Byron M. Tunnell
| Byron Milton Tunnell | |
|---|---|
| Texas Railroad Commissioner | |
|
In office 1965 – January 1973 |
|
| Governor |
(1) John B. Connally, Jr. (1965-1969) |
| Preceded by | Ernest O. Thompson |
| Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives | |
|
In office 1963–1965 |
|
| Preceded by | Jimmy Turman |
| Succeeded by | Ben F. Barnes |
| Texas State Representative from District 15 (Smith County) | |
|
In office 1957–1965 |
|
| Preceded by | Bill D. Wood |
| Succeeded by | John A. Mobley, Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
October 14, 1925 Tyler, Smith County Texas, USA |
| Died | March 7, 2000 (aged 74) Texas State Cemetery in Austin, Texas |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Bette Lemons Tunnell (married 1945-1988, her death) |
| Residence | Austin, Texas |
| Alma mater | Baylor Law School |
| Occupation | Attorney |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | United States Navy Air Corps |
| Rank | Tail gunner |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
(1) John B. Connally, Jr. (1965-1969)
Byron Milton Tunnell (October 14, 1925 – March 7, 2000) was a state representative from 1957 to 1965, Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives from 1963 to 1965, and a member of the Texas Railroad Commission from 1965 to 1973.
Tunnell was born in Tyler, the county seat of Smith County and the largest city in east Texas, and educated in public schools. He graduated from Tyler High School and Tyler Junior College, then joined the United States Navy Air Corps during World War II as a tail gunner. On January 13, 1945, he married Bette Lemons (1927–1988).
In 1952, Tunnell received his law degree from Baylor Law School in Waco and returned to Tyler to become an assistant district attorney before entering private practice. He was joined by future Comptroller and Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock in 1959, and the two formed a close bond.
Tunnell was first elected to the Texas House in 1956. In the two years that he served as Speaker, which coincided with the first two years of the administration of Governor John B. Connally, Jr., the legislature created the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the state's first tourism department, and transferred what would become Padre Island National Seashore to the national government. On November 22, 1963, Tunnell was present at the Fort Worth breakfast at the Hotel Texas held for U.S. President John F. Kennedy shortly before his assassination later in the day. Others at the gathering included Texas Attorney General Waggoner Carr.
...
Wikipedia