Dan Branch
Encyclopedia
Dan Branch is a member of the Texas House of Representatives
from Dallas
, Texas
, U.S.A. First elected in 2002, as a Republican
, Branch is currently in his fourth term representing District 108, the "heart of Dallas", which includes Downtown
, Uptown
, Historic East Dallas, Greenland Hills
, Lower Greenville
, The Village, as well as the town of Highland Park
and the city of University Park
.
In 2009, Branch had been mentioned as a potential candidate for Texas Attorney General
until Republican incumbent Greg Abbott
announced his bid for a third term in the position. Branch has also been mentioned as a potential candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Texas
in 2014.
stepped down after two terms to run unsuccessfully in the Republican primary for Texas land commissioner, losing to Jerry E. Patterson, then a state senator from Houston
.
Branch has served as Chairman of the House Committee on Higher Education since 2009 and serves on the Calendars, Elections and Redistricting Committees, as well as the House Select Committee on State Sovereignty. Branch also serves on the Legislative Budget Board. Prior to the 81st Session, he served three terms as the Chair of Budget and Oversight on House Public Education Committee and served as Vice Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education.
In 2009, Rep. Dan Branch was selected by Texas House members from eleven north Texas counties to Co-Chair the Dallas Area Legislative Delegation (DALD), at the delegation's first meeting of the 81st session. Branch replaces retired member Rep. Fred Hill (R-Richardson) as the Republican co-chair. He was re-elected in 2011 to serve as co-chair.
During the 81st legislative session, Rep. Branch was the author of House Bill 51, also known as the "Tier One Universities" Bill. The bill gave seven so-called emerging research universities would compete for extra funding in hopes of joining the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University as nationally recognized research institutions. Rice University, which is private, is also a top-tier school. These seven schools include the University of North Texas
, the University of Texas at Dallas
, the University of Texas at Arlington
, the University of Texas at El Paso
, the University of Texas at San Antonio
, the University of Houston
and Texas Tech University
. After signing HB 51 into law, Governor
Rick Perry
said "[House Bill 51] will go down in the history books as one that truly is improving education in our state."
. Branch is a member of the bars
of Texas
, New York
and the District of Columbia.
in New York City, a member of the Mayor's Downtown Task Force in Dallas, a former president of The Dallas Assembly and a former Chairman of the Texas Public Finance Authority, appointed by Governor George W. Bush
. In addition, he is the chairman of SMU's John Tower Center for Political Studies, named for the late Texas U.S. Senator John G. Tower, and serves on numerous boards, including The Fund for American Studies
in Washington, D.C., the Boy Scouts of America
/Circle Ten Council and the Southwestern Medical Foundation in Dallas.
On a regular basis, Branch visits the many elementary, middle and high schools in his legislative district. In the fall of 2008, Branch joined Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert
and Dallas Independent School District
Superintendent Dr. Michael Hinojosa in leading "Operation Comeback", a statewide effort to stop 50,000 students a year from dropping out of high school.
School of Law (now the Dedman School of Law
), where he served as an editor of the law review. He is an alumnus of the Institute on Comparative Political & Economic Systems at Georgetown University
, and he holds bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees from Oklahoma Christian University
, graduating summa cum laude
in 1980.
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
from Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, U.S.A. First elected in 2002, as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, Branch is currently in his fourth term representing District 108, the "heart of Dallas", which includes Downtown
Downtown Dallas
Downtown Dallas is the Central Business District in Dallas, Texas USA, located in the geographic center of the city. The area termed "Downtown" has traditionally been defined as bounded by the downtown freeway loop: bounded on the east by I-345 Downtown Dallas is the Central Business District...
, Uptown
Uptown Dallas
Uptown is a PID and neighborhood in Dallas, Texas. Uptown is adjacent-to and north-of downtown Dallas, and is bordered by US 75 on the east, N Haskell Avenue on the northeast, Katy Trail on the northwest, Bookhout Street and Cedar Springs Road on the west, N Akard Street on the southwest and Spur...
, Historic East Dallas, Greenland Hills
Greenland Hills, Dallas, Texas
Greenland Hills is a neighborhood in east Dallas, Texas . It is bounded on the west by North Central Expressway , on the south by Vanderbilt Avenue, on the east by Greenville Avenue and on the north by McCommas Boulevard....
