John Connally

John Bowden Connally Jr. (February 27, 1917 – June 15, 1993) was an American politician. He served as the 39th governor of Texas from 1963 to 1969 and as the 61st United States secretary of the treasury from 1971 to 1972. He began his career as a Democrat and later became a Republican in 1973.

Connally was born in Floresville, Texas in 1917. He studied law at the University of Texas at Austin. During World War II, he worked with important leaders like James Forrestal and Dwight D. Eisenhower. After the war, he helped Lyndon B. Johnson, who later became vice president. In 1961, Johnson helped Connally become the United States Secretary of the Navy. Connally left that job later that year to become the governor of Texas.

In 1963, Connally was in the same car as President John F. Kennedy when Kennedy was sadly killed. Connally was hurt but survived. As governor, he was known for having strong opinions and beliefs.

In 1971, President Richard Nixon chose Connally to be the treasury secretary. During this time, he helped change how the United States dollar was used, moving away from the gold standard. He left this job in 1972 to support Nixon’s re-election. Connally tried to run for president in 1980 but stopped trying after the first votes were counted. He passed away from pulmonary fibrosis in 1993.

Early life and education

John Connally was born on February 27, 1917, in a small town called Floresville, near San Antonio. He was one of seven children in a family that faced tough times, especially during the Great Depression. Despite these challenges, his family managed to buy a farm and support his education.

Connally went to Floresville High School and later attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he was elected student body president. He also met his future wife, Nellie Connally, during his time there. After graduating, he earned a law degree from the University of Texas School of Law. In 1936, he became friends with Lyndon B. Johnson, who helped him find a job and later brought him to Washington, D.C., where he worked until he joined the Naval Reserve in 1941.

Military service and legal career

John Connally served in the United States Navy during World War II, starting as an ensign in June 1941. He worked with important leaders like James V. Forrestal and Dwight D. Eisenhower, helping plan battles in North Africa. Later, he served on aircraft carriers in the South Pacific Theater, earning awards for bravery.

After the war, Connally worked as a lawyer. He became close friends with Lyndon Baines Johnson, who asked him to work in Washington. Connally helped wealthy clients, like oil businessman Sid W. Richardson from Fort Worth, and learned about managing big business deals.

From Navy secretary to Texas politics

After World War II, John Connally worked at a radio station in Austin, Texas and later started his own station. He helped plan Lyndon Johnson’s successful run for the U.S. Senate in 1948.

In 1961, President Kennedy asked Connally to become the Secretary of the Navy. During his time in this role, Connally helped send helpful gifts to children in many places, including Naples, Cannes, France, Rhodes, Palermo, Cyprus, and Beirut. He stepped down from this job to run for governor of Texas in 1962. He worked hard on his campaign, traveling across the state and giving many speeches. Connally won the election and became the governor of Texas.

Governor of Texas

Connally served as the governor of Texas from 1963 to 1969. He won his elections by large margins, showing strong support from voters. During his time as governor, he focused on expanding higher education in Texas and helped create the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. He also supported allowing women to attend Texas A&M University in College Station.

After the Assassination of John F. Kennedy, Connally became a well-known figure in Texas. He later opposed some of President Lyndon Johnson's policies, especially regarding civil rights and labor unions. Despite this, he supported the Vietnam War and remained a strong ally of Johnson on foreign policy matters. Connally also worked to promote tourism and education in Texas, including supporting the HemisFair '68 world's fair in San Antonio.

On November 22, 1963, Connally was riding in the same car as President Kennedy when Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. Connally was seriously injured but survived after surgery. He later shared his experiences with the Warren Commission, which investigated the assassination.

Secretary of the Treasury

In 1971, President Nixon chose John Connally, who was a Democrat, to be the Secretary of the Treasury. Before agreeing, Connally asked Nixon to find a job for George H. W. Bush, who had lost a close race for the U.S. Senate the year before. To make this happen, Nixon named Bush as the ambassador to the United Nations. Some believe this decision helped Bush later become president, and even led to his son, George W. Bush, becoming president too.

