Robert C. Eckhardt
Encyclopedia
Robert Christian "Bob" Eckhardt (July 16, 1913 – November 13, 2001) was a Democratic
United States Representative representing the 8th District of Texas
from 1967 to 1981.
on July 16, 1913. He was the grand-nephew of Democratic Congressman Rudolph Kleberg
, nephew of Republican Congressman Harry Wurzbach, and a cousin of Richard Mifflin Kleberg, Sr., heir to the famous King Ranch
in South Texas. Eckhardt graduated from the University of Texas at Austin
in 1935 and received his law degree from the University of Texas Law School in 1939. He served in the United States Army from 1942 to 1944. Eckhardt was appointed Southwestern Director of the Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs
, 1944–1945.
and was elected a member of the Texas House of Representatives
, serving from 1958 to 1966, where he compiled a fairly liberal voting record. One of Eckhardt's most enduring accomplishments in the Texas House was writing the Texas Open Beaches Act
, passed in 1959.
In 1966, he was elected as a Democrat in Congress representing Texas's 8th congressional district
, which included most of northern Houston
. Eckhardt was the sponsor of the War Powers Act and the Toxic Substances Act. He was reelected six times without serious difficulty. In 1980, however, he was narrowly defeated by Jack Fields
, losing by only 4,900 votes. He was also a cofounder of the Texas Observer magazine. Eckhardt died on November 13, 2001, in Austin, Texas, and was interred in Austin Memorial Cemetery.
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...
United States Representative representing the 8th District of Texas
Texas's 8th congressional district
Texas District 8 of the United States House of Representatives is a Congressional district that stretches from Montgomery County and Walker County to the Louisiana border. It includes much of the northern outlying areas of metro Houston and Beaumont. As of the 2000 census, District 8 represents...
from 1967 to 1981.
Early life and family
Eckhardt was born in Austin, TexasAustin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
on July 16, 1913. He was the grand-nephew of Democratic Congressman Rudolph Kleberg
Rudolph Kleberg
Rudolph Kleberg was a U.S. Representative from Texas, great uncle of Robert Christian Eckhardt and uncle of Richard Mifflin Kleberg, Sr.Born in Cat Spring, Texas, Kleberg was instructed by private tutors....
, nephew of Republican Congressman Harry Wurzbach, and a cousin of Richard Mifflin Kleberg, Sr., heir to the famous King Ranch
King Ranch
King Ranch, located in south Texas between Corpus Christi and Brownsville, is one of the world's largest ranches. The ranch, founded in 1853 by Captain Richard King and Gideon K. Lewis, includes portions of six Texas counties, including most of Kleberg County and much of Kenedy County, with...
in South Texas. Eckhardt graduated from the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
in 1935 and received his law degree from the University of Texas Law School in 1939. He served in the United States Army from 1942 to 1944. Eckhardt was appointed Southwestern Director of the Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs
Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs
The Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs was a United States agency promoting inter-American cooperation during the 1940s, especially in commercial and economic areas...
, 1944–1945.
Political career
He moved to Houston, TexasHouston, 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 ...
and was elected a member of the Texas House of Representatives
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
, serving from 1958 to 1966, where he compiled a fairly liberal voting record. One of Eckhardt's most enduring accomplishments in the Texas House was writing the Texas Open Beaches Act
Texas Open Beaches Act
The Texas Open Beaches Act is a U.S. state of Texas law, passed in 1959 and amended in 1991, which guarantees free public access to beaches on the Gulf of Mexico:...
, passed in 1959.
In 1966, he was elected as a Democrat in Congress representing Texas's 8th congressional district
Texas's 8th congressional district
Texas District 8 of the United States House of Representatives is a Congressional district that stretches from Montgomery County and Walker County to the Louisiana border. It includes much of the northern outlying areas of metro Houston and Beaumont. As of the 2000 census, District 8 represents...
, which included most of northern Houston
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 ...
. Eckhardt was the sponsor of the War Powers Act and the Toxic Substances Act. He was reelected six times without serious difficulty. In 1980, however, he was narrowly defeated by Jack Fields
Jack Fields
Jack Milton Fields, Jr. , is a Texas businessman and a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from a Houston-based district....
, losing by only 4,900 votes. He was also a cofounder of the Texas Observer magazine. Eckhardt died on November 13, 2001, in Austin, Texas, and was interred in Austin Memorial Cemetery.
Books authored
- Eckhardt, Bob. The Tides of Power: Conversations on the American Constitution between Bob Eckhardt, Member of Congress from Texas, and Charles L. Black, Jr., Sterling Professor of Law, Yale University (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1976)
External links
- Keith, Gary A. Eckhardt:There Once was a Congressman from Texas (Austin: University of Texas Press, 2007) ISBN 978-0-292-71691-9
- Robert C. Eckhardt Papers, 1931–1992, Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin