The Only Texas Governor Appointed by the Federal Government
Today marks the 146th anniversary of the resignation of Texas Gov. Elisha M. Pease, who resigned during Reconstruction during the state’s years-long battle towards reunification — the only governor to be appointed to the state's highest office by the federal government.
While that may not seem surprising – an antebellum Texas governor opposing the Union – Pease’s reason for doing so may: He sought to preserve the 14th Amendment.
Prior to his appointment as governor in the wake of the Civil War, Pease had served in both houses of the Texas Legislature, along with two terms as the state’s chief executive.
During his first tenure as governor, Pease used his bully pulpit to pass “A Bill to Establish the University of Texas” in 1858, which was modeled in part off the University of Virginia. He also helped create the first public school system in Texas.
Read more: http://kut.org/post/only-texas-governor-appointed-federal-government
