Martin Dies Jr. (December 21, 1921 – May 14, 2001) was an American politician and jurist 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 ...

Early life

Dies was the son of Myrtle McAdams and

Martin Dies Jr. Martin Dies Jr. (November 5, 1900 – November 14, 1972), also known as Martin Dies Sr., was a Texas politician and a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives. He was elected as a Democrat to the Seventy-second and after ...

, and the grandson of

Martin Dies Sr. Martin Dies (March 13, 1870 – July 13, 1922) was a Texas politician and a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives. His son Martin Dies Jr. was also a member of the United States House of Representatives. His grandson, ...

He was technically Martin Dies III. He grew up in

Orange, Texas Orange is a city and the county seat of Orange County, Texas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 19,324. It is the easternmost city in Texas, located on the Sabine River at the border with Louisiana, and is from Houst ...

, and

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, where his father was a congressman. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and then earned a law degree from

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 1947. He then practiced law with his father.

Political and judicial career

Dies was elected to the Texas Senate in 1958, and served from 1959 through 1967. He was appointed

Secretary of State of Texas The Secretary of State of Texas is one of the six members of the executive department of the State of Texas in the United States. Under the Constitution of Texas, the appointment is made by the governor of Texas, with confirmation by the Texas S ...

in 1969, and served until 1971. After his term expired, he was appointed to Texas's Ninth Court of Appeals of Texas, and he served as its chief justice until 1989.

Legacy

Dam B State Park was renamed

Martin Dies Jr. State Park Martin Dies Jr. State Park is a 705-acre state park located along U.S. Route 190 on the banks of the Steinhagen Reservoir in Jasper County, Texas, Jasper and Tyler County, Texas, Tyler counties in Texas. The park is managed by the Texas Parks and ...

in his honor in 1965. He died on May 14, 2001.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dies, Martin Jr. 1921 births 2001 deaths Texas state senators Secretaries of State of Texas Texas state court judges