John Connally
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John Bowden Connally, Jr. (February 27, 1917–June 15, 1993) was an American politician from the state of Texas. He was a member of both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party during his life.
Connally was born in Floresville, Texas, and graduated from the University of Texas School of Law. He served in the United States Navy during World War II. He was an aide to Lyndon Johnson when the latter was a young Congressman and maintained ties to Johnson while practicing law in Texas.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy named Connally Secretary of the Navy. Connally resigned after 11 months to seek the Texas governorship. He was elected Governor of Texas in November, 1962 as a Democrat. He served as governor from 1963 to 1969. On November 22, 1963, he was seriously wounded while riding in President Kennedy's car in Dallas, Texas when the president was assassinated.
President Richard Nixon appointed Connally as United States Secretary of the Treasury in 1971, he served as secretary until 1972. In 1973, when LBJ died, Connally took part in eulogizing his old friend during burial services, along with the minister who officiated the services, Rev. Billy Graham. Many people around the world viewed Connally's eulogy as the most famous moment of the four days that marked the death and state funeral of LBJ, since they were reminded of the assassination that wounded him because it made one of his mentors and fellow Texan president.
Later in 1973, he joined the Republican party. When Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned in 1973, Connally was one of Richard Nixon’s top choices for Vice President. He sought the Republican nomination for President in 1980, campaigning on a pledge to bring the U.S. hostages home from Iran by any means necessary — refusing even to rule out the use of nuclear weapons — but withdrew from the race after only a few states had held primary elections. He died in 1993.
Trivia
- Connally and his wife admitted to being soap opera addicts. In a TIME article, written January 12, 1976, the two were quoted as saying that they would not allow anything to interrupt them during their favorite "story", Love of Life.
| Preceded by: William B. Franke | United States Secretary of the Navy 1961 | Succeeded by: Fred Korth |
| Preceded by: Price Daniel | Governor of Texas 1963–1969 | Succeeded by: Preston Smith |
| Preceded by: David M. Kennedy | United States Secretary of the Treasury 1971–1972 | Succeeded by: George P. Shultz |