Ralph Yarborough
| Ralph Yarborough | |
|---|---|
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United States Senator from Texas |
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In office April 29, 1957 – January 3, 1971 |
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| Preceded by | William A. Blakley |
| Succeeded by | Lloyd Bentsen |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ralph Webster Yarborough June 8, 1903 Chandler, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | January 27, 1996 (aged 92) Austin, Texas, U.S. |
| Resting place | Texas State Cemetery, Austin, Texas |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Opal Warren Yarborough (1903-2002) |
| Religion | Baptist |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
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| Service/branch |
 United States Army
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| Rank | Lieutenant colonel |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Ralph Webster Yarborough (June 8, 1903 – January 27, 1996) was a Texas Democratic politician who served in the United States Senate from 1957 to 1971 and was a leader of the progressive or liberal wing of his party in his many races for statewide office. As a United States Senator, he was a staunch supporter and author of "Great Society" legislation that encompassed Medicare and Medicaid, the War on Poverty, federal support for higher education and veterans. He co-wrote the Endangered Species Act and was the most powerful proponent of the Big Thicket National Preserve. He was the only southern senator to vote for all civil rights bills from 1957 to 1970 (including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965). Yarborough was known as "Smilin' Ralph" and used the slogan "Let's put the jam on the lower shelf so the little people can reach it" in his campaigns.
Yarborough was born in Chandler in Henderson County west of Tyler, the seventh of nine children of Charles Richard Yarborough and the former Nannie Jane Spear. He was appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1919 but dropped out to become a teacher. Yarborough instead attended Sam Houston State Teachers College and worked his way into the University of Texas at Austin. He graduated from the University of Texas Law School in 1927 and practiced law in El Paso until he was hired as an assistant attorney general in 1931 by the state Attorney General and later Governor James V. Allred.
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