Biographies of Texas Governors: Their Lives, Policies, and Legacies

20th Century History Biography Governors of Texas

Pat Neff: Pro-Labor Baptist Governor of the 1920s

Pat Morris Neff served as Texas’s 28th governor, championing public education, public parks, and Prohibition during the 1920s.

Texapedia StaffOctober 9, 2025

20th Century History Biography Governors of Texas

W.P. Hobby: Texas Governor Who Backed Women’s Suffrage and Alcohol Ban

William P. Hobby, Texas governor from 1917 to 1921, led during the Progressive Era, guiding the state through World War I, Prohibition, and the adoption of women’s suffrage.

Texapedia StaffSeptember 16, 2025

Annexation and Statehood (1845-1860)Biography Governors of Texas The Civil War

Governor H.R. Runnels: Arch-Secessionist and Rival of Sam Houston

A leader of Texas' antebellum planter class, Hardin Runnels made slavery the centerpiece of his campaign for governor in 1857.

Texapedia StaffAugust 1, 2025

Biography Governors of Texas The Courthouse Era (1875-1900)

Jim Hogg: The Governor Who Challenged the Railroad Barons

A self-styled champion of the “plain people,” James Hogg led a populist charge against powerful trusts and absentee corporations in 1890s Texas.

Texapedia StaffAugust 6, 2025

Annexation and Statehood (1845-1860)Biography Governors of Texas

Peter H. Bell: Frontier Soldier and Expansionist Texas Governor

A veteran of the Texas Revolution, Mexican-American War, and the Texas Rangers, Bell served as governor from 1849 to 1853.

Texapedia StaffJuly 13, 2025

20th Century History Biography Governors of Texas

“Pappy” O’Daniel: Populism and Political Theater in Depression-Era Texas

A businessman-turned-radio-star, W. Lee “Pappy” O’Daniel rose to power in 1930s Texas through musical populism, moralistic messaging, and anti-politician rhetoric.

Texapedia StaffJune 27, 2025

Annexation and Statehood (1845-1860)Biography Early Leaders of Texas Governors of Texas

J. Pinckney Henderson: Diplomat and First Texas Governor

A lawyer, diplomat, and early advocate for Texas annexation, J. Pinckney Henderson helped negotiate Texas’s entry into the Union before becoming its first governor in 1846.

Texapedia StaffJuly 14, 2025

Biography Governors of Texas

The Newspaperman Who Rose from Poverty to the Governor’s Mansion

Governor of Texas from 1911 to 1915, Oscar Colquitt blended rural populism with pro-business policies and opposition to Prohibition.

Texapedia StaffJuly 25, 2025

Biography Governors of Texas The Reconstruction Era (1865–1874)

James Throckmorton: The Texas Governor Ousted by the U.S. Army

The first elected governor of Texas after the U.S. Civil War, Throckmorton was removed by General Philip Sheridan for being too lenient toward ex-Confederates.

Texapedia StaffJuly 13, 2025

20th Century History Biography Governors of Texas

The Forgotten Governorship of S. W. T. Lanham

Though largely forgotten today, Lanham was a leading statesman for 40 years and a hard-working governor at the dawn of the Progressive Era.

Texapedia StaffJuly 18, 2025