Earle Cabell
Encyclopedia
Earle Cabell was a Texas
politician
who served as mayor
of Dallas, Texas
. Cabell was mayor at the time of the assassination of John F. Kennedy
and was later a member of the U.S. House of Representatives
. He was son of Dallas mayor Ben E. Cabell
and grandson of Dallas mayor William L. Cabell. He was the brother of Charles Cabell, who was Deputy Director of Central Intelligence until he resigned in the wake of the Bay of Pigs invasion
. Some who believe that there was a conspiracy to assassinate JFK erroneously believe Earle Cabell rerouted the President's motorcade so it passed the Depository building and the picket fence. This theory has been thoroughly debunked by researchers.
Cabell attended Texas A&M University
, where he met Jack Crichton
and H.R. "Bum" Bright, and Southern Methodist University
. After returning from college, he founded, along with his brothers, Cabell's Inc., a chain of dairies
and convenience store
s. He later became involved with banking and other investments. In May 1961, he was elected mayor to succeed Robert L. Thornton
.
On February 3, 1964, Cabell resigned as mayor of Dallas in order to run for Congress. He unseated the ten-year Republican incumbent Bruce Alger
. In that same election, Jack Crichton was defeated by a wide margin by the Democratic Governor John B. Connally, Jr., and George Herbert Walker Bush fell to Senator Ralph W. Yarborough. Cabell served four terms in the House before he was defeated by the Republican Alan Steelman
in the 1972 election.
Following his defeat, he retired in Dallas, where he lived until his death in 1975. He was buried at Restland Cemetery
in Dallas.
The Earle Cabell Federal Building and Courthouse
on Commerce Street in Dallas is named in his honor.
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...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who served as mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. Cabell was mayor at the time of the assassination of John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy assassination
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, was assassinated at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas...
and was later a member of the U.S. House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. He was son of Dallas mayor Ben E. Cabell
Ben E. Cabell
Benjamin Elias Cabell , attorney, was mayor of Dallas 1900-1904.-Biography:Benjamin Elias Cabell was born November 18, 1858 in Ft. Smith, Arkansas to William Lewis Cabell and Harriet Amanda Rector. He married Sadie E. Pearre, daughter of Judge Charles Baer Pearre and Harriet “Hallie” Kelly Earle,...
and grandson of Dallas mayor William L. Cabell. He was the brother of Charles Cabell, who was Deputy Director of Central Intelligence until he resigned in the wake of the Bay of Pigs invasion
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The Bay of Pigs Invasion was an unsuccessful action by a CIA-trained force of Cuban exiles to invade southern Cuba, with support and encouragement from the US government, in an attempt to overthrow the Cuban government of Fidel Castro. The invasion was launched in April 1961, less than three months...
. Some who believe that there was a conspiracy to assassinate JFK erroneously believe Earle Cabell rerouted the President's motorcade so it passed the Depository building and the picket fence. This theory has been thoroughly debunked by researchers.
Cabell attended Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
, where he met Jack Crichton
Jack Crichton (Texas businessman)
John Alston Crichton, known as Jack Crichton , was an oil and natural gas industrialist from Dallas, Texas, who was among the first of his ranks to recognize the importance of petroleum reserves in the Middle East. In 1964, he carried the Republican banner in a fruitless campaign against the...
and H.R. "Bum" Bright, and Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
. After returning from college, he founded, along with his brothers, Cabell's Inc., a chain of dairies
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
and convenience store
Convenience store
A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
s. He later became involved with banking and other investments. In May 1961, he was elected mayor to succeed Robert L. Thornton
Robert L. Thornton
Robert Lee Thornton, Sr. was a Dallas, Texas businessman, philanthropist, and mayor of the city....
.
On February 3, 1964, Cabell resigned as mayor of Dallas in order to run for Congress. He unseated the ten-year Republican incumbent Bruce Alger
Bruce Alger
Bruce Reynolds Alger is an American politician and a former Republican U.S. representative from Texas, the first to have represented a Dallas district since Reconstruction. He served from 1955 until 1965. He was born in Dallas but was reared in Webster Groves, Missouri, a small suburb of St...
. In that same election, Jack Crichton was defeated by a wide margin by the Democratic Governor John B. Connally, Jr., and George Herbert Walker Bush fell to Senator Ralph W. Yarborough. Cabell served four terms in the House before he was defeated by the Republican Alan Steelman
Alan Steelman
Alan Watson Steelman is a Dallas businessman who was a Republican congressman from Texas between 1973 and 1977; at the time of his election, he was the youngest sitting member of Congress. He gave up his Fifth Congressional District seat to challenge Democratic incumbent Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr., in...
in the 1972 election.
Following his defeat, he retired in Dallas, where he lived until his death in 1975. He was buried at Restland Cemetery
Restland Cemetery
Restland Cemetery is located in Dallas, Texas. It is the final resting place of many prominent figures in the Dallas area, including politicians and professional athletes.It is located on 9220 Restland Road near Richland College....
in Dallas.
The Earle Cabell Federal Building and Courthouse
Earle Cabell Federal Building and Courthouse
The Earle Cabell Federal Building and Courthouse, named for Earle Cabell and located in the Government District of downtown Dallas, Texas , is a large courts building that houses a variety of federal and state courts....
on Commerce Street in Dallas is named in his honor.