Richard M. Kleberg | |
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| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromTexas's14th district | |
| In office November 24, 1931 – January 3, 1945 | |
| Preceded by | Harry M. Wurzbach |
| Succeeded by | John E. Lyle Jr. |
| Texas State Game and Fish Commission | |
| In office 1951–1955 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Richard Mifflin Kleberg (1887-11-18)November 18, 1887 nearKingsville, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | May 8, 1955(1955-05-08) (aged 67) Hot Springs, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Resting place | Chamberlain Burial Park, Kingsville, Tex. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Relations |
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| Residence(s) | Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S. |
| Alma mater |
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| Profession | Lawyer (admitted to the bar 1909) |
| [1][2][3] | |
Richard Mifflin Kleberg Sr. (November 18, 1887 – May 8, 1955), a Democrat, was a seven-term member of theUnited States House of Representatives fromTexas's 14th congressional district over the period 1931–1945 and an heir to theKing Ranch inSouth Texas.
Kleberg was first elected in 1931 in a special election to succeed the lateHarry M. Wurzbach.[4] His election caused the Democratic party to achieve a majority in the House of Representatives, which it retained for all but four of the next sixty-three years. He was elected unopposed in 1940 and 1942.Lyndon B. Johnson served as a congressional secretary under Kleberg from 1931 until his appointment as head of the TexasNational Youth Administration in 1935.[5][6]
As described by Johnson biographerRobert Caro, Kleberg was a staunch conservative, and initially took a dim view of PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt and theNew Deal. Nevertheless, he was persuaded by Lyndon Johnson to vote for certain key New Deal policies that he personally opposed when it was brought to his attention that they enjoyed significant support among his constituents.
He was defeated for renomination in 1944 byJohn E. Lyle, Jr., who was elected unopposed that November.[7][circular reference] Kleberg died in 1955 at age 67.[8]
He was a member of theMiller group in Washington.[9]
And Mr. Eckhardt's second cousin Representative Richard M. Kleberg of Texas gave the young Lyndon B. Johnson his first job in Washington.
{{cite magazine}}:Missing or empty|title= (help)While still teaching in Houston, Mr. Johnson went to work as a volunteer in the 1931 congressional campaign of Richard M. Kleberg Sr., one of the owners of the mammoth King Ranch and a friend of his father. Mr. Kleberg won the special election for a House seat. The tall, gangling Mr. Johnson, then 22, went to Washington with him as his legislative assistant. Lyndon Johnson hit Capitol Hill in those Depression days like a Texas tornado. He called persistently Federal bureaus, seeking drought relief, unemployment relief, civil service jobs, anything that was available for the folks back home.
{{cite book}}:Missing or empty|title= (help)| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromTexas's 14th congressional district 1931–1945 | Succeeded by |
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