Atkins Jefferson McLemore (March 13, 1857 – March 4, 1929) was an American newspaper publisher, State Representative and United States Representative from Texas.
McLemore was born on a farm near Spring Hill, Tennessee, on March 13, 1857. He was educated in local schools and by private tutors. McLemore moved to Texas in 1878 and was employed as a cowboy, printer, and newspaper reporter, and later as a miner in Colorado and Mexico.[1] He returned to Texas and settled in San Antonio working primarily in the newspaper business in Kyle, Texas.
Political careeredit
McLemore moved to Corpus Christi in 1889 and established the Gulf News and was elected to the Texas House of Representatives, serving from 1892 to 1896.[2] He later moved to Austin, where he was elected to the Board of Aldermen for one term. McLemore was elected Secretary of the Democratic State executive committee from 1900 to 1904. In 1903, he founded a weekly magazine entitled State Topics, which eventually became Texas Monthly Review and State Topics.[2] McLemore relocated, now to Houston, in 1911, where he again engaged in the newspaper publishing business. In 1915, he was elected as a Democrat to Congress to represent one of the state's two at-large districts. He served two terms, from March 4, 1915, to March 3, 1919. McLemore was an ardent opponent of America's entry into World War I, a position that he believed he held in common with President Woodrow Wilson, who campaigned for reelection on the slogan "He kept us out of war". Less than 90 days after the re-election of Wilson to a second term in 1916, he called on Congress to declare war on Germany.[3] McLemore was one of the 50 representatives who voted against declaring war, the only member of Congress from Texas to do so. When McLemore became a strident opponent of the president, the Democratic-dominated Texas legislature redrew the state's congressional districts to eliminate McLemore's statewide at-large district and drew 18 districts,[4] forcing McLemore into the same district with fellow Houston incumbents Joe H. Eagle and Daniel E. Garrett in the 8th District. Garrett bowed out of the contest, and Eagle defeated McLemore.
Later lifeedit
In 1919, McLemore moved from Houston to Hebbronville, and he resumed the newspaper publishing business in South Texas and eventually resided in Laredo. In 1928, McLemore made one more run for public office for an open US Senate seat, but he was defeated by Thomas T. Connally. McLemore died in Laredo on March 4, 1929, the day after he would have taken office if he had won the Senate race. He is interred in Oakwood Cemetery in Austin.[5]
^Dwyer, John J. The United States and World War I. December, 2003. October 10, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
^Keith, Jeanette. Rich Man's War, Poor Man's Fight:Race, Class and Power in the Rural South during World War I. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2004. p. 169.
jeff, mclemore, atkins, jefferson, mclemore, march, 1857, march, 1929, american, newspaper, publisher, state, representative, united, states, representative, from, texas, member, house, representatives, from, texas, large, districtin, office, march, 1915, marc. Atkins Jefferson McLemore March 13 1857 March 4 1929 was an American newspaper publisher State Representative and United States Representative from Texas A Jeff McLemoreMember of the U S House of Representatives from Texas s At Large districtIn office March 4 1915 March 3 1919Preceded byHatton W SumnersSucceeded byDistrict dissolvedMember of the Texas House of RepresentativesIn office 1892 1896Personal detailsBornMarch 13 1857Spring Hill TennesseeDiedMarch 4 1929 1929 03 04 aged 71 Laredo TexasPolitical partyDemocraticSpouseMay Clark Contents 1 Early life 2 Political career 3 Later life 4 References 5 External linksEarly life editMcLemore was born on a farm near Spring Hill Tennessee on March 13 1857 He was educated in local schools and by private tutors McLemore moved to Texas in 1878 and was employed as a cowboy printer and newspaper reporter and later as a miner in Colorado and Mexico 1 He returned to Texas and settled in San Antonio working primarily in the newspaper business in Kyle Texas Political career editMcLemore moved to Corpus Christi in 1889 and established the Gulf News and was elected to the Texas House of Representatives serving from 1892 to 1896 2 He later moved to Austin where he was elected to the Board of Aldermen for one term McLemore was elected Secretary of the Democratic State executive committee from 1900 to 1904 In 1903 he founded a weekly magazine entitled State Topics which eventually became Texas Monthly Review and State Topics 2 McLemore relocated now to Houston in 1911 where he again engaged in the newspaper publishing business In 1915 he was elected as a Democrat to Congress to represent one of the state s two at large districts He served two terms from March 4 1915 to March 3 1919 McLemore was an ardent opponent of America s entry into World War I a position that he believed he held in common with President Woodrow Wilson who campaigned for reelection on the slogan He kept us out of war Less than 90 days after the re election of Wilson to a second term in 1916 he called on Congress to declare war on Germany 3 McLemore was one of the 50 representatives who voted against declaring war the only member of Congress from Texas to do so When McLemore became a strident opponent of the president the Democratic dominated Texas legislature redrew the state s congressional districts to eliminate McLemore s statewide at large district and drew 18 districts 4 forcing McLemore into the same district with fellow Houston incumbents Joe H Eagle and Daniel E Garrett in the 8th District Garrett bowed out of the contest and Eagle defeated McLemore Later life editIn 1919 McLemore moved from Houston to Hebbronville and he resumed the newspaper publishing business in South Texas and eventually resided in Laredo In 1928 McLemore made one more run for public office for an open US Senate seat but he was defeated by Thomas T Connally McLemore died in Laredo on March 4 1929 the day after he would have taken office if he had won the Senate race He is interred in Oakwood Cemetery in Austin 5 References edit United States Congress McLEMORE Atkins Jefferson id M000554 Biographical Directory of the United States Congress a b Handbook of Texas Online Dwyer John J The United States and World War I December 2003 Archived October 10 2007 at the Wayback Machine Keith Jeanette Rich Man s War Poor Man s Fight Race Class and Power in the Rural South during World War I Chapel Hill NC University of North Carolina Press 2004 p 169 Political GraveyardExternal links edit nbsp Media related to Atkins Jefferson McLemore at Wikimedia CommonsTexas House of RepresentativesPreceded byunknown Member of the Texas House of Representativesfrom District unknown Corpus Christi 1892 1896 Succeeded byunknownU S House of RepresentativesPreceded byHatton W Sumners Member of the U S House of Representatives from Texas s at large congressional seat1915 1919 Succeeded byDistrict abolished Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title A Jeff McLemore amp oldid 1170427297, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
