Richard Coke
Encyclopedia
Richard Coke was an American
lawyer, farmer, and statesman from Waco, Texas
. He was the 15th governor of Texas
from 1874 to 1876 and represented Texas in the U.S. Senate
from 1877 to 1895. His uncle was Congressman Richard Coke, Jr.
.
Coke was born in Williamsburg, Virginia
, to John and Eliza (Hankins) Coke. He graduated from the College of William and Mary
in 1848 with a law degree. In 1850, he moved to Texas and opened a law practice in Waco. In 1852, he married Mary Horne of Waco. The couple would have four children, but all of them died before age 30.
Coke was a delegate to the Secession Convention at Austin in 1861. He joined the Confederate Army as a private. In 1862 he raised a company that became part of the 15th Texas Infantry, and served as its Captain for the rest of the war. He was wounded in an action known as Bayou Bourbeau on November 3, 1863, near Opelousas, Louisiana
. After the war, he returned home to Waco.
In 1865, he was appointed a Texas District Court judge, and then in 1866 he was elected as an associate justice to the Texas Supreme Court
. The following year the military governor, General Philip Sheridan
, ordered his removal as ‘an impediment to reconstruction’, in pursuit of unionist Reconstruction policies.
Coke was elected governor as a Democrat in 1873 and took office in January 1874. His administration was marked by vigorous action to balance the budget and by a revised state constitution adopted in 1876. He was also instrumental in creating the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, which became Texas A&M University
.
The governor resigned his office in December 1876, following his election to the United States Senate. He would be reelected to that office in 1882 and 1888, serving in the 45th - 53rd Congresses until March 4, 1895. Coke was not a candidate for reelection in 1894.
He retired to his home in Waco and his nearby farm. He became ill after suffering exposure while fighting a flood of the Brazos River
in April 1897. After a short illness, he died at his home in Waco and was buried in Oakwood Cemetery
. Coke County in West Texas
is named in his honor.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer, farmer, and statesman from Waco, Texas
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....
. He was the 15th governor of 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...
from 1874 to 1876 and represented Texas in the U.S. Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from 1877 to 1895. His uncle was Congressman Richard Coke, Jr.
Richard Coke, Jr.
Richard Coke, Jr. was a nineteenth century congressman and lawyer from Virginia. He was the uncle of politician Richard Coke....
.
Coke was born in Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
, to John and Eliza (Hankins) Coke. He graduated from the College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
in 1848 with a law degree. In 1850, he moved to Texas and opened a law practice in Waco. In 1852, he married Mary Horne of Waco. The couple would have four children, but all of them died before age 30.
Coke was a delegate to the Secession Convention at Austin in 1861. He joined the Confederate Army as a private. In 1862 he raised a company that became part of the 15th Texas Infantry, and served as its Captain for the rest of the war. He was wounded in an action known as Bayou Bourbeau on November 3, 1863, near Opelousas, Louisiana
Opelousas, Louisiana
Opelousas is a city in and the parish seat of St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies at the junction of Interstate 49 and U.S. Route 190. The population was 22,860 at the 2000 census. Although the 2006 population estimate was 23,222, a 2004 annexation should put the city's...
. After the war, he returned home to Waco.
In 1865, he was appointed a Texas District Court judge, and then in 1866 he was elected as an associate justice to the Texas Supreme Court
Texas Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Texas is the court of last resort for non-criminal matters in the state of Texas. A different court, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, is the court of last resort for criminal matters.The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices...
. The following year the military governor, General Philip Sheridan
Philip Sheridan
Philip Henry Sheridan was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with Lt. Gen. Ulysses S...
, ordered his removal as ‘an impediment to reconstruction’, in pursuit of unionist Reconstruction policies.
Coke was elected governor as a Democrat in 1873 and took office in January 1874. His administration was marked by vigorous action to balance the budget and by a revised state constitution adopted in 1876. He was also instrumental in creating the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, which became 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...
.
The governor resigned his office in December 1876, following his election to the United States Senate. He would be reelected to that office in 1882 and 1888, serving in the 45th - 53rd Congresses until March 4, 1895. Coke was not a candidate for reelection in 1894.
He retired to his home in Waco and his nearby farm. He became ill after suffering exposure while fighting a flood of the Brazos River
Brazos River
The Brazos River, called the Rio de los Brazos de Dios by early Spanish explorers , is the longest river in Texas and the 11th longest river in the United States at from its source at the head of Blackwater Draw, Curry County, New Mexico to its mouth at the Gulf of Mexico with a drainage...
in April 1897. After a short illness, he died at his home in Waco and was buried in Oakwood Cemetery
Oakwood Cemetery (Waco, Texas)
Oakwood Cemetery is a cemetery in Waco, Texas, in which three governors of Texas are buried.-History:Founded in 1878, to relieve crowded conditions at Waco's main, First Street Cemetery, the cemetery was built on the site of an abandoned horse racing track....
. Coke County in West Texas
West Texas
West Texas is a vernacular term applied to a region in the southwestern quadrant of the United States that primarily encompasses the arid and semi-arid lands in the western portion of the state of Texas....
is named in his honor.
External links
- Sketch of Richard Coke from A pictorial history of Texas, from the earliest visits of European adventurers, to A.D. 1879, hosted by the Portal to Texas History.