Senate Convicts 25-3 AUSTIN (1917) Undergoing impeachment, with conviction only days away, Texas Governor James E "Pa" Ferguson resigned on this date in 1917.
The charges of impeachment grew from a controvesy with the University of Texas administration, and resulted in Ferguson being charged with misapplication of public funds among nine other charges.
Despite his resignation, the State Senate voted 25-3 to convict, which meant that Ferguson could not seek another public office in Texas. But his wife, Miriam Ferguson, was still eligible to run for office, and run she did.
In 1925, Ma Ferguson was sworn in as the first woman governor of Texas, and only the second in the nation. Ma Ferguson was strongly anti Klan, anti prohibition, and used her power of the pardon as much as 100 times per month. Under her leadership, laws were passed outlawing the wearing of masks in public, aimed squarely at the Ku Klux Klan.
Ma Ferguson was later defeated in the primary, and was not reelected. But in 1933, she ran and was elected a second time, serving until 1935.
(1917)
Undergoing impeachment, with conviction only days away, Texas Governor James E "Pa" Ferguson resigned on this date in 1917.
