Bill Ballew, the head of the Harris County Democratic party around 1963, immediately suspected LYNDON JOHNSON in the JFK assassination

Bill Ballew - head of the Harris County, TX Democratic party around 1963 - immediately suspected Lyndon Johnson in the JFK assassination.

Bill Bunch, who married into the family of Bill Ballew, told me that the family of Bill Ballew told him that Bill Ballem, a liberal Democratic chairman of Harris County, immediately suspected Lyndon Johnson in the JFK assassination.

Robert Morrow email conversation (3/6/14) with Bill Bunch, a local environmental activist in Austin:

Robert Morrow: “Btw, what was the name of your father-in-law who was Harris County Demo chairman on the day of the JFK assassination and who immediately suspected LBJ? What exactly did he tell you - he was driving, listening to the radio, and then said to himself LBJ did it? He was not the only one. Other people have told me their parents said "Lyndon what have you done..."”

Bill Bunch: “Bill Ballew; he was one of the few and perhaps only Democrats at the Vinson and Elkins law firm in Houston; by the time I knew him he had suffered encephalitis and was not all there; his family members told me this story, so it is second hand; I am fairly sure he had been Harris County democratic party chair for a number of years.

Sunshine Williams (known in the early 1960’s as Imogene Williams) - June 11, 2015 phone interview with Robert Morrow

            Sunshine was at Amarillo Air Force base in the 1960 when JFK and LBJ campaigned there. Sunshine was standing down below on the tarmac of that famous photo of JFK trying to restrain LBJ: http://i.imgur.com/zU1nVKn.jpg Sunshine says that Gen. William  Lee, the head of Amarillo Air Force base, was a John Bircher and he intentionally kept to F-15s revved up at high level as a way of disrespecting the campaigning Democrats.

          Sunshine says that in 1963 the progressive Young Democrats of Texas immediately suspected Lyndon Johnson in the JFK assassination. Sunshine says, “We all did. Everybody did [suspect LBJ in the JFK assassination.” (She says Ann Richards, David Richards, Barbara Jordan were all members of the Young Democrats of that era but she does not know what they felt about the JFK assassination.)

          Sunshine says that Bill Kilgarlin, the head of the Harris County Democratic Party, immediately suspected Lyndon Johnson in the JFK assassination. She said that Kilgarlin openly expressed this opinion among his progressive Democratic friends and that the view of “LBJ Did It” was rife among them.

          Sunshine says there were two factions of the Texas Democratic party in the 1960’s One faction was the progressives and it was composed of labor, Mexicans, women, unions, Teamsters and Farmers’ Union. The other faction was the LBJ-Connally faction and its big players were oil and insurance companies and Farmer Bureau.

          Sunshine said that she had a premonition that JFK was going to be killed and it disturbed her so much that she took off work on the day of the JFK assassination. After it had occurred she was devastated but many if not all of her progressive Democratic friends immediately suspected LBJ in the JFK assassination.

Justice William W. Kilgarin, 1932 – 2012 – (before he was a judge) immediately suspected Lyndon Johnson in the JFK assassination

http://blog.chron.com/houstonlegal/2012/11/justice-william-w-kilgarlin-1932-2012/

 

JUSTICE WILLIAM W. KILGARLIN, 1932-2012

Posted on November 5, 2012 | By Mary Flood

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I didn’t get to Houston until 1979 and I heard about Bill Kilgarlin shortly after I arrived.

I fondly remember being surprised one late afternoon when he pulled out a bottle and some glasses back in his Harris County courthouse chambers and I got to share some laughs with him and a reporter colleague. Note that after a few more months covering courts, I was no longer surprised when any  judge pulled out a bottle and a few glasses in the Harris County courthouse. But few of the others laughed so well.

