John Hill (Texas politician)
Encyclopedia
John Luke Hill, Jr. was a Texas
lawyer
, Democratic
politician
, and judge
. He is thus far the only person to have served as Secretary of State of Texas
, Texas Attorney General
, and Chief Justice
of the Texas Supreme Court
.
, the seat of Stephens County
to the west of Fort Worth
, to Mr. and Mrs. John Luke Hill, Sr. He grew up in Kilgore
in Gregg County
near the East Texas oil fields.
in Austin
in 1947 where he was a member of the Texas Cowboys
. Hill went to work for a small law firm in Houston
which gave him invaluable experience in trial work. In 1951, he founded his own Houston-based firm specializing in plaintiff
's trial work. He was considered one of the top lawyers in Texas.
Hill won $3.5 million from Lockheed
and $8.5 million from Braniff in lawsuits during the early 1960s. He was known for mastering his brief and for his down-to-earth style as an advocate.
, in Harris County
during the 1964 gubernatorial campaign. Connally appointed him Secretary of State in 1966 and he served until 1968. That year he ran in the Democratic primary
for governor, but the nomination and the election went to sitting Lieutenant Governor
Preston Smith of Lubbock
. Smith defeated a strong primary field that also included Waggoner Carr
, the former attorney general who had lost the U.S. Senate race in 1966 to Republican John G. Tower; Dolph Briscoe
, a future governor and wealthy landowner from Uvalde
; liberal leader Don Yarborough of Houston, and Eugene Locke, the former deputy ambassador to South Vietnam
whose campaign was managed by a Connally brother, Merrill I. Connally of Floresville
.
In 1972, Hill was nominated as attorney general when he upset the incumbent
Crawford Martin
by 100,000 votes in the Democratic primary. It was a year in which Texas incumbents fared particularly poor in state races. His most significant achievement was persuading the Legislature of Texas to support a deceptive trade practices act providing triple damages
for victims of unfair trade practices.
He also played a leading role in closing down the Chicken Ranch
in Fayette County
, the inspiration for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
. Hill had a subordinate leak material to reporter Marvin Zindler
who ran a week-long series of special reports on The Chicken Ranch putting pressure on Governor
Dolph Briscoe
. After Briscoe turned to him for advice, Hill suggested that Briscoe call the sheriff
of Fayette County who closed down the Chicken Ranch. Hill served as Attorney General until 1979.
Hill challenged Briscoe in 1978 in the Democratic
primary and was successful but lost in the general election
to Republican
Bill Clements
. Hill was the first Texas Democrat since 1869 to lose a gubernatorial general election to a Republican nominee.
's 60 Minutes
offered a story on lawyers who practice in the courts making large donations to campaigns. Hill championed reform of the partisan election of judges and argued that judges should be selected based on merit, similar to the systemm used at the federal level.
In a surprise news conference in August 1988, Hill announced that he was leaving the chief justice position with three years remaining in his six-year term. He claimed that the partisan election of judges was "creating a perception of impropriety" and that he planned to devote his time to reforming the judicial system.
called Hill from retirement to ask him to become a member of the Texas Lottery
Commission following a scandal.
Hill died while undergoing heart surgery in St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital
in Houston. He was survived by his wife of sixty-one years, Bitsy Hill. Their son, Graham John Hill, and son-in-law, Michael Warren Perrin (born ca. 1948 and the husband of daughter Melinda), are trial attorneys in Houston. A second daughter, Martha Hill Jamison, is the judge of the 164th District Court in Houston. She has two sons and a daughter, Meredith Virginia Clark, Matthew Thomas Clark, and Sam Luke Jamison. Hill also had seven other grandchildren and four great-grandchildren as of today.
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...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, Democratic
Democratic 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...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, and judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
. He is thus far the only person to have served as Secretary of State of Texas
Secretary of State of Texas
The Secretary of State of Texas is one of six state officials designated by the Texas Constitution to form the executive department of that U.S. state...
, 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:...
, and Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the Texas Supreme Court
Texas Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Texas is the court of last resort for non-criminal matters in the state of Texas. A different court, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, is the court of last resort for criminal matters.The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices...
