Wright Patman

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John William Wright Patman (August 6, 1893-March 7, 1976) was a U.S. Congressman from Texas and chair of the United States House Committee on Banking and Currency.

Patman was born in Cass County, Texas. During World War I, Patman served as a private and a machine gun officer.

Patman was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1920. He left the House in 1924 when he was appointed district attorney of the fifth judicial district of Texas.

In 1928, Patman was elected to the House of Representatives in Texas's 1st congressional district. In 1932, Patman introduced a bill that would have mandated the immediate payment of the bonus to World War I veterans. It was during the consideration of this bill that the Bonus Army came to Washington. Patman was a supporter of the New Deal. He also opposed the Federal Reserve System.

In 1975, Patman was voted out of his position as Chairman of the Banking committee by younger Congressmen, in a revolt against the 'Seniority system' which also removed Felix Edward Hébert and William R. Poage from their positions as chairmen. Patman was replaced by Henry S. Reuss by a caucus vote of 152-117. The main reason given for the caucus removing Patman was due to concerns about his age and effectiveness. Soon afterwards, Patman died at the age of 82 in Bethesda, Maryland.

In the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, the Wright Patman Congressional Federal Credit Union is named after him. This credit union serves the banking needs of elected and former members of the House and their staff. In addition, Wright Patman Lake in East Texas is also named for him.

[edit] Notable Quotations

"I have never yet had anyone who could, through the use of logic and reason, justify the Federal Government borrowing the use of its own money. It is absolutely wrong for Government to issue interest–bearing obligations. It is not only wrong, it is absolutely unnecessary. I believe the system should be changed. The Constitution of the United States does not give the banks the power to create money. The Constitution says that Congress shall have the power to create money. I believe the time will come when people will demand that this be changed. I believe the time will come in this country when they will actually blame you and me and everyone else connected with this Congress for sitting idly by and permitting such an idiotic system to continue." -Wright Patman, 09/29/1941, Congressional Record pgs 7582-3

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  • John E. Owens, ‘Extreme Advocacy Committee Leadership in the Pre-Reform House: Wright Patman and the House Banking and Currency Committee’, British Journal of Political Science, 15/2, April 1985, pp. 149-168. ISSN 0007-1234
Preceded by:
Eugene Black		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Texas's 1st congressional district
1929–1976		 Succeeded by:
Sam B. Hall
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