Brannin, Laura Haeckl, 1888-1965

Born to Lewis and Catherine Brannin in Cisco, Texas, Carl Philip Brannin (1888-1985) received his B.S. degree in textile engineering from Texas A & M University in 1909. Deeply influenced by Henry George’s single-tax theory, he helped people find employment and organized classes on George, Upton Sinclair, and Walter Rauschenbusch at the Dallas YMCA. In 1914, Carl became editor of the newspaper People’s Press at the People’s Church and secretary of the lobby group People’s Power League in Cincinnati, Ohio.

In 1918, Carl married fellow People’s Church member and lobbyist Laura Haeckl (1888-1965), the daughter Joseph and Elizabeth Haeckl. Throughout the 1920s, the couple traveled extensively, while Carl worked with the labor news service the Federated Press and served as director of the Seattle Labor College. In 1933, Carl, Laura, and their son Robert moved to Dallas, where Carl unsuccessfully ran as the Socialist Party’s candidate for governor of Texas. Joining the Democratic Party in 1938, Carl helped establish the Dallas Civil Liberties Union and served as an executive committee member of the Dallas chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Sources:

Green, George N. Brannin, Laura Haeckl. Handbook of Texas Online . Accessed May 5, 2011. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fbrcr .

Payne, Darwin. Brannin, Carl Philip. Handbook of Texas Online . Accessed May 5, 2011. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fbrbn .

From the guide to the Brannin, Carl and Laura, letters 71-162., 1922-1925, 1955-1969, (Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin)