William Harding Mayes
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William Harding Mayes | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 23rd Lieutenant Governor of Texas | |
| In office January 20, 1913 – August 14, 1914 | |
| Governor | Oscar Branch Colquitt |
| Preceded by | Asbury Bascom Davidson |
| Succeeded by | William P. Hobby |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 20, 1861 |
| Died | 26 June 1939 (aged 78) Austin, Texas, US |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 7 |
| Alma mater | Vanderbilt University |
William Harding Mayes (May 20, 1861 – June 26, 1939) was an American politician, journalist, and educator who served as the 23rd lieutenant governor of Texas from 1913 to 1914. A member of the Democratic Party, Mayes was the publisher of the Brownwood Bulletin and the founder of the University of Texas journalism school.
Born in Mayfield, Kentucky, Mayes was educated at Norton's English and Classical School in Tennessee, Paducah District Methodist College in Kentucky[4] and Vanderbilt University,[5] class of 1881,[5] where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta.[6][7] He practiced law in Kentucky in 1881 as a partner in the law firm Park and Mayes[8] and in Texas from 1882 to 1886, serving as county attorney of Brown County, Texas from 1882 to 1883.[9] He received an honorary doctorate of laws from Daniel Baker College in 1914.
Mayes purchased weekly newspapers in Brownwood, Texas in the 1880s and began the daily Brownwood Bulletin newspaper in 1900, which he published until 1914.[10] He and his brother, H.F. Mayes,[3] founded one of the earliest newspaper chains, owning Texas papers in Brady, Stephenville, Santa Anna, May, Ballinger and Dalhart.[11] The Brownwood Bulletin was the first newspaper in Texas to not be officially linked to the state Democratic party, instead opting to be independently Democratic (supportive of the party in general, but critical when warranted).[12]
Politics
Mayes was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1912 despite not campaigning for the position.[13] While Lt. Governor, Mayes played a notable role in the controversy surrounding the Daughters of the Republic of Texas' custodianship of the Alamo Mission in San Antonio, siding with Clara Driscoll over Adina De Zavala to demolish most of the remaining portions of the site's long barracks. He made this decision while governor Oscar Colquitt had left the state on business.[14] This event became known as the "Second Battle of the Alamo." Historians Burroughs, Tomlinson, Stanford, in "Forget the Alamo" describe this event as the motivation for Clara Driscoll to found the Texas Historical Landmarks Association.[15]
In September 1913, the University of Texas offered him a position as chair of an as-yet created School of Journalism.[16] However, Mayes declined, and immediately thereafter announced he was running for the office of Governor on a platform of statewide prohibition and local option.[16] He was initially considered to be a favorite,[17] but withdrew after Thomas Ball consolidated prohibitionist support,[18] who in turn lost the nomination to James E. Ferguson. Later in life he also served as executive vice president of the Texas Centennial Committee of 1936.[19]
After failing to gain the Democratic nomination for Governor, Mayes resigned from office,[9] founded, and became dean of the University of Texas School of Journalism[20] at the insistence of University President and friend Sidney Edward Mezes.[9]
