Connally, Tom, 1877-1963

Thomas Terry Connally (1877-1963) represented Texas in the United States Congress for 35 years, serving in the House of Representatives from 1916 to 1929 and in the Senate from 1929 to 1953. Best known for his Senate career, Connally was an able debater whose major assignments were to the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, of which he was chairman, 1941 to 1946 and 1949 to 1953. He was responsible for three national laws, which particularly affected Texas: the Connally Hot Oil Act, the Jones Connally Act and a portion of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1935 that subsidized the exportation of raw cotton. Concerned with postwar peace settlements, he wrote the Connally Resolution calling for United States participation in the United Nations and served as a delegate to the 1945 meeting of the United Nations in San Francisco. Together with Arthur H. Vandenburg, he helped determine bipartisan foreign policy during the Truman administration. Connally did not seek re-election in 1952.

U.S. senator and representative and lawyer from Texas. Full name: Thomas Terry Connally.

Thomas Terry Connally was born on August 19, 1877 near Hewitt, Texas. He graduated from Baylor University in 1896. He then entered the University of Texas Law School, but in 1898 enlisted in the Infantry upon outbreak of the Spanish-American War. He was granted a degree in law by the University of Texas during his absence. As a Democrat, Connally was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1900-1904. In 1916 was elected to the United States House of Representatives. In 1928, Connally won a seat in the U.S. Senate. He served Texas in the Senate until 1953. In 1954, he published his autobiography, My Name is Tom Connally. He resumed the practice of law in Washington, D.C., until his death on October 28, 1963.

A native of McLennan County, Texas, Thomas Terry Connally (1877-1963) served in the United States Congress from 1917-1952.

Sources:

Handbook of Texas Online, "Connally, Tom", http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/CC/fco36.html

Thomas Terry Connally (1877-1963) represented Texas in the United States Congress for 35 years, serving in the House of Representatives from 1916 to 1929 and in the Senate from 1929 to 1953. Best known for his Senate career, Connally was an able debater whose major assignments were to the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, of which he was chairman, 1941 to 1946 and 1949 to 1953. He was responsible for three national laws, which particularly affected Texas: the Connally Hot Oil Act, the Jones Connally Act and a portion of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1935 that subsidized the exportation of raw cotton.

Concerned with postwar peace settlements, he wrote the Connally Resolution calling for United States participation in the United Nations and served as a delegate to the 1945 meeting of the United Nations in San Francisco. Together with Arthur H. Vandenburg, he helped determine bipartisan foreign policy during the Truman administration. Connally did not seek re-election in 1952.

Connally married Louise Clarkson in 1904. Louise died in 1935 and Connally re-married to Lucile Sanderson Sheppard, widow of Senator Morris Sheppard, in 1942. Connally died of pneumonia in Washington, D. C., on October 28, 1963 and was buried in Marlin, Texas.

Source: Green, George N., "Connally, Thomas Terry." Handbook of Texas Online . Accessed August 18, 2011. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/CC/fco36.html.

Thomas Terry Connally, more commonly referred to as Tom Connally, was a powerful legislator who represented the state of Texas during the 1920s, the Great Depression, and the World War II eras. Connally was born in McLennan County near Eddy, Texas, on 1877 August 19. He was the son of Jones and Mary Ellen (Terry) Connally. Jones had fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War.

Even as a young adult, Connally was deeply involved in the public sphere. Connally received an A.B. degree from Baylor University in 1896 and a law degree from the University of Texas in 1898. Yet Connally set aside his legal ambitions to serve in the U.S. military during the conflict with Spain. In 1898, he joined the 2nd Texas Volunteer Infantry. Due to the short length of the war, Connally did not fight overseas.

Upon returning to civilian life, Connally was admitted to the Texas Bar and established a law firm in Marlin, Texas. He entered politics a few years later. From 1901 to 1904, Connally served in the Texas House of Representatives. As a progressive politician, Connally fought against powerful monopolies by co-authoring the Texas Anti-Trust Law in 1903.

After serving in the state legislature, Connally once again turned his focus to his legal career in Marlin. On 1904 November 16, he married Louise Clarkson of Marlin. They had one son, Benjamin C. Connally, who would later serve as a Texas district judge (1949-1975). Tom's wife Louise died in 1935. Seven years later, Tom married Louise Sanderson Sheppard, a widow of former Texas Senator Morris Sheppard. From 1906 to 1910, Tom Connally served as the prosecuting attorney for Falls County.

Connally returned to politics in 1916 when he won the House seat for the 11th Congressional District of Texas. After voting in favor of declaring war against Germany, Connally resigned his office and joined the 22nd Infantry Brigade. However, he did not serve overseas.

When the war was over, Connally returned to the U. S. House of Representatives. He was appointed to the Committee on Foreign Affairs where he encouraged his fellow legislators to abandon isolationism. He earnestly fought for American adoption of the League of Nations and served as the U.S. delegate to the Inter-parliamentary Union in Geneva, Switzerland.

After serving in the House for twelve years, Connally was elected to the Senate in 1928. His reputation for oratory quickly grew. He served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for most of his tenure. He was active in creating the Charter of the United Nations in 1945 as well as garnering American support for the organization. As a Democrat, Connally supported the New Deal, but opposed President Roosevelt's attempts to pack the Supreme Court. He is also known for proposing the Connally Act, a piece of legislation that prohibited the interstate sale of oil that had been refined in violation of state quotas. Overall, Connally served six terms as a U.S. Senator before retiring in 1953.

In 1954, with the help of Alfred Steinberg, Connally composed his memoir. This work was entitled My Name is Tom Connally. Connally died of pneumonia in Washington, D.C. on 1963 October 29. He was subsequently buried in Marlin, Texas.

Biographical Note