Rest in peace Justice Kilgarlin. This announcement of his death from the Texas Supreme Court:

Monday, November 5, 2012
JUSTICE WILLIAM W. KILGARLIN, 1932-2012

Former Justice William Kilgarlin, a Harris County district judge elected to the Texas Supreme Court in 1982 despite losing the primary and who lost his re-election bid in the first series of Republican victories that would change the Court, died Monday in Santa Fe, N.M. He was 79.

Services were pending Saturday in Austin. Burial will be in the Texas State Cemetery.

Kilgarlin

Like a fated character in the operas that Bill Kilgarlin and his late wife, Margaret, so loved, he was elected to the Court only after the incumbent he challenged, Justice James G. Denton, died after Denton won the Democratic primary. Kilgarlin’s name was substituted for Denton’s on the ballot and he won without a Republican opponent. But six years later Kilgarlin lost his bid to keep his seat in an initial sign that Texas was becoming a Republican state.

Kilgarlin, who served a term as state representative from Houston in the late 1950s and as Harris County Democratic Party chair from 1962 through 1966, had been a district judge from 1978 to 1982, when he challenged Denton.

Six years later Kilgarlin lost his seat to Justice Nathan L. Hecht, a Republican, in what was a first shift that political tides were changing for the Court, for Texas.

“Bill Kilgarlin was a Texas legal legend,” said former Chief Justice Thomas R. Phillips, whose election in 1988 sent the first waves. “He had a passion for fairness, and his opinions as a judge and his briefs as a lawyer were skillfully crafted in memorable and persuasive prose.”

Kilgarlin’s warmth and humor belied a fierce intellect, all of which he employed in extraordinary service to the state, Chief Justice Wallace B. Jefferson said. “He kept in touch with the Court long after his service here. The Court will never be the same without him.”

After their election battle, Hecht and Kilgarlin became friends. “Justice Kilgarlin was a very effective member of the Court, and while we disagreed on many things, he and I both said we each ran a good race against the other, and we have remained friends since.”

William Wayne Kilgarlin was born in Houston, his father an oil refinery worker, his mother a government worker. He graduated from the University of Houston and served three years as an artillery officer in the U.S. Army in Oklahoma and Arkansas before returning to Houston. He ran for the Texas House in 1958, the year after his discharge, and left the Legislature in 1960 to attend law school at the University of Texas. He earned his degree in 1962.

The next year, as Harris County Democratic Party chair, he greeted President John F. Kennedy on arrival in Houston for Kennedy’s November 1963 fence-mending Texas trip to bring the state Democratic Party’s rival factions together. Kilgarlin sat with the president at dinner that night, November 21.

As a young lawyer, Kilgarlin was a powerhouse among Harris County progressives. In 1963 he sued to challenge the constitutionality of state senatorial districts based on geographic areas regardless of population distribution and alleging in part that such districts resulted in racial gerrymandering. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed.

Kilgarlin credited that decision for Barbara Jordan’s election as the first black woman to the Texas Senate in 1968 after she lost two previous elections for the Legislature, he told interviewer Ana Pacheco in 2009. Jordan would later be the first black elected to Congress from the South since Reconstruction.

Later Kilgarlin became more active in the conservative wing of the Harris County Democratic Party, all the while building a successful legal practice. (UPDATE – One friend called him “a pragmatic liberal.”)

In the years after Justice Kilgarlin left the Court he practiced law with Ikard & Wynne LLP in Austin, splitting his time between Austin and Santa Fe, where he and Margaret, an artist who died there in 2003, moved in part for its opera and arts.

“Bill Kilgarlin was in all things large,” Austin lawyer Bill Ikard said. “His voice booming, his intellect and wisdom prodigious, his seemingly insatiable appetites for rich food, the challenge of bridge and the majesty of opera, and his immutable devotion to every aspect of jurisprudence were large and will always be larger than life.”

