Robert Anderson Irion (July 7, 1804 – March 2, 1861) was a physician, surveyor and Secretary of State of Texas under

Sam Houston Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played an important role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two i ...

's first presidency of the

Republic of Texas The Republic of Texas ( es, República de Tejas) was a sovereign state in North America that existed from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846, that bordered Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande in 1840 (another breakaway republic from Mex ...

Early life

Irion was born in

Paris, Tennessee Paris is a city in and the county seat of Henry County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 10,316. A replica of the Eiffel Tower stands in the southern part of Paris. History The present site of Pari ...

, in 1804 to John Poindexter Irion and Maacha (White) Irion. He was trained as physician graduating from

Transylvania University Transylvania University is a private university in Lexington, Kentucky. It was founded in 1780 and was the first university in Kentucky. It offers 46 major programs, as well as dual-degree engineering programs, and is accredited by the Southern ...

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, Fayette County. By population, it is the List of cities in Kentucky, second-largest city in Kentucky and List of United States cities by popul ...

, in March, 1826. He began practicing medicine in

Vicksburg, Mississippi Vicksburg is a historic city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the county seat, and the population at the 2010 census was 23,856. Located on a high bluff on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Louisiana, Vic ...

. In 1832, following the death of his first wife, Ann Vick, he moved to Texas, first practicing medicine in

San Augustine San Augustine is the county seat city of San Augustine County, Texas, in East Texas, United States. The population was at the 2020 census. History The first European settlement in the area began in 1717 with the establishment of Mission Nuestra ...

. He subsequently moved to Nacogdoches, where he became a surveyor and later, as tensions with Mexico rose, he resumed his practice of medicine. Handbook of Texas Online
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During the Texas Republic

On September 14, 1835, Irion was elected to the Committee of Safety and Vigilance for Nacogdoches and on April 14, 1836, was a commandant of Nacogdoches Municipality. Irion served as a senator from Nacogdoches in the

1st Congress of the Republic of Texas The First Congress of the Republic of Texas, consisting of the Senate of the Republic of Texas and House of Representatives of the Republic of Texas, met in Columbia at two separate buildings (one for each chamber) and then in Houston at the pres ...

, from October 4, 1836, to June 13, 1837. Texas President Sam Houston appointed him secretary of state of the Republic of Texas in 1837, and Irion traveled to the United States, Canada, England, and Europe representing Texas until President Mirabeau B. Lamar appointed Barnard E. Bee, Sr. to succeed him on December 13, 1838.

Personal life

In March 1840, Irion married Anna W. Raguet (born 1819). She had been courted by Sam Houston who obtained a divorce from his first wife April 8, 1837. In wooing her, Houston had used Irion, his Secretary of State in the Republic of Texas, to carry messages between her and himself. When Irion understood that she was definitely not interested in marrying Houston, he persuaded her to accept his proposal of marriage. They had five children together.

Memorials

Irion County, Texas is named after Robert Irion.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Irion, Robert A. Secretaries of State of Texas Republic of Texas Senators 1st Congress of the Republic of Texas 1804 births 1861 deaths Transylvania University alumni People from Paris, Tennessee People from Nacogdoches, Texas Irion County, Texas 19th-century American politicians