James E. McDonald (Texas politician)
Encyclopedia
James Eric McDonald was Texas Agriculture Commissioner
from 1931 - 1951.
on June 4, 1881 to James Edward McDonald and Thula Adams of Alabama. He married Eddie Viola Sims on July 11, 1903. They had two children.
In 1928, McDonald was elected to the Texas House of Representatives
representing Waxahachie. He served one term before deciding to run for statewide office. He contested the post of Agriculture Commissioner when incumbent George B. Terrell
decided to run for Congress.
in 1930.
Although elected as a Democrat on the eve of the Great Depression
, McDonald opposed the New Deal
, President Franklin D. Roosevelt
and crop supports.
During McDonald's administration the Low Water Dam and the Jacks and Stallions programs were created and eliminated. The Low Water Dam Division encouraged farmers to conserve water by building sloughs and ravines. Jacks and Stallions distributed registered and high-grade mules and horses over the state for the purpose of breeding. McDonald's administration also saw the establishment of processing plants for Texas fruits and vegetables and the expansion of the sweet potato, tomato, citrus, black-eyed pea, watermelon, truck-farming, poultry, dairy, and nursery and floral industries.
McDonald was investigated by a Texas House committee in 1935 on nine charges, including misappropriation of department funds related to the Jacks and Stallions program. The House found him guilty of acts ill-becoming a state official, but did not impeach him. He was also under investigation for violations of federal lobbying laws. In exchange for McDonald's support in the 1948 U.S. Senate election, Lyndon Johnson may have used his political influence to delay the investigation of McDonald.
McDonald was reelected every two years until twenty-five-year-old John C. White
, the youngest man ever to hold the office, defeated him in the Democratic primary in 1950.
Texas Department of Agriculture
The Texas Department of Agriculture is a state agency within the state of Texas, which is responsible for matters pertaining to agriculture, rural community affairs, and related matters.TDA was established by the 13th Texas Legislature in 1907...
from 1931 - 1951.
Early life and career
Born in Waxahachie, TexasWaxahachie, Texas
Waxahachie is a city in Ellis County, Texas, United States, and a southern suburb of Dallas. The population was 21,426 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Ellis County....
on June 4, 1881 to James Edward McDonald and Thula Adams of Alabama. He married Eddie Viola Sims on July 11, 1903. They had two children.
In 1928, McDonald was elected to the Texas House of Representatives
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...
representing Waxahachie. He served one term before deciding to run for statewide office. He contested the post of Agriculture Commissioner when incumbent George B. Terrell
George B. Terrell
George Butler Terrell was a U.S. Representative from Texas.Born in Alto, Texas, Terrell attended the public schools, Sam Houston Teachers' College in Huntsville, Texas, and Baylor University in Waco, Texas....
decided to run for Congress.
As Agriculture Commissioner
McDonald was elected Agriculture Commissioner as a DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
in 1930.
Although elected as a Democrat on the eve of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, McDonald opposed the New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
, President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
and crop supports.
During McDonald's administration the Low Water Dam and the Jacks and Stallions programs were created and eliminated. The Low Water Dam Division encouraged farmers to conserve water by building sloughs and ravines. Jacks and Stallions distributed registered and high-grade mules and horses over the state for the purpose of breeding. McDonald's administration also saw the establishment of processing plants for Texas fruits and vegetables and the expansion of the sweet potato, tomato, citrus, black-eyed pea, watermelon, truck-farming, poultry, dairy, and nursery and floral industries.
McDonald was investigated by a Texas House committee in 1935 on nine charges, including misappropriation of department funds related to the Jacks and Stallions program. The House found him guilty of acts ill-becoming a state official, but did not impeach him. He was also under investigation for violations of federal lobbying laws. In exchange for McDonald's support in the 1948 U.S. Senate election, Lyndon Johnson may have used his political influence to delay the investigation of McDonald.
McDonald was reelected every two years until twenty-five-year-old John C. White
John C. White
John Coyle White was an elected and appointed Democratic official from Texas. He was the longest-serving Texas Commissioner of Agriculture, first elected in 1951 and serving until his resignation in 1977. White was the youngest person elected to statewide office in Texas...
, the youngest man ever to hold the office, defeated him in the Democratic primary in 1950.