Thomas Jefferson Holbrook

Full Name: Thomas Jefferson Holbrook
Date of birth: July 27, 1878
Date of death: October 21, 1964

Terms of Service
Biographical Notes
Committee Information
Legislation

Terms of Service top

Chamber	District	Dates of Service	Legislatures	Party	City/County	Note	Counties in District
S	17	Jan 8, 1935 - Jan 10, 1939	45th ⁽¹⁾ 44th ⁽²⁾ 45th ⁽¹⁾	Democrat	Galveston / Galveston	Dean of the Senate. (45th) Dean of the Senate. (44th)	Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Matagorda, Wharton
S	17	Jan 13, 1931 - Jan 8, 1935	42nd ⁽⁴⁾ 43rd ⁽³⁾	Democrat	Galveston / Galveston		Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Matagorda, Wharton
S	17	Jan 11, 1927 - Jan 13, 1931	40th ⁽⁷⁾ ⁽⁸⁾ 41st ⁽⁵⁾ ⁽⁶⁾	Democrat	Galveston / Galveston	Senate President Pro Tempore (40th)	Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Matagorda, Wharton
S	17	Jan 13, 1925 - Jan 11, 1927	39th ⁽⁹⁾ ⁽¹⁰⁾	Democrat	Galveston / Galveston		Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Matagorda, Wharton
S	17	Jan 9, 1923 - Jan 13, 1925	38th ⁽¹¹⁾ ⁽¹²⁾	Democrat	Galveston / Galveston		Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston, Matagorda, Wharton
S	17	May 6, 1922 - Jan 9, 1923	37th ⁽¹³⁾ ⁽¹⁴⁾	Democrat	Galveston / Galveston		Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston, Matagorda, Wharton

(1) 45th Legislature - Roll Call of Senators, holdover Senators "who were Members of the Forty-fourth Legislature and whose terms of office continue for the duration of the Forty-fifth Legislature," 1/12/1937, pp. 1-2. Senate Journal.
(2) 44th Legislature - Roll Call of New Senators and Certificate of New Senators, oath of office administered, 1/8/1935, p. 1. Senate Journal.
(3) 43rd Legislature - Roll Call of Holdover Senators, 1/10/1933, p. 1. Senate Media.
(4) 42nd Legislature - Roll Call of Newly-Elected Senators, oath of office administered, 1/13/1931, p. 1. Senate Journal.
(5) "Fifteen State Senators Must Seek Re-Election in Summer", 1/3/1930, p. 2. Big Spring Daily Herald.
(6) 41st Legislature - Roll Call of Holdover Senators, 1/8/1929, p. 1. Senate Journal.
(7) 40th Legislature - Senate President Pro Tempore, Ad Interim R.S., elected 3/16/1927. Senate Journal.
(8) 40th Legislature - Certificate of New Senators and Roll Call of New Senators, 1/11/1927, p. 1. Senate Journal.
(9) 39th Legislature - All 31 Senators were elected on November 4, 1924, per Secretary of State, oath of office administered, 1/13/1925, p. 1. Senate Journal.
(10) 39th Legislature - Drawing for Terms of Office, 1/15/1925, pp. 34-35. Drew 2-year term. Senate Journal.
(11) 2-year term; entire Senate went up for reelection in 1924 due to redistricting. Act approved 1921 and effective Apr. 1, 1924, 37th Leg., 1st C.S., ch. 60, Apportionment Laws of Texas, 1836-1950, 1950.
(12) 38th Legislature - List of State Senators Elected at the General Election Held November Seventh, 1922, oath of office administered, 1/9/1923, p. 1-2. Senate Journal.
(13) Assumed Democrat based on listing as Democrat in subsequent Legislatures. Texas Legislative Manual.
(14) T.J. Holbrook, in special election 5/6/1922, succeeded William L. Hall, resigned after 2nd Called Session [sic]. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.

Terms of Service top

Senate District 17
Jan 8, 1935 - Jan 10, 1939
Legislatures: 45th ⁽¹⁾ 44th ⁽²⁾ 45th ⁽¹⁾
Dean of the Senate. (40th)
Dean of the Senate. (40th)
(40th)
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Galveston / Galveston
Counties in district: Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Matagorda, Wharton

Senate District 17
Jan 13, 1931 - Jan 8, 1935
Legislatures: 42nd ⁽⁴⁾ 43rd ⁽³⁾
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Galveston / Galveston
Counties in district: Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Matagorda, Wharton

Senate District 17
Jan 11, 1927 - Jan 13, 1931
Legislatures: 40th ⁽⁷⁾ ⁽⁸⁾ 41st ⁽⁵⁾ ⁽⁶⁾
Senate President Pro Tempore (40th)
(40th)
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Galveston / Galveston
Counties in district: Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Matagorda, Wharton

Senate District 17
Jan 13, 1925 - Jan 11, 1927
Legislatures: 39th ⁽⁹⁾ ⁽¹⁰⁾
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Galveston / Galveston
Counties in district: Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Matagorda, Wharton

Senate District 17
Jan 9, 1923 - Jan 13, 1925
Legislatures: 38th ⁽¹¹⁾ ⁽¹²⁾
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Galveston / Galveston
Counties in district: Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston, Matagorda, Wharton

Senate District 17
May 6, 1922 - Jan 9, 1923
Legislatures: 37th ⁽¹³⁾ ⁽¹⁴⁾
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: Galveston / Galveston
Counties in district: Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston, Matagorda, Wharton

Biographical Information top

Resolutions and Journal entries

41st Legislature, R.S. - Memorial address for Senator I.W. Fairchild delivered by T.J. Holbrook, pp. 573-576. Senate Journal.