.
Early life
He was born in BreckenridgeBreckenridge, Texas
Breckenridge is a city in Stephens County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,868 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Stephens County...
, the seat of Stephens County
Stephens County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,674 people, 3,661 households, and 2,591 families residing in the county. The population density was 11 people per square mile . There were 4,893 housing units at an average density of 6 per square mile...
to the west of Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
, to Mr. and Mrs. John Luke Hill, Sr. He grew up in Kilgore
Kilgore, Texas
Kilgore is a city in Gregg and Rusk Counties in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the home of Kilgore College, and was also the childhood home of famous classical pianist Van Cliburn...
in Gregg County
Gregg County, Texas
There were 42,687 households out of which 33.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.00% were married couples living together, 13.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.50% were non-families. 26.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.50% had...
near the East Texas oil fields.
Legal career
He graduated from the University of Texas School of LawUniversity of Texas School of Law
The University of Texas School of Law, also known as UT Law, is an ABA-certified American law school located on the University of Texas at Austin campus. The law school has been in operation since the founding of the University in 1883. It was one of only two schools at the University when it was...
in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
in 1947 where he was a member of the Texas Cowboys
Texas Cowboys
Texas Cowboys is an honorary men's service organization at The University of Texas at Austin. Founded in 1922, its members include some of the University's most distinguished students and alumni...
. Hill went to work for a small law firm in 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 ...
which gave him invaluable experience in trial work. In 1951, he founded his own Houston-based firm specializing in plaintiff
Plaintiff
A plaintiff , also known as a claimant or complainant, is the term used in some jurisdictions for the party who initiates a lawsuit before a court...
's trial work. He was considered one of the top lawyers in Texas.
Hill won $3.5 million from Lockheed
Lockheed Corporation
The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...
and $8.5 million from Braniff in lawsuits during the early 1960s. He was known for mastering his brief and for his down-to-earth style as an advocate.
Political career
Hill's career in politics started as an organizer for John B. Connally, Jr.John Connally
John Bowden Connally, Jr. , was an influential American politician, serving as the 39th governor of Texas, Secretary of the Navy under President John F. Kennedy, and as Secretary of the Treasury under President Richard M. Nixon. While he was Governor in 1963, Connally was a passenger in the car in...
, in Harris County
Harris County, Texas
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 4,092,459, White Americans made up 56.6% of Harris County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 33.0% of the population. Black Americans made up 18.9% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.7% of Harris County's population...
during the 1964 gubernatorial campaign. Connally appointed him Secretary of State in 1966 and he served until 1968. That year he ran in the Democratic primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
for governor, but the nomination and the election went to sitting Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
Preston Smith of Lubbock
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
. Smith defeated a strong primary field that also included Waggoner Carr
Waggoner Carr
Vincent Waggoner Carr was a Democratic Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives and Attorney General of Texas.-Early years, education, military service:...
, the former attorney general who had lost the U.S. Senate race in 1966 to Republican John G. Tower; Dolph Briscoe
Dolph Briscoe
Dolph Briscoe, Jr. was a Uvalde, Texas rancher and businessman who was the 41st Governor of Texas between 1973 and 1979....
, a future governor and wealthy landowner from Uvalde
Uvalde, Texas
Uvalde is a city in and the county seat of Uvalde County, Texas, United States. The population was 14,929 at the 2000 census.Uvalde was founded by Reading Wood Black in 1853 as the town of Encina. In 1856, when the county was organized, the town was renamed Uvalde for Spanish governor Juan de...
; liberal leader Don Yarborough of Houston, and Eugene Locke, the former deputy ambassador to South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
whose campaign was managed by a Connally brother, Merrill I. Connally of Floresville
Floresville, Texas
Floresville is a city in Wilson County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,868 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Wilson County. The city is also part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area....
.
