Archie Parr

Full Name: Archer "Archie" Parr
Date of birth: December 25, 1860
Date of death: October 18, 1942

Terms of Service top

Chamber District Dates of Service Legislatures Party City/County Note Counties in District
S 27 Jan 13, 1931 - Jan 8, 1935 43rd (1) (2)   42nd (3)   43rd (1) (2)   Democrat Benavides / Duval Dean of the Senate. (43rd)
Senate President Pro Tempore (43rd)
Dean of the Senate. (42nd)  
Brooks, Cameron, Dimmit, Duval, Frio, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, La Salle, McMullen, Nueces, Starr, Webb, Willacy, Zapata, Zavala
S 27 Jan 11, 1927 - Jan 13, 1931 41st (4) (5)   40th (6)   41st (4) (5)   Democrat Benavides / Duval Dean of the Senate. (41st)   Brooks, Cameron, Dimmit, Duval, Frio, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, La Salle, McMullen, Nueces, Starr, Webb, Willacy, Zapata, Zavala
S 27 Jan 13, 1925 - Jan 11, 1927 39th (7) (8)   Democrat Benavides / Duval   Brooks, Cameron, Dimmit, Duval, Frio, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, La Salle, McMullen, Nueces, Starr, Webb, Willacy, Zapata, Zavala
S 23 Jan 9, 1923 - Jan 13, 1925 38th (9) (10)   Democrat Benavides / Duval   Cameron, Dimmit, Duval, Hidalgo, La Salle, McMullen, Nueces, San Patricio, Starr, Webb, Zapata
S 23 Jan 14, 1919 - Jan 9, 1923 37th (11) (12)   36th (13)   37th (11) (12)   Democrat Benavides / Duval Senate President Pro Tempore (37th)   Cameron, Dimmit, Duval, Hidalgo, La Salle, McMullen, Nueces, San Patricio, Starr, Webb, Zapata
S 23 Jan 12, 1915 - Jan 14, 1919 34th (15)   35th (14)   Democrat Benavides / Duval   Cameron, Dimmit, Duval, Hidalgo, La Salle, McMullen, Nueces, San Patricio, Starr, Webb, Zapata

(1) 43rd Legislature - Senate President Pro Tempore, Ad Interim 4th C.S., elected 11/10/1934. Senate Journal.
(2) 43rd Legislature - Roll Call of Holdover Senators, 1/10/1933, p. 1. Senate Media.
(3) 42nd Legislature - Roll Call of Newly-Elected Senators, oath of office administered, 1/13/1931, p. 1. Senate Journal.
(4) "Fifteen State Senators Must Seek Re-Election in Summer", 1/3/1930, p. 2. Big Spring Daily Herald.
(5) 41st Legislature - Roll Call of Holdover Senators, 1/8/1929, p. 1. Senate Journal.
(6) 40th Legislature - Certificate of New Senators and Roll Call of New Senators, 1/11/1927, p. 1. Senate Journal.
(7) 39th Legislature - All 31 Senators were elected on November 4, 1924, per Secretary of State, oath of office administered, 1/13/1925, p. 1. Senate Journal.
(8) 39th Legislature - Drawing for Terms of Office, 1/15/1925, pp. 34-35. Drew 2-year term. Senate Journal.
(9) 2-year term; entire Senate went up for reelection in 1924 due to redistricting. Act approved 1921 and effective Apr. 1, 1924, 37th Leg., 1st C.S., ch. 60, Apportionment Laws of Texas, 1836-1950, 1950.
(10) 38th Legislature - List of State Senators Elected at the General Election Held November Seventh, 1922, oath of office administered, 1/9/1923, p. 1-2. Senate Journal.
(11) 37th Legislature - Senate President Pro Tempore, elected 8/16/1921, 1st C.S. Senate Journal.
(12) 37th Legislature - Roll Call of Holdover Senators, 1/11/1921, pp. 1-2. Senate Journal.
(13) 36th Legislature - Filed certificate of election and administered oath of office, 1/14/1919, p. 2. Majority and minority committee reports in Parr-Glasscock election contest printed, 3/11/1919, pp. 837-838, and Appendix, pp. 839-840. Adoption of majority report (seating Senator Parr), 3/12/1919, p. 867. Senate Journal. January 14, 1919 March 11, 1919 March 12, 1919
(14) 35th Legislature - Roll Call of Holdover Senators, 1/9/1917, pp. 1-2. Senate Journal.
(15) 34th Legislature - Elected November 3, 1914, oath of office administered to members elect, 1/12/1915, pp. 1-2. Senate Journal.

Biographical Notes and Resources top

Resolutions and Journal entries

Biographical Sketches

  • PARR, ARCHER (1860-1942). Handbook of Texas Online.
  • Biographical sketch, "Who's Who and What's What in the Texas Legislature," by Ed Kilman, 2/7/1929, p. 9. Houston Post-Dispatch.
  • Biographical sketch, Senate of the 35th Legislature, "A Look at the Affairs of State: The Real Names and Addresses of Thirty-one Senators With Additional Facts," The Houston Post, 3/22/1917, p. 6. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).

