The 53rd Texas Legislature met from January 13, 1953, to May 27, 1953, and March 15, 1954, to April 13, 1954. All members present during this session were elected in the 1952 general elections.

Sessions

Regular Session: January 13, 1953 – May 27, 1953 Called Session: March 15, 1954 – April 13, 1954

Party summary

Senate

House

Officers

Senate

* Lieutenant Governor: Ben Ramsey (D) * President Pro Tempore: Rogers Kelley (D)
Jimmy Phillips (D)
Gus J. Strauss (D)

Dorsey B. Hardeman Dorsey Brodie Hardeman (December 11, 1902 – August 11, 1992) was an American Democratic politician, attorney, businessman, farmer, and rancher from San Angelo, Texas. Background Dorsey Hardeman was born in Henderson in Chester County, Tenn ...

(D)

House

* Speaker of the House: Reuben Senterfitt (D)

Members

Senate

Dist. 1 * Howard A. Carney (D),

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

Dist. 2 * Wardlow Lane (D), Center Dist. 3 * Ottis E. Lock (D),

Lufkin Lufkin is the largest city in Angelina County, Texas and the county seat. The city is situated in Deep East Texas and about 60 miles west of the Texas-Louisiana border. Its estimated population is 35,021 as of July 1, 2019. Lufkin was founded ...

Dist. 4 * Jep Fuller (D), Port Arthur Dist. 5 * Mrs. Neveille H. Colson (D),

Navasota Navasota is a city in Grimes County, Texas, Grimes County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,643 at the 2020 census. In 2005, the Texas Legislature designated Navasota as the "Blues Capital of Texas" in honor of the late Mance Lipscomb, ...

Dist. 6 * James E. Taylor (D), Kerens Dist. 7 * Warren McDonald (D), Tyler Dist. 8 * George M. Parkhouse (D),

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 ...

Dist. 9 * Joe Carter (D),

Sherman Sherman most commonly refers to: *Sherman (name), a surname and given name (and list of persons with the name) ** William Tecumseh Sherman (1820–1891), American Civil War General *M4 Sherman, a tank Sherman may also refer to: Places United St ...

Dist. 10 * Doyle Willis (D),

Fort Worth Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...

Dist. 11 * William T. "Bill" Moore (D),

Bryan Bryan may refer to: Places United States * Bryan, Arkansas * Bryan, Kentucky * Bryan, Ohio * Bryan, Texas * Bryan, Wyoming, a ghost town in Sweetwater County in the U.S. state of Wyoming * Bryan Township (disambiguation) Facilities and structur ...

Dist. 12 *

Crawford Martin Crawford Collins Martin (March 13, 1916 – December 29, 1972) was a Texas State Senator, Texas Secretary of State and Attorney General of Texas from 1967 until his death. Early life Martin was born to Will M. Martin and Daisy (Beavers) Martin at ...

(D), Hillsboro Dist. 13 * Jarrard Secrest (D),

Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

Dist. 14 * Johnnie B. Rogers (D),

Austin 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 ...

Dist. 15 * Gus J. Strauss (D),

Hallettsville Hallettsville is a city in Lavaca County, Texas, United States. Its population was 2,731 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Lavaca County. Hallettsville also has a sizable German-Texan population as the towns founders were mainly German ...

Dist. 16 *

Searcy Bracewell J. Searcy Bracewell Jr. (January 19, 1918 – May 13, 2003), was a Texas Democratic politician and founder of the law firm Bracewell LLP, based in Houston. He served as both a member of the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas Senate from ...

(D),

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

Dist. 17 * Jimmy Phillips (D), Angleton Dist. 18 * John J. Bell (D),

Cuero Cuero ( ) is a city in and the county seat of DeWitt County, Texas, United States. Its population was 8,128 at the 2020 census. History The city of Cuero had its start in the mid-19th century as a stopping point on the Chisholm Trail cattle route ...

Dist. 19 *

Rudolph A. Weinert Rudolph A. Weinert (December 19, 1894 – January 24, 1974) was a politician from Seguin, Texas, who served in the Texas Senate for 27 years. Early life and family Rudolph A. Weinert was born December 19, 1894. Weinert was married to Johnnye Po ...

(D), Seguin Dist. 20 * William H. Shireman (D), Corpus Christi Dist. 21 *

Abraham Kazen Abraham Kazen Jr., usually known as Chick Kazen (January 17, 1919 – November 29, 1987), was a U.S. Representative from Texas's 23rd congressional district, the first to serve in that particular position. Elected in 1966, Kazen served unti ...

(D), Laredo Dist. 22 * Wayne Wagonseller (D), Stoneburg Dist. 23 * George Moffett (D), Chillicothe Dist. 24 * Harley Sadler (D), Abilene Dist. 25 *

(D), San Angelo Dist. 26 * Oswald Latimer (D),

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= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

Dist. 27 * Rogers Kelly (D), Edinburg Dist. 28 * Keith Kelly (D),

Dist. 29 * James T. Rutherford (D),

Odessa Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...

Dist. 30 * Andrew J. "Andy" Rogers (D), Childress Dist. 31 * Grady Hazlewood (D), Amarillo

House

The House was composed of 150 Democrats. House members included future Governor Dolph Briscoe, future federal judge

Barefoot Sanders Harold Barefoot Sanders Jr. (February 5, 1925 – September 21, 2008) was an American attorney, politician, and jurist who served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas and counsel ...

and future Congressmen

Kika de la Garza Eligio "Kika" de la Garza II (September 22, 1927March 13, 2017) was an American politician who served as the Democratic representative for the 15th congressional district of Texas from January 3, 1965, to January 3, 1997. Biography De la Garza ...

, Joe Kilgore, and Joe Pool, as well as future Texas Attorney General

Waggoner Carr Vincent Waggoner Carr (October 1, 1918 – February 25, 2004) was an American politician who served as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives The Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the Texas House ...

, and future

Texas Agriculture Commissioner The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) is a state agency within the state of Texas, which is responsible for matters pertaining to agriculture, rural community affairs, and related matters. It is currently headed by Agriculture Commissioner ...

Jack Hightower Jack English Hightower (September 6, 1926 – August 3, 2013) was a former Democratic U.S. representative from Texas's 13th congressional district. Early life Born in Memphis, the seat of Hall County in West Texas, Hightower was a United States ...

Sources

* Legislative Reference Library of Texas

External links

{{TexasLegislatures Texas legislative sessions, 53rd Texas Legislature 1953 in Texas 1954 in Texas 1953 U.S. legislative sessions 1954 U.S. legislative sessions