Lindley Garrison Beckworth Sr. (June 30, 1913 – March 9, 1984) was an American judge and politician who served as a
United States representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
and a
judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...
of the
United States Customs Court
The United States Court of International Trade (case citations: Int'l Trade or Intl. Trade) is a U.S. federal court that adjudicates civil actions arising out of U.S. customs and international trade laws. Seated in New York City, it exercises ...
.
Education and career
Born on June 30, 1913, on a farm in the South Bouie community of
Mabank,
Kaufman County,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, Beckworth attended the rural schools of his home county, then attended
Abilene Christian College
Abilene Christian University (ACU) is a private Christian university in Abilene, Texas. It was founded in 1906 as ''Childers Classical Institute''. ACU is one of the largest private universities in the Southwestern United States and has one of th ...
,
East Texas State Teachers College
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...
,
Commerce, Texas
Commerce is a city in Hunt County, Texas, United States, situated on the eastern edge of North Texas, in the heart of the Texas Blackland Prairies. The town is south of the Texas/Oklahoma border. Commerce is the second-largest city in Hunt County ...
, Sam Houston State Teachers College (now
Sam Houston State University
Sam Houston State University (SHSU or Sam) is a public university in Huntsville, Texas. It was founded in 1879 and is the third-oldest public college or university in Texas. It is one of the first normal schools west of the Mississippi River and ...
), and
Southern Methodist University
, mottoeng = "The truth will make you free"
, established =
, type = Private research university
, accreditation = SACS
, academic_affiliations =
, religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church
, president = R. Gerald Turner
, prov ...
in
Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, Texas. He was a teacher in
Upshur County, Texas from 1932 to 1936. He was admitted to the bar in 1937 and commenced practice in
Gilmer, Texas. He was a member of the
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 United States census, each member represents abou ...
from 1936 to 1938. He was a
United States representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from Texas from 1939 to 1953 and again from 1957 to 1967. He was in private practice in
Longview, Texas from 1954 to 1958.
Congressional service
Beckworth was elected as a
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
to the
76th Congress
The 76th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1939, ...
and to the six succeeding Congresses from January 3, 1939, to January 3, 1953, from
Texas's 3rd congressional district
Texas's 3rd congressional district of the United States House of Representatives is in the suburban areas north and northeast of Dallas. It encompasses much of Collin County, including McKinney, as well as parts of Plano and Frisco, and Pro ...
. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1952, and was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for
United States Senator
The United States Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives being the Lower house, lower chamber. Together they compose the national Bica ...
from Texas in 1952. He was elected to the
85th Congress
The 85th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from January 3, 1957 ...
and to the four succeeding Congresses from January 3, 1957, to January 3, 1967, from the 3rd district. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1966.
Federal judicial service
Beckworth was nominated by President
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...
on January 16, 1967, to a seat on the
United States Customs Court
The United States Court of International Trade (case citations: Int'l Trade or Intl. Trade) is a U.S. federal court that adjudicates civil actions arising out of U.S. customs and international trade laws. Seated in New York City, it exercises ...
vacated by Judge
David John Wilson
David John Wilson (October 27, 1887 – April 23, 1976) was a judge of the United States Customs Court.
Education and career
Born on October 27, 1887, in Midway, Utah, Wilson received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1914 from Brigham Young Uni ...
. He was confirmed by the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
on March 2, 1967, and received his commission on March 4, 1967. His service terminated on August 31, 1968, due to his resignation.
Post judicial service and death
After resigning from the federal bench, Beckworth briefly practiced law in Longview in 1969. He served as a member of the
Texas Senate
The Texas Senate ( es, Senado de Texas) is the upper house of the Texas State Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing single-member districts across the U.S. state of Texas, with populations of approximately 806,000 per cons ...
from 1970 to 1972. He resumed private practice in Longview from 1974 until his death in
Tyler Tyler may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Tyler (name), an English name; with lists of people with the surname or given name
* Tyler, the Creator (born 1991), American rap artist and producer
* John Tyler, 10th president of the United ...
, Texas, on March 9, 1984, residing in
Gladewater
Gladewater is a city in Gregg and Upshur counties in the U.S. state of Texas with a 2020 census population of 6,134.
In the early 20th century, Gladewater was an oil boom town. In 1995, the Texas Legislature proclaimed it the "Antique Capital o ...
, Texas during his final years. He was buried in Rose Hill Cemetery in Tyler.
References
Sources
*
*
Lawrence A. Landis, "BECKWORTH, LINDLEY GARRISON, SR.," Handbook of Texas Online, accessed August 08, 2012. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beckworth, Lindley Garrison Sr.
1913 births
1984 deaths
Abilene Christian University alumni
Sam Houston State University alumni
Southern Methodist University alumni
Baylor University alumni
Texas A&M University–Commerce alumni
Judges of the United States Customs Court
United States federal judges appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson
20th-century American judges
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Texas
20th-century American politicians
People from Kaufman County, Texas
People from Gilmer, Texas
People from Gladewater, Texas