Robert A. Kerr
Full Name: Robert A. KerrDate of birth: December 23, 1833
Date of death: January 7, 1913
Terms of Service top
| Chamber | District | Dates of Service | Legislatures | Party | City/County | Note | Counties in District |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H | 62 | Jan 11, 1881 - Jan 9, 1883 | 17th (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) | Greenback | Bastrop / Bastrop | Bastrop |
(1) Republican, 11/17/1880, p. 2. Galveston Daily News.
(2) Republican. Pocket Directory of the Seventeenth Legislature of Texas, 1881.
(3) "The leadership of the Republican Party decided not to fuse with the Greenbackers in 1880, but rather placed a ticket in the field. . . Among the few blacks who remained visible in the Greenback fold [in 1880] were Hal Geiger and Robert A. Kerr," p. 129. Through Many Dangers, Toils, and Snares: Black Leadership in Texas, 1868-1898, 2016.
(4) "When the Greenback Party met in June 1880 to nominate a state ticket, Kerr's name was placed on the ticket as representative from Bastrop County," p. 129. "Greenbackers elected one senator and three representatives, only one of whom was black — Robert A. Kerr," p. 130. Through Many Dangers, Toils, and Snares: Black Leadership in Texas, 1868-1898, 2016.
(5) Involvement in Greenback/Republican politics, pp. 129-131. "Robert J. Evans and R.A. Kerr ran on Republican ticket for reelection (in 1882) in a losing cause." Through Many Dangers, Toils, and Snares: Black Leadership in Texas, 1868-1898, 2016.
Terms of Service top
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House District 62
Jan 11, 1881 - Jan 9, 1883 Legislatures: 17th (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Party: Greenback Home City/County: Bastrop / Bastrop Counties in district: Bastrop |
(1) Republican, 11/17/1880, p. 2. Galveston Daily News.
(2) Republican. Pocket Directory of the Seventeenth Legislature of Texas, 1881.
(3) "The leadership of the Republican Party decided not to fuse with the Greenbackers in 1880, but rather placed a ticket in the field. . . Among the few blacks who remained visible in the Greenback fold [in 1880] were Hal Geiger and Robert A. Kerr," p. 129. Through Many Dangers, Toils, and Snares: Black Leadership in Texas, 1868-1898, 2016.
(4) "When the Greenback Party met in June 1880 to nominate a state ticket, Kerr's name was placed on the ticket as representative from Bastrop County," p. 129. "Greenbackers elected one senator and three representatives, only one of whom was black — Robert A. Kerr," p. 130. Through Many Dangers, Toils, and Snares: Black Leadership in Texas, 1868-1898, 2016.
(5) Involvement in Greenback/Republican politics, pp. 129-131. "Robert J. Evans and R.A. Kerr ran on Republican ticket for reelection (in 1882) in a losing cause." Through Many Dangers, Toils, and Snares: Black Leadership in Texas, 1868-1898, 2016.
Biographical Information top
Resolutions and Journal entries
- 79th Legislature, R.S., HR 589, paying tribute to African American legislators and constitutional convention delegates of 1868-1900. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
- 81st Legislature, R.S., HCR 81, paying tribute to African American legislators and constitutional convention delegates. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
- 85th Legislature, R.S., HR 452, celebrating Black History Month and honoring the leadership and vision of African American lawmakers. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary.
Biographical Sketches
- Portrait and biographical sketch. Forever Free: Nineteenth Century African-American Legislators and Constitutional Convention Delegates of Texas, 2002.
- KERR, ROBERT A. (1842-1912). "Although Kerr won his legislative seat as a member of the Greenback party, he returned to the Republican party in 1882." Born 1842, died 1/12/1912, buried in Fairview Cemetery, Bastrop. Handbook of Texas Online.
- Biographical sketch, Chapter VI, "Black Belt Politics," p. 108. The Negro in Texas, 1874-1900, 1971.
- Photos, biographical sketch, and descendants, pp. 84-86. Born 12/23/1833 in New Orleans. Negro Legislators of Texas and Their Descendants: A History of the Negro in Texas Politics from Reconstruction to Disfranchisement, 1935.
- Biographical sketch, pp. 62-63; political party, pp. 129-131. Birth date 12/23/1833 in New Orleans, died in 1912. Through Many Dangers, Toils, and Snares: Black Leadership in Texas, 1868-1898, 2016.
Other Resources
- Hon. R.A. Kerr, birth date 12/23/1833, death date 1/7/1913, burial in Fairview Cemetery, Bastrop. Includes Kerr plaque from Bastrop County Historical Society. Find a Grave.
- "Texas Briefs: Bastrop, Tex.," dateline Jan. 8, 1/9/1913, p. 9. Died "last night" (1/7/1913), "at one time represented this county in the Legislature." Galveston Daily News.
- Mentioned in Negro Legislators of Texas and Their Descendants, 1970.
- Mentioned, p. 154. Time of Hope, Time of Despair: Black Texans During Reconstruction, 1981.
Photographs
- Photograph. R.A. Kerr, 17th Legislature, Texas State Library and Archives Commission
- Photograph. Robert A. Kerr, State Preservation Board
Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol
- 17th session composite photo of House members (Texas State Library and Archives Commission). Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Committee Information top
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17th R.S. - 1881
County and County Boundaries Military Affairs |
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