LRL Home - Legislators and Leaders - Texas Legislators: Past & Present - Member profile

Archie Parr Full Name: Archer "Archie" Parr Date of birth: December 25, 1860 Date of death: October 18, 1942 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 27 Jan 13, 1931 - Jan 8, 1935 43rd (1) (2)   42nd (3)   43rd (1) (2)   Democrat Benavides / Duval Dean of the Senate. (43rd) Senate President Pro Tempore (43rd) Dean of the Senate. (42nd)   Brooks, Cameron, Dimmit, Duval, Frio, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, La Salle, McMullen, Nueces, Starr, Webb, Willacy, Zapata, Zavala S 27 Jan 11, 1927 - Jan 13, 1931 41st (4) (5)   40th (6)   41st (4) (5)   Democrat Benavides / Duval Dean of the Senate. (41st)   Brooks, Cameron, Dimmit, Duval, Frio, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, La Salle, McMullen, Nueces, Starr, Webb, Willacy, Zapata, Zavala S 27 Jan 13, 1925 - Jan 11, 1927 39th (7) (8)   Democrat Benavides / Duval   Brooks, Cameron, Dimmit, Duval, Frio, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, La Salle, McMullen, Nueces, Starr, Webb, Willacy, Zapata, Zavala S 23 Jan 9, 1923 - Jan 13, 1925 38th (9) (10)   Democrat Benavides / Duval   Cameron, Dimmit, Duval, Hidalgo, La Salle, McMullen, Nueces, San Patricio, Starr, Webb, Zapata S 23 Jan 14, 1919 - Jan 9, 1923 37th (11) (12)   36th (13)   37th (11) (12)   Democrat Benavides / Duval Senate President Pro Tempore (37th)   Cameron, Dimmit, Duval, Hidalgo, La Salle, McMullen, Nueces, San Patricio, Starr, Webb, Zapata S 23 Jan 12, 1915 - Jan 14, 1919 34th (15)   35th (14)   Democrat Benavides / Duval   Cameron, Dimmit, Duval, Hidalgo, La Salle, McMullen, Nueces, San Patricio, Starr, Webb, Zapata (1) 43rd Legislature - Senate President Pro Tempore, Ad Interim 4th C.S., elected 11/10/1934. Senate Journal. (2) 43rd Legislature - Roll Call of Holdover Senators, 1/10/1933, p. 1. Senate Media. (3) 42nd Legislature - Roll Call of Newly-Elected Senators, oath of office administered, 1/13/1931, p. 1. Senate Journal. (4) "Fifteen State Senators Must Seek Re-Election in Summer", 1/3/1930, p. 2. Big Spring Daily Herald. (5) 41st Legislature - Roll Call of Holdover Senators, 1/8/1929, p. 1. Senate Journal. (6) 40th Legislature - Certificate of New Senators and Roll Call of New Senators, 1/11/1927, p. 1. Senate Journal. (7) 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. (8) 39th Legislature - Drawing for Terms of Office, 1/15/1925, pp. 34-35. Drew 2-year term. Senate Journal. (9) 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. (10) 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. (11) 37th Legislature - Senate President Pro Tempore, elected 8/16/1921, 1st C.S. Senate Journal. (12) 37th Legislature - Roll Call of Holdover Senators, 1/11/1921, pp. 1-2. Senate Journal. (13) 36th Legislature - Filed certificate of election and administered oath of office, 1/14/1919, p. 2. Majority and minority committee reports in Parr-Glasscock election contest printed, 3/11/1919, pp. 837-838, and Appendix, pp. 839-840. Adoption of majority report (seating Senator Parr), 3/12/1919, p. 867. Senate Journal. January 14, 1919 March 11, 1919 March 12, 1919 (14) 35th Legislature - Roll Call of Holdover Senators, 1/9/1917, pp. 1-2. Senate Journal. (15) 34th Legislature - Elected November 3, 1914, oath of office administered to members elect, 1/12/1915, pp. 1-2. Senate Journal.   Biographical Notes and Resources top Resolutions and Journal entries 48th Legislature, R.S., SR 36, 2/17/1943, p. 227. Resolutions - Memorial. Biographical Sketches PARR, ARCHER (1860-1942). Handbook of Texas Online. Biographical sketch, Senate of the 35th Legislature, "A Look at the Affairs of State: The Real Names and Addresses of Thirty-one Senators With Additional Facts," 3/22/1917, p. 6. Houston Post. Biography, 2/8/1929, p. 5. Houston Post-Dispatch. Other Resources Description of Archer Parr's temperment and his efforts to obtain, expand, and maintain political power in Duval County, pp. 173-193. Boss Rule in South Texas, 1979. Obituary, 10/19/1942, p. 7. Dallas Morning News. Photograph of Senator Archie Parr, first "Duke of Duval." Duke of Duval: the Life and Times of George B. Parr, 1976. Account of Archer Parr's birth, rise to power, years in the Texas Senate, and retirement from active politics. Includes details of the Parr-Glasscock election contest, pp. 26-41. Fall of the Duke of Duval, 1995. Anders, Evan. "Boss Rule and Constituent Interests: South Texas Politics during the Progressive Era," Vol. 84, No. 3, January 1981, pp. 269-292. Mentioned on p. 269, photo p. 290. Southwestern Historical Quarterly. Anders, Evan. "The Origins of the Parr Machine In Duval County, Texas," Vol. 85, No. 2, October 1981, pp. 119-138. Southwestern Historical Quarterly. Mentioned in "Southwestern Collection: Accessions," Vol. 86, No. 3, January 1983, p. 417, as one of three members of the 1921 special investigating committee on hazing at Texas A&M. Southwestern Historical Quarterly. See the Austin-American, January 9, 1935, p. 2, col. 1 ("Deans of the 43rd