Dan Moody
Encyclopedia
Daniel James Moody, Jr. (June 1, 1893 – May 22, 1966), was a Democratic
political figure, originally from Taylor
, Texas
, USA
. He served as the 30th Governor of Texas between 1927 and 1931, and is best remembered as a reformer and an opponent of the Ku Klux Klan
. At the age of thirty-three, he was elected and took office as the youngest governor in Texas history.
Texas Historical Marker Text:
"A crusader for integrity in public office. Born in Taylor, Williamson County
; son of Daniel and Nancy Elizabeth Robertson Moody. At 16 entered University of Texas, where he completed law school. After World War I service, won election to the office of county attorney, then an appointment by Governor Pat Neff to District Attorney, Travis and Williamson counties. Won statewide notice for prosecutions of Ku Klux Klansmen in notorious flogging cases, and was urged by friends to run for Attorney General of Texas. He won this office, and served 1925-1927 in an era of alleged corruption. Moving to halt kickbacks on highway contracts, he recovered for Texas hundreds of thousands of dollars.
"In 1926, Moody ran for governor on his record as Attorney General, and was elected. Inaugurated when he was 33, he was youngest man ever to take oath for that office. During his terms, 1927–1931, Texans' faith in their state government was restored. Great reforms were made in the Texas Highway Department and state penitentiary system."
After retirement from the governor's office, Moody practiced law, and was appointed by the President of the United States
to prosecute tax evaders. He married the former Mildred Paxton (1897–1983), a native of Abilene
, Texas. The Moodys had two children.
The Moodys are interred at the Texas State Cemetery
. So is their son, also Dan Moody (January 6, 1925–October 27, 2000). His widow is Ann Hardwick Moody (born January 8, 1932).
Moody's gravestone reads: "Whose integrity and dedication created lasting standards for conduct in office and in his belove profession, the law."
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
political figure, originally from Taylor
Taylor, Texas
Taylor is a city in Williamson County, Texas, United States. The population was 13,575 at the 2000 census; it was 15,191 in the 2010 census estimate. Taylors largest employers include the Electric Reliability Council of Texas , Durcon Inc, and the T. Don Hutto Residential Center, an immigration...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He served as the 30th Governor of Texas between 1927 and 1931, and is best remembered as a reformer and an opponent of the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
. At the age of thirty-three, he was elected and took office as the youngest governor in Texas history.
Texas Historical Marker Text:
"A crusader for integrity in public office. Born in Taylor, Williamson County
Williamson County, Texas
Williamson County is a county located on both the Edwards Plateau to the west, consisting of rocky terrain and hills, and Blackland Prairies in the east consising of rich, fertile farming land, The two areas are roughly bisected by Interstate 35...
; son of Daniel and Nancy Elizabeth Robertson Moody. At 16 entered University of Texas, where he completed law school. After World War I service, won election to the office of county attorney, then an appointment by Governor Pat Neff to District Attorney, Travis and Williamson counties. Won statewide notice for prosecutions of Ku Klux Klansmen in notorious flogging cases, and was urged by friends to run for Attorney General of Texas. He won this office, and served 1925-1927 in an era of alleged corruption. Moving to halt kickbacks on highway contracts, he recovered for Texas hundreds of thousands of dollars.
"In 1926, Moody ran for governor on his record as Attorney General, and was elected. Inaugurated when he was 33, he was youngest man ever to take oath for that office. During his terms, 1927–1931, Texans' faith in their state government was restored. Great reforms were made in the Texas Highway Department and state penitentiary system."
After retirement from the governor's office, Moody practiced law, and was appointed by the President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
to prosecute tax evaders. He married the former Mildred Paxton (1897–1983), a native of Abilene
Abilene, Texas
Abilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in west central Texas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 158,063. It is the county seat of Taylor County...
, Texas. The Moodys had two children.
The Moodys are interred at the Texas State Cemetery
Texas State Cemetery
The Texas State Cemetery is a cemetery located on about just east of downtown Austin, the capital of Texas. Originally the burial place of Edward Burleson, Texas Revolutionary general and Vice-President of the Republic of Texas, it was expanded into a Confederate cemetery during the Civil War...
. So is their son, also Dan Moody (January 6, 1925–October 27, 2000). His widow is Ann Hardwick Moody (born January 8, 1932).
Moody's gravestone reads: "Whose integrity and dedication created lasting standards for conduct in office and in his belove profession, the law."
External links
- Governor Dan Moody Museum
- http://utopia.utexas.edu/articles/alcalde/moody.html?sec=texas&sub=law