Andrew Jackson Houston

Who was Andrew Jackson Houston?

Andrew Jackson Houston was an American politician. He was a son of the famous Texas hero and statesman Sam Houston, and was named for his father's mentor Andrew Jackson.

Houston was educated at several military academies and colleges, including West Point—from which he dropped out from the Class of 1875, and Baylor University. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1876.

Houston held many interesting positions through this period including colonel in the Texas National Guard and United States Marshal for the eastern district of Texas. Houston unsuccessfully ran for Governor of Texas in 1892 as a "lily-white" Republican candidate, and in 1910 and 1918 as a Prohibition Party candidate. In 1918 he retired to study and write history.

His retirement ended in 1941, when John Morris Sheppard died while representing Texas in the United States Senate. Texas Governor W. Lee O'Daniel, knowing that the 86-year-old Houston would not try to keep the seat during the special election, appointed Houston to fill the vacancy until the term ended in 1943. At the time of his swearing in, he was the oldest man to enter the Senate; it was 82 years after his father had served there. He filled that post from April 21, 1941 until his death 5 days after his 87th birthday on June 26 that year, attending only one committee meeting as a Senator. Houston is buried in the Texas State Cemetery.