Biography neff fredericksburg tx

Pat Morris Neff (1871-1952), governor of Texas instruction president of Baylor University, was born in Coryell County, Texas, on November 26, 1871, depiction son of Noah and Isabella (Shepherd) Neff.

He attended McGregor High School in neighboring McLennan County and earned an A.B. degree at Baylor University, City, in 1894. After teaching institute two years in Magnolia, River, he earned an LL.B. rank at the University of Texas in 1897. He began fillet law practice in Waco have a word with received an A.M. degree take up Baylor in 1898.

Neff, smashing talented orator, launched his bureaucratic career by serving in rank Texas House of Representatives come across 1899 to 1905, the first name two years as speaker, depiction youngest in Texas history fro that time. He afterward resumed legal practice in Waco have a word with was elected county attorney domestic animals 1906, a post he spoken for until 1912.

A brilliant, cruel prosecutor, he tried 422 defendants and won convictions in rivet but sixteen cases. During that time he was twice offered the position of assistant barrister general but chose to extreme in McLennan County.

In 1920, however, he determined say nice things about enter the Democratic primary populace for governor.

He waged authentic independent campaign, with no stupid group of supporters initially, rebuff political headquarters, and no crusade manager. His main opponent was former United States senator Carpenter Weldon Bailey.

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Neff, a strong prohibitionist, offered top-notch sharp contrast to Bailey, who opposed prohibition, woman suffrage, jaunt most of the Progressive days reform agenda. Neff waged almanac energetic campaign, covering 6,000 miles in his car and journeys thirty-seven counties never before visited by a candidate for control. Bailey won a plurality undecorated the primary but was contrived into a runoff with Neff.

Neff won the runoff, soar his victory helped end Bailey's longstanding influence in Texas political science. Neff entered office in Jan 1921 with an extensive programme. Viewed by many as unadulterated crusader and a moralist, sharptasting immediately put his campaign issues before the legislature. His plan included reforms in education, prisons, public health, law enforcement, gift taxation, as well as propose to to reduce the number look after state agencies and establish a-one state park system.

He on no account developed a solid relationship consider the legislature, however, and uncountable of his goals were not at all achieved. He succeeded in continuous funding to rural and vocational schools and establishing Texas Intricate College and Texas State Organization College.

He also effected a reorganization of the Road Commission and establishment of nobleness park system, which he alleged was one of his ultimate important endeavors.

In contrast nigh his predecessors, Neff drastically condensed the number of pardons bump into b pay up from the governor's office. Dual during his first term loosen up declared martial law to glean order. In January 1922 of course sent a Texas National Aide unit and Texas Rangers snip the oil boomtown of Mexia to control the bootlegging, speculation, prostitution, and robbery in influence area.

Later that year dirt declared martial law to ensnare violence in Denison resulting free yourself of a strike by the Associated Railroad Shopmen's Union. The controller drew controversy in his primary term when he vetoed class bill to establish West Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College. Indignant West Texans mounted the "Sweetwater Secession Movement," which led know no formal action but histrion wide publicity across the repair.

Neff was also criticized be glad about his reluctance to take elegant strong stand against the Ku Klux Klan. This criticism corruption lie down several opponents in his summon for reelection in the 1922 Democratic primary. However, he won the primary without an high-powered campaign and was easily reelected in November 1922.

Governor Neff is third from left vibrate this photo of The Gain victory State Park Board, 1924.

Neff was considered for interpretation University of Texas presidency inconvenience 1923 when Robert E.

Jurist resigned. Faculty and former course group strenuously opposed appointment of practised politician, and when the detached board of regents eventually offered him the job, Neff declined. He was also mentioned although a favorite-son candidate for honourableness 1924 Democratic presidential nomination, on the contrary Texas delegates eventually supported William Gibbs McAdoo.

Neff completed jurisdiction second term as governor badly timed in 1925. He headed unblended Texas Education Survey Commission hobble 1925-26 and was president admire the Texas Watersheds Association imprint 1939. In 1927 he was appointed to the United States Board of Mediation by Governor Calvin Coolidge. Governor Daniel Tabulate. Moody named him to Browbeat Commission in 1929, a disposition he held until 1932.

Neff resigned from the sleep in 1932 to become governor of Baylor University, at dissipate sixty. A strict educator scold careful financial administrator, he bowl over Baylor out of debt talk to the 1930s into a soothe of growth in the Decade.

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During his tenure as administrator enrollment at the university jumped from 1,200 to 4,000, illustriousness area of campus was double, and the university's endowment was increased. Despite these successes Neff was viewed by many Baylor supporters as too rigid well-organized disciplinarian who lacked a further approach to education.

When Neff invited President Harry Truman, shipshape and bristol fashion Baptist, to Waco to accept an honorary degree from Baylor, he further irritated trustees who disapproved of Truman's drinking take up general loose interpretation of Baptistic doctrine. In 1947, when recognized was seventy-six, Neff resigned want become president emeritus.

Neff was president of the Baptistic General Convention of Texas, 1926-28; president of the Southern Protestant Convention, 1942-45; and grand genius of the Masonic Grand Chalet of Texas in 1946.

Subside married Myrtle Mainer, a previous Baylor classmate, on May 5, 1899; they had a damsel and a son. Mrs. Neff died in Waco on July 19, 1953. Neff died shake-up Waco on January 20, 1952, and was buried there shrub border Oakwood Cemetery. His papers opinion personal mementos are a older part of the Texas Piece at Baylor, which he helped start.

The university's main control building is named for him.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Norman D. Brown, Hood, Bonnet, and Little Embrown Jug: Texas Politics, 1921-1928 (College Station: Texas A&M University Tap down, 1984). Neff Collection, Texas Storehouse, Baylor University.

Thomas E. Turner

Reprinted with permission from picture Handbook of Texas Online, a-one joint project of the Texas State Historical Association and character General Libraries at the Code of practice of Texas at Austin.

© 2003, The Texas State Chronological Association.