Before the Kilgarlins moved to Santa Fe their house – the famous “castle” on Austin’s famous Castle Hill – was a gathering place for Austin’s artists and art benefactors. The Kilgarlins also frequently entertained the Court staff and judges from across the state frequently stayed in their guest house while visiting Austin. (UPDATE CORRECTION – Kilgarlin’s home was not on Castle Hill, but rather a “castle” in Pemberton Heights.)

In 2004, Kilgarlin created The William and Margaret Kilgarlin Center for the Preservation of the Cultural Records at the University of Texas at Austin. “We never had any children,” he told Pacheco, “and since I’ve always been a history buff, I decided that the endowment would be part of our legacy.”

One of his law clerks, Houston appellate attorney Jennifer Bruch Hogan, credited Kilgarlin with her first date with another law clerk at the Court, Richard Hogan, now her husband. Their 24th wedding anniversary was Monday, the day Kilgarlin died, she said.

“He attended our rehearsal dinner and our wedding in 1988, and has been our friend ever since,” she said. “Judge Kilgarlin was funny, thoughtful and knowledgeable about a host of subjects – from the law and politics to food, wine, opera, art, and travel.”

Phillips said Kilgarlin’s devotion to his wife and his fierce loyalty to his many friends was an inspiration.

“He was, in both his strengths and his flaws, an outsized figure who will long be remembered.”

David Richards, former husband of Ann Richards, interview by Robert Morrow 6-11-2015

David Richards and his wife Ann Richards, later governor of Texas, were progressive young Democrats living in Dallas, near SMU, at the time of the JFK assassination. I asked Richards if he or Ann thought that Lyndon Johnson was behind the JFK assassination and he said “never crossed my mind.” However, at the time they were convinced JFK’s murder was a “right wing putsch” like many people they knew. They all assumed the Right Wing had killed JFK.

Richards said that Oscar Mauzy, who was running for leader of the National Young Democrats blamed Lyndon Johnson for his loss. Said LBJ did not want another thorn in his side like Ralph Yarborough.

Bill Kilgarin come out of that group of young Democrats and he made it to the Texas Supreme Court.

Henry Gonzales was older - David and Ann were huge supporters.

Bruce Elfant - David was a huge supporter of his Democratic parents.

In the early 1960’s they were “heavily into the race issue.” Race issue dominated the agenda of young Texas progressives.

“All of us worked in the 1960 election” for the Democratic ticket of JFK and LBJ.

David Richards was a supporter of William O. Douglass and wished he was the 1960 Democratic nominee.

LBJ was the head of the President’s Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity.  Richards explained that because there was no law, the EEOC was created to advocate for non-discrimination in govt. contracts.

“Lockheed agreement was a huge one.

Richards said he thought RFK was intimidated by Sen. James Eastland of MS and he thought the Kennedy Admin had “no enthusiasm for civil rights” and “no energy for civil rights.”

In this time period (1956) David Richards had been president of the Univ. of Texas student Democrats.

David Richards on Gov “Allan Shivers was a worthless, racist whatever have you”

Johnson-Rayburn decided to take on Shivers in a battle for control of the Democratic party. “liberals made common cause with the LBJ people to defeat the Shivers people.” The precinct conventions were brutal.

In Travis county, the Johnson people ended up with all the delegate slots to state, the liberals were shut out. A man with the carpenter’s union printed fake delegate credentials for David Richards and his progressive friends from Austin. He went to  Waco for the state convention and got in my climbing in through a window in the rest room.

Mr. Dixie the wheelhouse of the Harris County Democrats was there representing a liberal wing that had become potent.

The key battle of the convention was the Credentials Committee, which the anti-Shivers coalition won. 

Creekmore Fath - a longtime liberal activist was there; John Cofer, a lawyer and the Johnson man was there and both men kept coming up with different vote totals.

In 1956 they got Frankie Randolph elected as national committee woman (Democrats) over the wife of Lloyd Bentsen and that was considered a huge coup for the liberals. The liberals got stabbed in the back by the Johnson people on everything else. Frankie Randolph was a huge affront to LBJ.

