Robert C. Eckhardt
| Robert C. Eckhardt | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 8th district |
|
|
In office January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1981 |
|
| Preceded by | Lera Millard Thomas |
| Succeeded by | Jack Fields |
| Member of the Texas House of Representatives | |
|
In office 1958-1966 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
July 16, 1913 Austin, Texas |
| Died | November 13, 2001 (aged 88) Austin, Texas |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Nadine Eckhardt |
| Religion | Presbyterian |
Robert Christian "Bob" Eckhardt (July 16, 1913 – November 13, 2001) was a Democratic United States Representative representing the 8th District of Texas from 1967 to 1981.
Eckhardt was born in Austin, Texas on July 16, 1913. He was the grand-nephew of Democratic Congressman Rudolph Kleberg, nephew of Republican Congressman Harry Wurzbach, and a cousin of Richard Mifflin Kleberg, Sr., heir to the famous King Ranch in South Texas. Eckhardt graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1935 and received his law degree from the University of Texas Law School in 1939. He served in the United States Army from 1942 to 1944. Eckhardt was appointed Southwestern Director of the Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs, 1944–1945.
He moved to Houston, Texas and was elected a member of the Texas House of Representatives, serving from 1958 to 1966, where he compiled a fairly liberal voting record. One of Eckhardt's most enduring accomplishments in the Texas House was writing the Texas Open Beaches Act, passed in 1959.
In 1966, he was elected as a Democrat in Congress representing Texas's 8th congressional district, which included most of northern Houston. Eckhardt was the sponsor of the War Powers Act and the Toxic Substances Act. He was reelected six times without serious difficulty. In 1980, however, he was narrowly defeated by Jack Fields, losing by only 4,900 votes. He was also a co-founder of the Texas Observer magazine.
...
Wikipedia