James E. Nugent
| James Edward "Jim" Nugent | |
|---|---|
| Texas Railroad Commissioner | |
|
In office 1979–1995 |
|
| Governor |
Bill Clements (1979-1983); (1987-1991) Mark White (1983-1987) Ann Richards (1991-1995) |
| Preceded by | Jon Newton |
| Succeeded by | Charles R. Matthews |
| Texas State Representative from District 56 (Gillespie, Kerr, Kimble, Llano, Mason, Menard, Real, San Saba, Schleicher, and Uvalde counties) | |
|
In office 1961–1979 |
|
| Preceded by | Joseph Burkett |
| Succeeded by | Gerald Geistweidt |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 24, 1922 San Angelo, Texas |
| Died | July 17, 2016 (aged 94) Austin, Texas |
| Resting place | Texas State Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Billie Louise Merritt Nugent (died 2002) |
| Children |
Billie Nan Nugent, formerly Billie Cotten |
| Residence | Kerrville, Kerr County, Texas |
| Alma mater | University of Texas Law School |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Navy
|
| Rank | Flier |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Billie Nan Nugent, formerly Billie Cotten
James Edward "Jim" Nugent (June 24, 1922 – July 17, 2016) was an American politician and a member of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Texas. His most recent position was from 1979 to 1995 as a member of the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates the state's energy industries.
Nugent graduated in 1941 from Schreiner College in Kerrville, Texas. He then attended from 1946 to 1949 the University of Texas School of Law in Austin, from which he received his Juris Doctor degree. That same year, he became the county attorney in his native Kerr County, a position that he retained until 1954.
From 1961 to 1979, Nugent was a member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 56, previously designated by several other numbers. Nugent served as Speaker Pro Tem in his last legislative term from 1977 to 1979.
In 1973, Representative Nugent was the author of the 215-page House Bill 1, designed to establish procedures for transparency in state government. The measure forced candidates to make their incomes public information. They were also required to reveal detailed information on their campaign expenses. The law also allowed greater public access to government meetings and records. It was not a reaction to the 1972 banking fraud scandal known as Sharpstown but had been introduced in several previous sessions. Nugent said that he did not object to money in campaigns. "We all needed money to run our campaigns. I just thought the public was better off knowing where everybody was getting their money. I just don't think the Legislature wanted it passed," Nugent said.
In 1978, Nugent was first elected to an unexpired four-year term on the Railroad Commission to succeed fellow Democrat Jon Newton. He was reelected to full six-year terms in 1982 and 1988.
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