Price Daniel, Jr.

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Marion Price Daniel, Jr. (1941–1981) was a United States politician from Texas who served as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives from 1973 to 1975.

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[edit] Early life

Daniel was born on 8 January 1941 in Austin, Texas, to Marion Price Daniel, Sr. and the former Jean Houston Baldwin. He was a great-great-great-grandson of Sam Houston. Daniel was raised in Austin and followed the political career of his father. By age twelve, he was making speeches on his father’s behalf. He graduated from Austin High School in 1959, Baylor University in 1964, and Baylor Law School in 1966. While at Baylor, Daniel started a mail-order that specialized in rare books of Texas history.

[edit] Political career

After receiving his law degree, Daniel moved to Liberty, Texas, and began legal practice there, and was also elected Justice of the Peace for Liberty County. At age 27, he was elected to the Texas House of Representatives from the same seat his father had held from 1939 to 1945.

After the fallout from the Sharpstown Stock Fraud Scandal and the resulting 50% turnover in both house of the Texas Legislature, Daniel followed again in the footsteps of his father when he was elected Speaker of the House.

Under Daniel’s leadership, the reform-minded Sixty-third Texas Legislature passed new ethics, financial disclosure, and open-records laws. The Legislature also updated and strengthened open-meetings, and lobbying laws. He believed that it should be illegal for the speaker to offer favors or make threats in order to get votes. Because of the great power of the office, Daniel believed that no speaker should be elected for more than one term, and consequently he did not seek reelection in 1974.

Daniel served as president of the 1974 Texas Constitutional Convention, the failure of which was often attributed to Daniel’s attempts at pleasing all political factions.

In 1978, Daniel unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for Texas Attorney General, losing to eventual general election winner Mark White

Daniel was married twice. First, to Diane Ford Wommack, and later, to Vickie Loretha Carroll. Daniel died on 19 January 1981 as a result of gunshot wounds inflicted by his second wife. The shooting and Vickie Daniel’s murder trial were the subject of a 1987 book, Deadly Blessings and a 1992 made-for-television film, Bed of Lies.

Daniel had three sons: Thomas, from his first marriage, and Franklin and Marion Price, III, from his second marriage.

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Preceded by
David Crews		 Member of the Texas House of Representatives
from District 6 (Liberty)
1969–1973		 Succeeded by
Arthur “Buddy” Temple
Preceded by
Rayford Price		 Member of the Texas House of Representatives
from District 16 (Liberty)
1973–1975		 Succeeded by
Perry A. Tanner, Jr.
Preceded by
Rayford Price		 Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
1973–1975		 Succeeded by
Bill W. Clayton
Speakers of the Texas House of Representatives Texas State Flag
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