law School, from which he graduated in 1906. Oneal and his wife Cora Maud (Norton) taught school in Weatherford, Texas, before Oneal began a law practice with Frederick G. "Fritz" Lanham. In 1916, the couple moved to Wichita Falls, where Oneal continued to practice law and was elected to the State Senate in 1930. Serving from 1931 to 1936, he supported larger appropriations for public schools and wildlife conservation and secured passage of the Oneal Amendment No. 1 to the Texas Centennial Bill of 1935, which provided for historical markers, preservation of historic buildings, and monuments to early Texas patriots. Oneal was also active in the preservation and restoration of Fort Belknap.