, Lower Greenville
Lower Greenville, Dallas, Texas
Lower Greenville is a neighborhood in east Dallas, Texas , west of Lakewood. Specifically, the neighborhood is the area adjacent to Greenville Avenue south of Mockingbird Lane and north of Belmont Avenue...
, The Village, as well as the town of Highland Park
Highland Park, Texas
Highland Park is a town in central Dallas County, Texas, United States. The population was 8,842 at the 2000 census. Located between the Dallas North Tollway and U.S. Route 75 , four miles north of downtown Dallas....
and the city of University Park
University Park, Texas
University Park is a city in Dallas County, Texas, United States, and a inner suburb of Dallas. The population was 23,324 at the 2000 census. The city is home to Southern Methodist University. Like its neighbor, Highland Park, it is a city partially surrounded by the municipality of Dallas...
.
In 2009, Branch had been mentioned as a potential candidate for Texas Attorney General
Texas Attorney General
The Texas Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the State of Texas.The department has offices at the William P. Clements State Office Building at 300 West 15th Street in Austin.-History:...
until Republican incumbent Greg Abbott
Greg Abbott
Gregory Wayne "Greg" Abbott is the Texas Attorney General, and is the second Republican since Reconstruction to serve in that role. Abbott was sworn in on December 2, 2002, following John Cornyn's election to the U.S. Senate...
announced his bid for a third term in the position. Branch has also been mentioned as a potential candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Texas
Lieutenant Governor of Texas
The Lieutenant Governor of Texas is the second-highest executive office in the government of Texas, a state in the U.S. It is the second most powerful post in Texas government because its occupant controls the work of the Texas Senate and controls the budgeting process as a leader of the...
in 2014.
Legislative service
Branch won the seat in 2002, when the incumbent Republican Kenn GeorgeKenn George
Kenneth S. George, known as Kenn George , is a self-employed businessman in Dallas, Texas, who served from 1999-2003 as a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 108, which covers the heart of Dallas County. He left the legislature in an unsuccessful bid for Texas land...
stepped down after two terms to run unsuccessfully in the Republican primary for Texas land commissioner, losing to Jerry E. Patterson, then a state senator from Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
.
Branch has served as Chairman of the House Committee on Higher Education since 2009 and serves on the Calendars, Elections and Redistricting Committees, as well as the House Select Committee on State Sovereignty. Branch also serves on the Legislative Budget Board. Prior to the 81st Session, he served three terms as the Chair of Budget and Oversight on House Public Education Committee and served as Vice Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education.
In 2009, Rep. Dan Branch was selected by Texas House members from eleven north Texas counties to Co-Chair the Dallas Area Legislative Delegation (DALD), at the delegation's first meeting of the 81st session. Branch replaces retired member Rep. Fred Hill (R-Richardson) as the Republican co-chair. He was re-elected in 2011 to serve as co-chair.
During the 81st legislative session, Rep. Branch was the author of House Bill 51, also known as the "Tier One Universities" Bill. The bill gave seven so-called emerging research universities would compete for extra funding in hopes of joining the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University as nationally recognized research institutions. Rice University, which is private, is also a top-tier school. These seven schools include the University of North Texas
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas is a public institution of higher education and research in Denton. Founded in 1890, UNT is part of the University of North Texas System. As of the fall of 2010, the University of North Texas, Denton campus, had a certified enrollment of 36,067...
, the University of Texas at Dallas
University of Texas at Dallas
The University of Texas at Dallas, also referred to as UT Dallas or UTD, is a public research university in the University of Texas System. The main campus is in the heart of the Richardson, Texas, Telecom Corridor, north of downtown Dallas...
, the University of Texas at Arlington
University of Texas at Arlington
The University of Texas at Arlington is a public research university located in Arlington, Texas, United States. The campus is situated southwest of downtown Arlington, and is located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. The university was founded in 1895 and served primarily a military...
, the University of Texas at El Paso
University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso is a four-year state university, and is a component institution of the University of Texas System. Its campus is located on the bank of the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas. The school was founded in 1914 as The Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy,...