In 1972, Hill was nominated as attorney general when he upset the incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
Crawford Martin
Crawford Martin
Crawford Collins Martin was a Texas State Senator, Texas Secretary of State and Attorney General of Texas from 1967 until his death.-Early life:...
by 100,000 votes in the Democratic primary. It was a year in which Texas incumbents fared particularly poor in state races. His most significant achievement was persuading the Legislature of Texas to support a deceptive trade practices act providing triple damages
Damages
In law, damages is an award, typically of money, to be paid to a person as compensation for loss or injury; grammatically, it is a singular noun, not plural.- Compensatory damages :...
for victims of unfair trade practices.
He also played a leading role in closing down the Chicken Ranch
Chicken Ranch (Texas)
The Chicken Ranch was as an illegal but tolerated brothel in the U.S. state of Texas that operated from 1905 until 1973. It was located in Fayette County about 2.5 miles east of downtown La Grange...
in Fayette County
Fayette County, Texas
Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population was 21,804. Its county seat is La Grange. Fayette is named for the Marquis de la Fayette, a French nobleman who became an American Revolutionary War hero...
, the inspiration for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is a musical with a book by Texas author Larry L. King and Peter Masterson and music and lyrics by Carol Hall...
. Hill had a subordinate leak material to reporter Marvin Zindler
Marvin Zindler
Marvin Harold Zindler was a news reporter for television station KTRK-TV in Houston, Texas, United States. His investigative journalism, through which he mostly represented the city's elderly and working class, made him one of the city's most influential and well-known media personalities.-Early...
who ran a week-long series of special reports on The Chicken Ranch putting pressure on 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...
Dolph Briscoe
Dolph Briscoe
Dolph Briscoe, Jr. was a Uvalde, Texas rancher and businessman who was the 41st Governor of Texas between 1973 and 1979....
. After Briscoe turned to him for advice, Hill suggested that Briscoe call the sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of Fayette County who closed down the Chicken Ranch. Hill served as Attorney General until 1979.
Hill challenged Briscoe in 1978 in the Democratic
Democratic 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...
primary and was successful but lost in the general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
to 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...
Bill Clements
Bill Clements
William Perry "Bill" Clements, Jr. was the 42nd and 44th Governor of Texas, serving from 1979 to 1983 and 1987 to 1991. Clements was the first Republican to have served as governor of the U.S. state of Texas since Reconstruction...
. Hill was the first Texas Democrat since 1869 to lose a gubernatorial general election to a Republican nominee.
Chief Justice of Texas
Hill practiced law until 1984 when he was elected as Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice to succeed the retiring Jack Pope. During this period, there were concerns about ethics of the courts which brought about a legislative committee investigation. The State Commission on Judicial Conduct chastized two justices and CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
offered a story on lawyers who practice in the courts making large donations to campaigns. Hill championed reform of the partisan election of judges and argued that judges should be selected based on merit, similar to the systemm used at the federal level.
In a surprise news conference in August 1988, Hill announced that he was leaving the chief justice position with three years remaining in his six-year term. He claimed that the partisan election of judges was "creating a perception of impropriety" and that he planned to devote his time to reforming the judicial system.
Later life
In 1997, Governor George W. BushGeorge 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....
called Hill from retirement to ask him to become a member of the Texas Lottery
Lottery
A lottery is a form of gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize.Lottery is outlawed by some governments, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of regulation of lottery by governments...
Commission following a scandal.
Hill died while undergoing heart surgery in St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital
St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital
St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital serves as the lead hospital for St. Luke's Episcopal Health System, and is based at the Texas Medical Center in Houston. St. Luke's Episcopal Health System also includes St. Luke's Episcopal Health Charities, St. Luke's The Woodlands Hospital, St. Luke's Sugar Land...
in Houston. He was survived by his wife of sixty-one years, Bitsy Hill. Their son, Graham John Hill, and son-in-law, Michael Warren Perrin (born ca. 1948 and the husband of daughter Melinda), are trial attorneys in Houston. A second daughter, Martha Hill Jamison, is the judge of the 164th District Court in Houston. She has two sons and a daughter, Meredith Virginia Clark, Matthew Thomas Clark, and Sam Luke Jamison. Hill also had seven other grandchildren and four great-grandchildren as of today.