Rudolph Kleberg (June 26, 1847 – December 28, 1924) was a

U.S. 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 c ...

from

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

, great uncle of Robert C. Eckhardt and uncle of

Richard M. Kleberg Richard Mifflin Kleberg Sr. (November 18, 1887 – May 8, 1955), a Democrat, was a seven-term member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas's 14th congressional district over the period 1931–1945 and an heir to the King Ranch i ...

, Sr.

Early life and education

Born in Cat Spring, Texas, Kleberg was instructed by private tutors and graduated from Concrete College, De Witt County, in 1868. He enlisted in Tom Green's brigade of Cavalry in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

in the spring of 1864 and served until the close of the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. After the war, Kleberg studied law in

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1872.

Career

Kleberg commenced practice in Cuero, Texas. The next year, he founded the ''Cuero Star'' in 1873. After a few years of practice, Kleberg was appointed as prosecuting attorney of De Witt County 1876-1890. Entering electoral politics, he served as a member of the State senate 1882-1886. In 1885, he was appointed as United States attorney for the western district of Texas. Kleberg 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 Fifty-fourth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of

William H. Crain William Henry Crain (November 25, 1848 – February 10, 1896) was a U.S. Representative from Texas. Born in Galveston, Texas, Crain attended the Christian Brothers' School, New York City, until the age of fourteen, and graduated from St. F ...

. He was reelected to the Fifty-fifth, Fifty-sixth, and Fifty-seventh Congresses and served from April 7, 1896, to March 3, 1903. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1902. Resuming the practice of law, he moved with his family to

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

, in 1905. There he was appointed as the official reporter for the court of criminal appeals February 24, 1905. He served until his death in Austin on December 28, 1924. He was interred in Oakwood Cemetery.

Sources

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kleberg, Rudolph 1847 births 1924 deaths Kleberg family Confederate States Army personnel Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Texas United States Attorneys for the Western District of Texas People from Austin County, Texas People from Cuero, Texas People from Austin, Texas