After becoming Secretary, Connally spoke to European leaders about concerns with the U.S. economy. He also supported increasing the amount of money the government could borrow and allowed higher prices for gold, which changed how the U.S. handled its money. During this time, he worked on solving economic problems and made important trips for President Nixon.

Democrats for Nixon and party switch

Main article: Democrats for Nixon

John Connally left his job as Treasury Secretary in May 1972 to lead "Democrats for Nixon," a group supported by Republicans to encourage Democrats to back Nixon in the 1972 presidential election. This put him opposite his old friend and mentor, Lyndon B. Johnson, who supported Democrat George McGovern from South Dakota.

In the 1972 U.S. Senate election in Texas, Connally backed Democrat Harold Barefoot Sanders, who later became a federal judge in Dallas, instead of the Republican John Tower, also from Dallas. After leaving his government role, Connally advised Nixon on energy matters. In December 1972, he visited Saudi Arabia with Occidental Petroleum chairman Armand Hammer to discuss issues like the Arab–Israeli conflict and relations between Saudi Arabia and the United States.

In May 1973, Connally switched from the Democratic to the Republican Party. Later that year, when Vice President Spiro Agnew had to leave office, Nixon considered Connally for the position but chose Gerald Ford instead. Connally also joined a group called the Committee on the Present Danger in 1976.

Indictment, trial and acquittal

In July 1974, John Connally faced charges that he had taken money from a lawyer to help increase government support for dairy prices. He was also accused of taking more money after contacting someone involved in a business problem.

In April 1975, Connally went on trial. Well-known people, including former First Ladies Jacqueline Kennedy and Lady Bird Johnson, as well as Texas state senator Barbara Jordan, Dean Rusk, Robert McNamara and Billy Graham, spoke to support him. In the end, Connally was found not guilty.

1980 presidential run

See also: 1980 Republican Party presidential primaries

In 1979, John Connally announced he would try to become the Republican candidate for president in the 1980 election. Many people thought he was a great speaker and leader, and he even appeared on the cover of Time magazine. However, some people did not trust him, especially in parts of the northeastern United States.

Connally collected more money than any other candidate, but he could not catch up to Ronald Reagan, a popular conservative from California. Another candidate, George H. W. Bush, focused his efforts in early voting states and won there. Connally also faced challenges with his views on foreign policy, especially regarding the Middle East, which some people thought hurt his campaign.

After losing in early votes, Connally stopped trying to become president and supported Reagan. Later, he was offered a position in Reagan’s government but decided not to take it and instead returned to his law practice.

Later years

In 1981, it was claimed that Connally knew about a plan by some people to take over the island of Dominica, but it was found that he had no part in it.

In 1986, Connally had to file for bankruptcy because his business in Houston was not doing well. In 1990, he met with the leader of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, who was keeping some foreign people in special places in his country. After talking with Connally, Hussein agreed to let those people go.

In 1993, Connally supported a Republican candidate, Jack Fields, to become a U.S. Senator from Houston.

Illness and death

John Connally started having trouble breathing on May 17, 1993, and was taken to Houston Methodist Hospital in Houston. He passed away there on June 15 at the age of 76 from pulmonary fibrosis.

His funeral took place on June 17, 1993, at the First United Methodist Church of Austin, where he and his wife, Nellie Connally, had been members since 1963. Former president Nixon attended the service. Nellie passed away in 2006, and they are buried together at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin.

Legacy

Several buildings and schools in Texas are named after John Connally. These include John B. Connally Middle School and John B. Connally High School, as well as buildings at Texas A&M University and Texas State Technical College. Parts of highways and a medical center also carry his name.

Connally donated the suit he wore on November 22, 1963, to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. The suit was shown to the public and later examined by the National Archives. It was displayed again in 2013 to mark the 50th anniversary of a major historical event.