What do Rick Perry and James E. Ferguson have in common? According to Lonn, "arrogant egotism and a penchant for personal vindictiveness." Perry is not the first Texas governor to be indicted. In 1917, James E. Ferguson--the 26th governor of our state--was indicted in 1917. Eventually, the state legislature impeached and evicted Ferguson, removing him from the governorship.
Though Ferguson presented himself as a populist, he owned a bank, in which he deposited $100,000 in state funds without paying interest.
In 1916, Robert Vincent became president of the University of Austin. Ferguson was furious the regent had not taken his opinions into consideration when hiring Vincent. When Ferguson demanded the firing of six faculty members, the university fought back.
Drawing parallels between Ferguson and Perry, Lonn examines the state's contentious political past.