Biographical Sketches

Biographical sketch, "Who's Who and What's What in the Texas Legislature," by Ed Kilman, 1/19/1929, p. 5. Houston Post-Dispatch.
Memorial, January 1965, p. 76. Texas Bar Journal.
Biographical sketch and inventory of the Thomas Jefferson Holbrook Papers, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Other Resources

Obituary and photo, "Ex-State Senator, T.J. Holbrook, Dies," 10/22/1964, p. 9-B. Abilene Reporter-News.
Obituary, "T.J. Holbrook, Former State Senator Dies," 10/22/1964, p. 2-A. Galveston Daily News.
See also the Austin-American, January 11, 1939, p. 7, col. 4 ("Chewing on the inevitable cigar, Thomas Jefferson Holbrook of Galveston, former dean of the senate, roamed through the chamber Tuesday."). Texas Senate, Secretary of the Senate - Memo, January 8, 2002, 'Deans of the Texas Senate', 2002.
See the Austin-American, January 9, 1935, p. 2, col. 1 ("[Representative] Ed Dunlap and [Senator] Holbrook Now Legislative Deans."). Texas Senate, Secretary of the Senate - Memo, January 8, 2002, 'Deans of the Texas Senate', 2002.
Holbrook, Thomas Jefferson. Texas State Cemetery.

Photographs

Photograph. T.J. Holbrook, 45th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. T.J. Holbrook, 44th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. T.J. Holbrook, 43rd Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. T.J. Holbrook, 42nd Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. T.J. Holbrook, 41st Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. T.J. Holbrook, 40th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. T.J. Holbrook, 39th Legislature, State Preservation Board
Photograph. T.J. Holbrook, 38th Legislature, State Preservation Board

Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol

37th session composite photo of Senate members (3rd floor back hall corridor, west wall. 3E.C2). State Preservation Board.
38th session composite photo of Senate members (3rd floor back hall corridor, west wall. 3E.C2). State Preservation Board.
39th session composite photo of Senate members (3rd floor back hall corridor, west wall. 3E.C2). State Preservation Board.
40th session composite photo of Senate members (3rd floor back hall corridor, west wall. 3E.C2). State Preservation Board.
41st session composite photo of Senate members (3rd floor back hall corridor, east wall. 3E.C2). State Preservation Board.
42nd session composite photo of Senate members (3rd floor back hall corridor, east wall. 3E.C2). State Preservation Board.
43rd session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
44th session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.
45th session composite photo of Senate members (Ground floor corridor, south wall. GE.C1). State Preservation Board.

Committee Information top

45th R.S. - 1937 Banking Commemoration of Texas Independence Day, Special Commerce and Manufactures Congressional Districts Constitutional Amendments Finance Game and Fish (Vice Chair) Insurance Interstate Cooperation Investigating (Chair) Mining, Irrigation and Drainage Public Health (Chair) Public Lands and Land Office Public Printing State Affairs State Penitentiaries (Vice Chair)
44th R.S. - 1935 Banking Commerce and Manufacturing Congressional Districts Constitutional Amendments Finance Game and Fish (Vice Chair) Insurance Interstate Cooperation Investigating Mining, Irrigation and Drainage Noncontested Bills, Special Poet Laureate Selection, Special Public Health Public Lands and Land Office (Vice Chair) Public Printing State Affairs State Eleemosynary Institutions State Penitentiaries (Chair)
43rd R.S. - 1933 Banking Commerce and Manufacturing Congressional Districts Finance (Chair) Highway Department Investigation, Committee of the Whole Senate Insurance Mining, Irrigation and Drainage Public Health Public Land and Land Office Public Printing Reductions in State Appropriations, Special Rio Grande Valley Hurricane Damage State Affairs State Penitentiaries Tax Program Texas Rehabilitation and Relief Commission Investigation, Committee of the Whole Senate
42nd R.S. - 1931 Banks and Banking Commerce and Manufacturing Congressional Districts Constitutional Amendments (Chair) Insurance Mining, Irrigation and Drainage Privileges and Elections Public Health Public Lands and Land Office Public Printing State Affairs State Highways and Motor Traffic State Penitentiaries
41st R.S. - 1929 Banking (Vice Chair) Contingent Expenses Insurance (Vice Chair) Privileges and Elections (Chair) Public Health Public Lands and Land Office Public Printing State Affairs State Penitentiaries
40th R.S. - 1927 Banking (Vice Chair) Contingent Expenses Criminal Jurisprudence Insurance Privileges and Elections Public Health State Affairs Towns and City Corporations (Chair)
39th R.S. - 1925 Banking (Chair) Constitutional Amendments (Chair) Contingent Expense Educational Affairs Nominations by Governor Privileges and Elections (Vice Chair) State Affairs Town and City Corporations
38th R.S. - 1923 Charges Against Legislature by Hull Youngblood, Joint Civil Jurisprudence Finance Insurance and Banking (Chair) Mining, Irrigation and Drainage (Vice Chair) Nominations by the Governor Public Health (Vice Chair) Roads, Bridges, and Ferries State Affairs State Penitentiaries

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