legislature, J. L. Goodman of Franklin in the house and Archer Parr in the senate, were defeated for re-election and retired from the active political picture.") Texas Senate, Secretary of the Senate - Memo, January 8, 2002, 'Deans of the Texas Senate', 2002. Photographs Photograph. A. Parr, 43rd Legislature, State Preservation Board Photograph. Archie Parr, 42nd Legislature, State Preservation Board Photograph. Archie Parr, 41st Legislature, State Preservation Board Photograph. A. Parr, 40th Legislature, State Preservation Board Photograph. A. Parr, 39th Legislature, State Preservation Board Photograph. A. Parr, 38th Legislature, State Preservation Board Photograph. A. Parr, 37th Legislature, State Preservation Board Photograph. A. Parr, 36th Legislature, State Preservation Board Photograph. A. Pagr, 35th Legislature, State Preservation Board Photograph. Archer Parr, 34th Legislature, State Preservation Board Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol 34th session composite photo of Senate members (Senate chamber gallery, south wall. 3E.5). State Preservation Board. 35th session composite photo of Senate members (3rd floor back hall corridor, west wall. 3E.C2). State Preservation Board. 36th session composite photo of Senate members (3rd floor back hall corridor, west wall. 3E.C2). State Preservation Board. 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. Committee Informationtop 43rd R.S. - 1933 Congressional Districts   Constitutional Amendments   Contingent Expense   Counties and County Boundaries   Criminal Jurisprudence   Educational Affairs   Finance   Game and Fish   Highway Department Investigation, Committee of the Whole Senate   Internal Improvements   Mining, Irrigation and Drainage   Nominations of the Governor   Rio Grande Valley Hurricane Damage   Rules   Senatorial Districts   State Affairs   State Highways and Motor Traffic   Stock and Stockraising (Chair)  Texas Rehabilitation and Relief Commission Investigation, Committee of the Whole Senate   42nd R.S. - 1931 Constitutional Amendments   Contingent Expense   Counties and County Boundaries (Vice Chair)  Criminal Jurisprudence   Educational Affairs   Finance   Internal Improvements (Vice Chair)  Mining, Irrigation and Drainage   Moody Chair Purchase, Investigate   State Affairs   State Highways and Motor Traffic   Stock and Stock Raising (Chair)  41st R.S. - 1929 Constitutional Amendments   Contingent Expenses   Counties and County Boundaries (Vice Chair)  Criminal Jurisprudence   Educational Affairs   Engrossed Bills   Internal Improvements   Mining, Irrigation and Drainage   Rules   State Affairs   State Highways and Motor Traffic   Stock and Stock Raising (Chair)  40th R.S. - 1927 Constitutional Amendments   Contingent Expenses   Counties and County Boundaries (Vice Chair)  Criminal Jurisprudence   Educational Affairs   Highways and Motor Traffic   Internal Improvements   Mining, Irrigation and Drainage   State Affairs   Stock and Stock Raising (Chair)  39th R.S. - 1925 Contingent Expense   Counties and County Boundaries (Vice Chair)  Internal Improvements   Mining, Irrigation and Drainage   Public Health   Roads, Bridges and Ferries (Highways and Motor Traffic as of 1/23/1925)   State Affairs   State Song, Investigate   Stock and Stock Raising (Chair)  38th R.S. - 1923 Agricultural Affairs (Vice Chair)  Criminal Jurisprudence   Finance   Internal Improvements   Mining, Irrigation and Drainage   Privileges and Elections   Public Lands and Land Office   Stock and Stock Raising (Chair)  37th R.S. - 1921 Agricultural Affairs (Chair)  Agricultural and Mechanical College Hazing Investigating   Congressional Districts   Criminal Jurisprudence   Internal Improvements   Labor   State Affairs   Stock and Stock Raising   36th R.S. - 1919 Agricultural Affairs   Counties and County Boundaries (Chair)  Internal Improvements   Labor   Mining, Irrigation and Drainage (Vice Chair)  Senatorial Districts   State Affairs   Stock and Stock Raising   35th R.S. - 1917 Congressional Districts   Counties and County Boundaries   Federal Relations   Finance   Judicial Districts   Public Lands and Land Office   State Penitentiaries   Stock and Stock Raising   34th R.S. - 1915 Counties and County Boundaries (Chair)  Federal Relations   Internal Improvements   Judicial Districts   Judiciary No. 1   Mining and Irrigation   Public Health   Public Lands and Land Office   Stock and Stock Raising

This website is a work in progress. Information on this website is provided as a public service by the Legislative Reference Library. The Legislative Reference Library makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy and makes no warranty in regard to its use. Users assume all risk of reliance on the information included on this site.

Have a question, comment or contribution? Email the Library or call 512-463-1252.

Many photos in Texas Legislators: Past and Present are used with permission of the Texas State Preservation Board. For permission to reproduce these photos, please contact the Texas State Preservation Board graphics coordinator at 512-475-3060.