John Nance Garner
John Nance Garner III (November 22, 1868 – November 7, 1967), known among his contemporaries as "Cactus Jack", was an American Democratic politician and lawyer from Texas. He served as the 39th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1931 to 1933 and as the 32nd vice president of the United States under Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1933 to 1941. Garner and Schuyler Colfax are the only politicians to have served as presiding officers of both chambers of the United States Congress as speaker of the House and vice president of the United States.
John Nance Garner | |
|---|---|
Garner, c. 1930s | |
| 32nd Vice President of the United States | |
| In office March 4, 1933 – January 20, 1941 | |
| President | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Preceded by | Charles Curtis |
| Succeeded by | Henry A. Wallace |
| 39th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives | |
| In office December 7, 1931 – March 3, 1933 | |
| Preceded by | Nicholas Longworth |
| Succeeded by | Henry Rainey |
| House Minority Leader | |
| In office March 4, 1929 – March 3, 1931 | |
| Preceded by | Finis Garrett |
| Succeeded by | Bertrand Snell |
| Leader of the House Democratic Caucus | |
| In office March 4, 1929 – March 3, 1933 | |
| Preceded by | Finis J. Garrett |
| Succeeded by | Henry Thomas Rainey |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 15th district | |
| In office March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1933 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Milton H. West |
| Member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 91st district | |
| In office January 10, 1899 – January 13, 1903 | |
| Preceded by | Samuel Thomas Jones |
| Succeeded by | Ferdinand C. Weinert |
| County Judge of Uvalde County | |
| In office 1893–1896 | |
| Preceded by | A. V. D. Old |
| Succeeded by | J. E. Cummings |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Nance Garner III November 22, 1868 Red River County, Texas, Fifth Military District, U.S. |
| Died | November 7, 1967 (aged 98) Uvalde, Texas, U.S. |
| Resting place | Uvalde Cemetery Uvalde, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Mariette Rheiner
(m. 1895; died 1948) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Vanderbilt University |
| Signature | |
Garner began his political career as the county judge of Uvalde County, Texas. He served in the Texas House of Representatives from 1898 to 1902 and won election to represent Texas in the United States House of Representatives in 1902. He represented Texas's 15th congressional district from 1903 to 1933. Garner served as House Minority Leader from 1929 to 1931, and was elevated to Speaker of the House when Democrats won control of the House following the 1930 elections.
Garner sought the Democratic presidential nomination in the 1932 presidential election, but agreed to serve as Franklin D. Roosevelt's running mate at the 1932 Democratic National Convention. He and Roosevelt won the 1932 election and were re-elected in 1936. A conservative Southerner, Garner opposed the sit-down strikes of the labor unions and the New Deal's deficit spending. However, Garner was also considered highly effective in the passage of New Deal legislation, with Roosevelt relying greatly on Garner's wealth of political friendships and legislative skills to pilot New Deal legislation through Congress. Unlike vice presidents before him, Garner also had a more active, non-ceremonial role in the U.S. Cabinet. He broke with Roosevelt in 1937 over a range of issues, especially the centralization of too much power in the federal government. Garner again sought the presidency in the 1940 presidential election, but Roosevelt won the party's presidential nomination at the 1940 Democratic National Convention, then chose Henry A. Wallace as his running mate.