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Pa Ferguson was one of the most controversial governors in the history of Texas. The consequences of his administration would be felt for years. As a result of his actions, in 1917, Ferguson became the only Texas governor impeached and removed from office. James Edward Ferguson, also called “Farmer Jim” or “Pa,” was born in Bell County in 1871. His father died when he was four. He was kicked out of a local prep school, Salado College, at age 12 for misbehavior. He left home at 16, traveling and taking odd jobs until he returned to farm in Bell County. He became a lawyer in 1897, married Miriam A. Wallace in 1899, and expanded into real estate, insurance, and banking. He was elected governor in 1914, his first election. He was a popular figure, singing laws protecting sharecroppers and providing state funding for rural schools. He was re-elected in 1916. Though he had signed legislation creating three new colleges, he found himself in a feud with professors at the University of Texas. Angry that two professors had openly criticized his administration, Ferguson demanded that the Board of Regents fire them. The Regents refused. In retaliation, Ferguson vetoed the entire appropriation for the university. he fight with the university touched off a massive scandal. At the same time, officials had begun looking into Ferguson’s finances. A grand jury in Travis County learned that in 1915, Ferguson had transferred $5,600 (more than $164,000 in 2022 dollars) from the state to a bank in Austin and then to his bank in Temple that he used to pay off a private debt. In July 1917, he was indicted for misappropriation of funds. The legislature then came back into session to consider impeachment, an attempt Ferguson immediately condemned.