Richards knows Nadie Eckhardt.  Harry McPearson and his wife were very good friends with David Richards (and Ann). Later David became very good friends with Liz Carpenter.

One time in 1961 David and Ann Richards went to visit friends in Wash DC. He went over to Mary Margaret Wiley’s apartment and was told don’t be surprised if Vice President Lyndon Johnson shows up. David and Ann Richards were stunned when LBJ did in fact show up.

There had been a story in the Texas Observor by M___ M____ Jr. and it said when you go to Wash DC “say hello to Lyndon” The article was basically favorable to LBJ but it had something in there about LBJ being tardy in censoring Joe McCarthy.

When David Richards brought up that story LBJ “went fucking nuts” and gave Richards the “full Johnson treatment.” LBJ turned to Richards and got in his face, “I do want Mr. M___ M____Jr. to know that I censored Joe McCarthy.”

Richards could not believe LBJ would know about that “pidding story” in the Texas Observer. Years later Richards spoke with Bob Hardesty before he died and said about LBJ “He knew everything.”

David Richards on Barr McClellan: “a lunatic.”

Other people associated with LBJ still around - Lloyd Hand -in LBJ’s office and Jim Wilson, on Senate Democratic Policy council.

When asked if he knew about the power of Ed Clark, Richards replied, “Oh sure. God yes. No question about it.” Richards thought that Ed Clark’s power came from his friendship with Ben Ramsey who was Lt. Governor and from San Augustine where Ed Clark was from.

According to David Richards, Billie Sol Estes raised a bunch of money for Arthur Goldberg.

Jake Pickle was the PR guy who killed the campaign of Ralph Yarborough in 1954, 1956. Pickle was detested by Texas liberals. Richards says “We hated Jake.”

The slogan was “Dollars for Democrats, but not a nickel for Pickle.” Richards says that Pickle later became a remarkable politician when he was a congressman.

David Richards says “Ronnie Dugger, when were living in Dallas was hot on the assassination issue.” As were Tom Johnson (an old friend) and Earl Golz who drank a lot. Richards said that Dugger spent “days and days retracing Oswald and his movements.”

Richards knew Bud Shrake and Gary Cartwright and loved Gary.

Earl Cabell ran against Bruce Alger for Congress and beat him. Richards, “Alger was the Ted Cruz of his era.”

Incident with Lady Bird and LBJ at the Baker Hotel in 1960 campaign.

David and Ann Richards were at the Dallas event for Adlai Stevenson on Oct. 24, 1963. Richards said he felt like he was “trapped in collective insanity” and the atmosphere was “totally crazy.” Said that Stanley Marcus did not introduce Stevenson, it was a lessor executive at Neiman Marcus. Stevenson was there for UN day at Memorial Auditorium.

Said that just before Stevenson was to speak, a huge banner rolled down behind him “Get the USA out of the UN.” Somebody else got on a bullhorn and starting blasting out anger about training Yugoslav pilots for communist Tito.

Richards wanted this guy’s head broken and someone jumped up there to stop the bullhorning.

The anti-Stevenson people had taken many seats in front row center and as Stevenson spoke they got up to leave as their bracelets jangled. As Richards went out into the lobby there was none other than George Lincoln Rockwell, the founder of the American Nazi party with his Nazi followers.

On the day of the JFK assassination, Richards reaction was that it had been a “right wing putsch.” Ann Richards was waiting at lunch over at the Trademart for the arrival of JFK who never came.

Richards saw the Dallas JFK motorcade. “It was a mess. Buses sitting in the street. Crowd out in the street. Narrow passage. Ineptitude of Dallas police.”

District Attorney Henry Wade: “worst son of a bitch in the Western Hemispere” in the opinion of Richards.”

Richards did not like the Dallas police and he sued them on behalf of the owner, Stoney Burns, of the underground paper which was “Dallas Notes from the Underground.”