Jack Rains
Encyclopedia
Jack Morris Rains is a Houston
, Texas
, attorney
who was the 95th Secretary of State of Texas
, having served from 1987-1989. He left the position to contest unsuccessfully for the Republican
gubernatorial nomination in 1990. He lost to businessman Clayton W. Williams, Jr., of Midland
, who was then narrowly defeated in the general election
by the Democrat
Ann Willis Richards, then the state treasurer
. Other candidates in the field with Rains and Williams were Kent Hance
, a former congressman and previously a Democrat, and Tom Luce, a Dallas
lawyer.
Rains, a native of Waco
, has served on numerous public boards, including the chairmanship of the board of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority. Professionally, Mr. Rains is of counsel to the law firm Looper, Reed & McGraw, with offices in Houston and Dallas. He is also a management consultant to a number of companies including Ecology & Environment, Inc., a scientific environmental firm that practices on a global basis. He was a founder of Tuscany L.L.C., a merchant banking firm, whose clients include E-Stamp, the fifth licensee in the history of the U.S. Postal Service, whose technology was acquired by Stamps.com Jack Rains was also a founder and Director of Tanglewood Bank in Houston, since acquired by Northern Trust of Chicago.
After first practicing law in Houston, he was a founder and served as President and then Chairman of the Board of Directors of 3D/International, the Houston headquarter design and management firm. During his tenure, 3D/International grew to execute annually over a billion dollars (U.S.) in construction volume, generated from projects located across the United States and around the world. He accepted the “E” Award from President Reagan on behalf of 3D/International for boosting exports by over $4 Billion Dollars (U.S.).
Named to Who’s Who in American Law, American Real Estate, and Who’s Who in America and in the World, Rains has received numerous other honors. In 1998 was named an Honorary Member of the American Institute of Architect, and a Lifetime Director of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. In 1999 he was named a “Person of Distinction” by The Museum of the Gulf Coast.
In 1960, Jack Rains earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Texas A&M University
, and named a “Distinguished Alumnus”, in 1987. He earned his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree in 1967 from the University of Houston
, College of Law, and named a “Distinguished Alumnus” of the University and an “Outstanding Graduate” of the College of Law.
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, 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...
, attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
who was the 95th Secretary of State of Texas
Secretary of State of Texas
The Secretary of State of Texas is one of six state officials designated by the Texas Constitution to form the executive department of that U.S. state...
, having served from 1987-1989. He left the position to contest unsuccessfully for the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
gubernatorial nomination in 1990. He lost to businessman Clayton W. Williams, Jr., of Midland
Midland, Texas
Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, United States, on the Southern Plains of the state's western area. A small portion of the city extends into Martin County. As of 2010, the population of Midland was 111,147. It is the principal city of the Midland, Texas...
, who was then narrowly defeated in the general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
by the Democrat
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...
Ann Willis Richards, then the state treasurer
State Treasurer
In the state governments of the United States, 49 of the 50 states have the executive position of treasurer. Texas abolished the position of Texas State Treasurer in 1996....
. Other candidates in the field with Rains and Williams were Kent Hance
Kent Hance
Kent "The Hancellor" Ronald Hance is a lobbyist and lawyer who was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from West Texas, having served from 1979 to 1985...
, a former congressman and previously a Democrat, and Tom Luce, a Dallas
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...
lawyer.
Rains, a native of Waco
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
, has served on numerous public boards, including the chairmanship of the board of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority. Professionally, Mr. Rains is of counsel to the law firm Looper, Reed & McGraw, with offices in Houston and Dallas. He is also a management consultant to a number of companies including Ecology & Environment, Inc., a scientific environmental firm that practices on a global basis. He was a founder of Tuscany L.L.C., a merchant banking firm, whose clients include E-Stamp, the fifth licensee in the history of the U.S. Postal Service, whose technology was acquired by Stamps.com Jack Rains was also a founder and Director of Tanglewood Bank in Houston, since acquired by Northern Trust of Chicago.
After first practicing law in Houston, he was a founder and served as President and then Chairman of the Board of Directors of 3D/International, the Houston headquarter design and management firm. During his tenure, 3D/International grew to execute annually over a billion dollars (U.S.) in construction volume, generated from projects located across the United States and around the world. He accepted the “E” Award from President Reagan on behalf of 3D/International for boosting exports by over $4 Billion Dollars (U.S.).
Named to Who’s Who in American Law, American Real Estate, and Who’s Who in America and in the World, Rains has received numerous other honors. In 1998 was named an Honorary Member of the American Institute of Architect, and a Lifetime Director of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. In 1999 he was named a “Person of Distinction” by The Museum of the Gulf Coast.
In 1960, Jack Rains earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from 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...
, and named a “Distinguished Alumnus”, in 1987. He earned his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree in 1967 from the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
, College of Law, and named a “Distinguished Alumnus” of the University and an “Outstanding Graduate” of the College of Law.