W. E. "Pete" Snelson
| Wallace Eugene "Pete" Snelson | |
|---|---|
| Texas State Senator from District 25 | |
|
In office January 14, 1969 – January 11, 1983 |
|
| Preceded by | Dorsey B. Hardeman |
| Succeeded by | Bill Sims |
| Texas State Senator from District 29 | |
|
In office January 12, 1965 – January 10, 1967 |
|
| Preceded by | Frank Owen, III |
| Succeeded by | Joe Christie |
| Texas State Representative from District 102 | |
|
In office January 10, 1961 – January 8, 1963 |
|
| Preceded by | Louis H. Anderson |
| Succeeded by |
William S. "Bill" Davis (altered District 77: Midland County) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
March 28, 1923 Grandfalls, Texas, USA |
| Died | April 26, 2014 (aged 91) Georgetown, Texas, USA |
| Resting place | Texas State Cemetery, Austin, Texas |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Susan Sutton Snelson (married 1959–2014, his death) |
| Children |
Gene Snelson |
| Residence | Georgetown, Texas |
| Alma mater |
Grandfalls-Royalty High School |
| Occupation |
Businessman: |
| Religion | Presbyterian |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Battles/wars | Battle of Cherbourg in World War II |
William S. "Bill" Davis (altered District 77: Midland County)
Gene Snelson
Mrs. Sandy S. Yaklin
Steve Snelson
Grandfalls-Royalty High School
University of Texas at El Paso
Businessman:
Advertising and investments
Oilman
Educational consultant
Wallace Eugene Snelson, known as W. E. "Pete" Snelson (March 28, 1923 – April 26, 2014), was a businessman, former journalist, and decorated World War II United States Army officer from his adopted city of Midland, Texas, who served nonconsecutive terms as a Democrat in both houses of the Texas State Legislature from 1961 to 1983. He represented District 102 (Crane, Midland, Pecos, and Upton counties) in the Texas House of Representatives from 1961 to 1963, District 29 in the Texas Senate from 1965 to 1967, and District 25 in the state Senate from 1969 to 1983.
The sixth of seven children, Snelson was born in Grandfalls in Ward County, south of Odessa, a community named for the "grand falls" of the Pecos River. He was the salutatorian of his graduating class from Grandfalls-Royalty High School. He then became the news editor and advertising manager for the Grandfalls Gazette. In 1940, he enrolled in the journalism department at the University of Texas at El Paso, then known as the Texas College of Mines in El Paso. While in college, he was a full-time sports editor for the El Paso Times. In 1943, Snelson entered Army basic training and was sent to the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, Nebraska, to study the German language, history, and culture. He joined the 44th Infantry Division, Company B of the 324th Infantry Regiment, which was dispatched to Cherbourg, France. On November 13, 1944, Snelson was wounded when his company attacked the German line in the Vosges Mountains. After recuperation requiring three months, he was named a Special Agent in the 307th Counter Intelligence Corp detachment at 7th Army Headquarters. He received the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and Combat Infantryman Badge and was thereafter discharged as a technical sergeant, commissioned as a lieutenant, and named a commander of the Counter Intelligence Corps at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.
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