, the University of Texas at San Antonio
University of Texas at San Antonio
The University of Texas at San Antonio, commonly referred to as UTSA, is a state university in San Antonio, Texas. With an enrollment of more than 30,000 students, it is the third-largest of nine universities and six health institutions in the University of Texas System and the eighth-largest in...
, the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
and Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
. After signing HB 51 into law, Governor
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
Rick Perry
Rick Perry
James Richard "Rick" Perry is the 47th and current Governor of Texas. A Republican, Perry was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor George W. Bush resigned to become President of the United States. Perry was elected to full...
said "[House Bill 51] will go down in the history books as one that truly is improving education in our state."
Professional Accomplishments
In addition to his service in the Legislature, Branch is a corporate lawyer and shareholder of Winstead PC. He is a former judicial clerk to Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Jack Pope and a former aide to the late U.S. Senator John TowerJohn Tower
John Goodwin Tower was the first Republican United States senator from Texas since Reconstruction. He served from 1961 until his retirement in January 1985, after which time he was the chairman of the Reagan-appointed Tower Commission that investigated the Iran-Contra Affair. He was George H. W...
. Branch is a member of the bars
State bar association
A state bar association is a bar association that represents or seeks to represent all of the attorneys in a specific U.S. state. Membership in such an association may be voluntary or mandatory for practitioners in that state. State bar associations may be tasked with the administration of the...
of Texas
State Bar of Texas
The State Bar of Texas is an agency of the judiciary under the administrative control of the Texas Supreme Court. The Texas Bar is responsible for assisting the Texas Supreme Court in overseeing all attorneys licensed to practice law in Texas...
, New York
New York State Bar Association
The New York State Bar Association , with 77,000 members, is the largest voluntary bar association in the United States.-History:The State Bar was founded with a constitution that dates to 1877...
and the District of Columbia.
Community involvement
Beyond his professional service, Branch is a member of the Council on Foreign RelationsCouncil on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit nonpartisan membership organization, publisher, and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs...
in New York City, a member of the Mayor's Downtown Task Force in Dallas, a former president of The Dallas Assembly and a former Chairman of the Texas Public Finance Authority, appointed by Governor George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. In addition, he is the chairman of SMU's John Tower Center for Political Studies, named for the late Texas U.S. Senator John G. Tower, and serves on numerous boards, including The Fund for American Studies
The Fund for American Studies
The Fund for American Studies is an educational non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1967, the organization’s stated goal is to “prepare young people for honorable leadership by educating them in the theory, practice and benefits of a free society.”-History:In 1967, Charles...
in Washington, D.C., the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
/Circle Ten Council and the Southwestern Medical Foundation in Dallas.
On a regular basis, Branch visits the many elementary, middle and high schools in his legislative district. In the fall of 2008, Branch joined Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert
Tom Leppert
Tom Leppert is an American politician who served as mayor of Dallas, Texas from 2007 to 2011, and who worked as CEO of the Turner Corporation...
and Dallas Independent School District
Dallas Independent School District
The Dallas Independent School District is a school district based in Dallas, Texas . Dallas ISD, which operates schools in much of Dallas County, is the second largest school district in Texas and the twelfth largest in the United States.In 2009, the school district was rated "academically...
Superintendent Dr. Michael Hinojosa in leading "Operation Comeback", a statewide effort to stop 50,000 students a year from dropping out of high school.
Education
Branch is a graduate of the Southern Methodist UniversitySouthern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
School of Law (now the Dedman School of Law
Dedman School of Law
The Southern Methodist University School of Law, commonly referred to as SMU Law School or Dedman School of Law is a prominent professional graduate law school located in Dallas, Texas. Founded in February 1925, the school remains the only law school in Dallas...
), where he served as an editor of the law review. He is an alumnus of the Institute on Comparative Political & Economic Systems at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
, and he holds bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees from Oklahoma Christian University
Oklahoma Christian University
Oklahoma Christian University is a private comprehensive coeducational Christian liberal arts university founded in 1950 by members of the churches of Christ. OC is located on a campus in Oklahoma City. Enrollment for the fall 2011 semester numbered 2,194, which included 1,854 undergraduate and...
, graduating summa cum laude
Latin honors
Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. This system is primarily used in the United States, Canada, and in many countries of continental Europe, though some institutions also use the English translation of these...
in 1980.