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 sadly died. 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 had a hard time, especially during the Great Depression. But his family bought a farm and helped him go to school.

Connally went to Floresville High School and later studied at the University of Texas at Austin, where he was elected student body president. He also met his future wife, Nellie Connally, while he was there. After graduating, he got 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. He started as an ensign in June 1941. He worked with important leaders like James V. Forrestal and Dwight D. Eisenhower. He helped plan battles in North Africa. Later, he served on aircraft carriers in the South Pacific Theater and earned awards for bravery.

After the war, Connally worked as a lawyer. He became 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. He 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 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 was the governor of Texas from 1963 to 1969. He was elected by big majorities, showing that many voters supported him. As governor, he worked to grow higher education in Texas and helped start the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. He also supported letting women attend Texas A&M University in College Station.

After the Assassination of John F. Kennedy, Connally became well-known in Texas. He disagreed with some of President Lyndon Johnson's policies, especially about civil rights and labor unions. But he supported the Vietnam War and stayed a close friend of Johnson on foreign issues. Connally also worked to grow tourism and education in Texas, including backing the HemisFair '68 world's fair in San Antonio.

On November 22, 1963, Connally was in the same car as President Kennedy when Kennedy was killed in Dallas. Connally was hurt badly but lived after surgery. He later talked about what happened to the Warren Commission, which looked into the assassination.

Secretary of the Treasury

In 1971, President Nixon chose John Connally to be the Secretary of the Treasury. Before he agreed, Connally asked Nixon to help George H. W. Bush, who had lost a race for the U.S. Senate. Nixon gave Bush a job as the ambassador to the United Nations. Some people think this helped Bush become president later, and also helped his son, George W. Bush, become president.

After becoming Secretary, Connally talked to leaders in Europe about the U.S. economy. He supported letting the government borrow more money and allowed higher prices for gold. This changed how the U.S. handled its money. He also 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 that encouraged Democrats to support Nixon in the 1972 presidential election. This made him oppose his old friend, Lyndon B. Johnson, who supported Democrat George McGovern from South Dakota.

In the 1972 U.S. Senate election in Texas, Connally supported Democrat Harold Barefoot Sanders, who later became a federal judge in Dallas, instead of the Republican John Tower. After leaving his government role, Connally gave advice to Nixon about energy. In December 1972, he visited Saudi Arabia with Occidental Petroleum chairman Armand Hammer to talk about important issues.

In May 1973, Connally changed from the Democratic to the Republican Party. Later that year, when Vice President Spiro Agnew had to leave office, Nixon thought about choosing Connally for the job 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 was charged with taking money from a lawyer to help raise government support for dairy prices. He was also accused of taking more money after contacting someone with 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 said he wanted to be the Republican candidate for president in 1980. Many people thought he was a good speaker and leader, and he was even on the cover of Time magazine. But some people did not trust him, especially in the northeastern United States.

Connally raised 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, worked hard in early voting states and won there. Connally also had trouble with his ideas about foreign policy, especially about the Middle East, which some people thought hurt his campaign.

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

Later years

In 1981, people said Connally knew about a plan to take over the island of Dominica, but it was proven he was not involved.

In 1986, Connally had to file for bankruptcy because his business in Houston was struggling. In 1990, he spoke with the leader of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, who was holding some foreign people. After their talk, Hussein agreed to let those people leave.

In 1993, Connally supported Jack Fields in his campaign to become a U.S. Senator from Houston.

Illness and death

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

His funeral was held on June 17, 1993, at the First United Methodist Church of Austin. Former president Nixon attended the service. Nellie, his wife, passed away in 2006. 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 an important historical event.