Other Resources

  • Description of Archer Parr's temperment and his efforts to obtain, expand, and maintain political power in Duval County, pp. 173-193. Boss Rule in South Texas, 1979.
  • Obituary, 10/19/1942, p. 7. Dallas Morning News.
  • Photograph of Senator Archie Parr, first "Duke of Duval." Duke of Duval: the Life and Times of George B. Parr, 1976.
  • Account of Archer Parr's birth, rise to power, years in the Texas Senate, and retirement from active politics. Includes details of the Parr-Glasscock election contest, pp. 26-41. Fall of the Duke of Duval, 1995.
  • Anders, Evan. "Boss Rule and Constituent Interests: South Texas Politics during the Progressive Era," Vol. 84, No. 3, January 1981, pp. 269-292. Mentioned on p. 269, photo p. 290. Southwestern Historical Quarterly.
  • Anders, Evan. "The Origins of the Parr Machine In Duval County, Texas," Vol. 85, No. 2, October 1981, pp. 119-138. Southwestern Historical Quarterly.
  • Mentioned in "Southwestern Collection: Accessions," Vol. 86, No. 3, January 1983, p. 417, as one of three members of the 1921 special investigating committee on hazing at Texas A&M. Southwestern Historical Quarterly.
  • See the Austin-American, January 9, 1935, p. 2, col. 1 ("Deans of the 43rd legislature, J. L. Goodman of Franklin in the house and Archer Parr in the senate, were defeated for re-election and retired from the active political picture.") Texas Senate, Secretary of the Senate - Memo, January 8, 2002, 'Deans of the Texas Senate', 2002.

Photographs

  • Photograph. A. Parr, 43rd Legislature, State Preservation Board
  • Photograph. Archie Parr, 42nd Legislature, State Preservation Board
  • Photograph. Archie Parr, 41st Legislature, State Preservation Board
  • Photograph. A. Parr, 40th Legislature, State Preservation Board
  • Photograph. A. Parr, 39th Legislature, State Preservation Board
  • Photograph. A. Parr, 38th Legislature, State Preservation Board
  • Photograph. A. Parr, 37th Legislature, State Preservation Board
  • Photograph. A. Parr, 36th Legislature, State Preservation Board
  • Photograph. A. Pagr, 35th Legislature, State Preservation Board
  • Photograph. Archer Parr, 34th Legislature, State Preservation Board

Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol

Committee Information top

43rd R.S. - 1933
Congressional Districts  
Constitutional Amendments  
Contingent Expense  
Counties and County Boundaries  
Criminal Jurisprudence  
Educational Affairs  
Finance  
Game and Fish  
Highway Department Investigation, Committee of the Whole Senate  
Internal Improvements  
Mining, Irrigation and Drainage  
Nominations of the Governor  
Rio Grande Valley Hurricane Damage  
Rules  
Senatorial Districts  
State Affairs  
State Highways and Motor Traffic  
Stock and Stockraising (Chair) 
Texas Rehabilitation and Relief Commission Investigation, Committee of the Whole Senate  
42nd R.S. - 1931
Constitutional Amendments  
Contingent Expense  
Counties and County Boundaries (Vice Chair) 
Criminal Jurisprudence  
Educational Affairs  
Finance  
Internal Improvements (Vice Chair) 
Mining, Irrigation and Drainage  
Moody Chair Purchase, Investigate  
State Affairs  
State Highways and Motor Traffic  
Stock and Stock Raising (Chair) 
41st R.S. - 1929
Constitutional Amendments  
Contingent Expenses  
Counties and County Boundaries (Vice Chair) 
Criminal Jurisprudence  
Educational Affairs  
Engrossed Bills  
Internal Improvements  
Mining, Irrigation and Drainage  
Rules  
State Affairs  
State Highways and Motor Traffic  
Stock and Stock Raising (Chair) 
40th R.S. - 1927
Constitutional Amendments  
Contingent Expenses  
Counties and County Boundaries (Vice Chair) 
Criminal Jurisprudence  
Educational Affairs  
Highways and Motor Traffic  
Internal Improvements  
Mining, Irrigation and Drainage  
State Affairs  
Stock and Stock Raising (Chair) 
39th R.S. - 1925
Contingent Expense  
Counties and County Boundaries (Vice Chair) 
Internal Improvements  
Mining, Irrigation and Drainage  
Public Health  
Roads, Bridges and Ferries (Highways and Motor Traffic as of 1/23/1925)  
State Affairs  
State Song, Investigate  
Stock and Stock Raising (Chair) 
38th R.S. - 1923
Agricultural Affairs (Vice Chair) 
Criminal Jurisprudence  
Finance  
Internal Improvements  
Mining, Irrigation and Drainage  
Privileges and Elections  
Public Lands and Land Office  
Stock and Stock Raising (Chair) 
37th R.S. - 1921
Agricultural Affairs (Chair) 
Agricultural and Mechanical College Hazing Investigating  
Congressional Districts  
Criminal Jurisprudence  
Internal Improvements  
Labor  
State Affairs  
Stock and Stock Raising  
36th R.S. - 1919
Agricultural Affairs  
Counties and County Boundaries (Chair) 
Internal Improvements  
Labor  
Mining, Irrigation and Drainage (Vice Chair) 
Senatorial Districts  
State Affairs  
Stock and Stock Raising  
35th R.S. - 1917
Congressional Districts  
Counties and County Boundaries  
Federal Relations  
Finance  
Judicial Districts  
Public Lands and Land Office  
State Penitentiaries  
Stock and Stock Raising  
34th R.S. - 1915
Counties and County Boundaries (Chair) 
Federal Relations  
Internal Improvements  
Judicial Districts  
Judiciary No. 1  
Mining and Irrigation  
Public Health  
Public Lands and Land Office  
Stock and Stock Raising  

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