Jack Vowell

Jack Caruthers Vowell, Jr.
Member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 78th district
In office January 12, 1993 – January 10, 1995
Preceded by	David Counts
Succeeded by	Pat Haggerty
Texas State Representative for the 70th District (El Paso County)
In office January 11, 1983 – January 12, 1993
Preceded by	Susan Gurley McBee
Succeeded by	David Counts
Texas State Representative for temporary District 72-A (El Psso County)
In office January 13, 1981 – January 11, 1983
Preceded by	Luther Jones
Succeeded by	District abolished
Personal details
Born	May 9, 1927 El Paso, Texas, USA
Died	August 29, 2006 (aged 79) El Paso, Texas
Resting place	Restlawn Memorial Park in El Paso
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Mary Johnson Vowell (married 1957-2006, his death)
Children	Janice Vowell Alexander Two grandsons
Parents	Jack, Sr., and Daurice McDaniel Vowell
Residence	El Paso, Texas
Alma mater	Georgetown University University of Texas at El Paso Harvard University
Occupation	Political science professor Construction company owner Securities investor
Religion	Episcopalian
Military service
Service/branch	United States Army (1946-1947)

Jack Caruthers Vowell, Jr. (May 9, 1927 – August 29, 2006),^[1] was a political science professor and construction company owner from his native El Paso, Texas, who was a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1981 to 1995. He was the District 78 representative from 1993 to 1995. He previously represented District 70 from 1983 to 1993 and the temporary District 72-A from 1981 to 1983. The boundary changes came from redistricting. From 1987 to 1989, Vowell was a member of the Sunset Advisory Commission, the body which considers the abolition of useless state agencies.^[2]

Biography

Vowell was the first Republican in El Paso to win a seat in the Texas legislature in a general election. He ran down ballot on November 4, 1980, on the first Reagan-Bush ticket. Texas Monthly magazine twice named him among the "Ten Best" legislators. He ran unopposed in 1992 for his last term in the House.^[3] He did not seek an eighth term in 1994 and was succeeded by fellow Republican Pat Haggerty, an El Paso real estate broker who had already represented a previous district.^[4]

Vowell was one of two children of Texas natives Jack Vowell, Sr. (1899-1969), the football and basketball coach of the University of Texas at El Paso Miners from 1922 to 1923, and the former Daurice McDaniel (1901-1974). A sister, Daurice V. Anderson, predeceased him.^[5] Vowell and his wife, the former Mary Johnson (born c. 1929), wed in 1957 and had one child, Janice Vowell Alexander (born c. 1963) of El Paso. She and her husband, Jay Dwayne Alexander (born c. 1959), have two sons, Jack Vowell's grandsons, Jayson and Jackson Alexander.^[1]

From 1947 to 1948, Vowell served in the United States Army. In 1948 and 1952, he received a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science, respectively, in Foreign Service from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He received a Master of Arts degree, also in 1952, from the University of Texas at El Paso, then known as Texas Western College,^[6] not to be confused with Western Texas College, a community college founded in 1971 in Snyder in Scurry County, Texas. His thesis is entitled Politics at El Paso, 1850-1920.^[7] In 1955, he completed postgraduate studies at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.^[6]

Vowell was the president of his Vowell Construction Company and taught at the University of Texas at El Paso. He was active in many civic organizations, including the Boy Scouts of America, the El Paso Chamber of Commerce, the Texas Council on Disabilities, the Texas State Council on Child Abuse, El Paso History Society, the El Paso Public Library personnel committee,^[6] and Goodwill Industries. He received the Gran Paisa Award from the University of Texas at El Paso, the Hannah G. Solomon Award from the El Paso Section of the National Council of Jewish Women, and twice the El Conquistador Award from the City of El Paso.^[1]

Vowell, who was Episcopalian,^[6] died at the age of seventy-nine. He and his parents are interred in El Paso at Restlawn Memorial Park.^[1]

References

1. "Jack Caruthers Vowell, Jr.". Findagrave.com. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
2. "Jack Vowell". Texas Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
3. "1992 General Election". Texas Secretary of State. November 3, 1992. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
4. "Patrick "Pat" Haggerty". Texas Lesislative Reference Library. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
5. "Jack Caruthers Vowell". Findagrave.com. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
6. "Jack C. Vowell". prabook.org. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
7. Politics at El Paso, 1850-1920. worldcat.org. Retrieved February 25, 2016.