Beauford H. Jester

Beauford Halbert Jester (January 12, 1893 – July 11, 1949) was an American politician who served as the 36th governor of Texas from 1947 until his death in office in 1949. He is the only Texas governor ever to have died in office. Jester was a veteran of World War I and known for reforms of prisons and the educational system of the state.

Early life, education, and marriage Jester was born in 1893 to George Taylor Jester and his wife, Frances P. Gordon, in Corsicana, Texas, the seat of Navarro County in east Texas. He attended local segregated schools. Jester attended the University of Texas at Austin,

He married Mabel Buchanan on June 15, 1921.

Jester was easily re-elected to a second term in 1948. He helped implement the most extensive education reforms in the state through the 1949 Gilmer-Aiken Act, the first comprehensive system for Texas school funding. It was a series of bills passed in 1949 by the Texas Legislature aimed at reforming the state's public school system. These laws significantly impacted Texas education by raising teacher salaries, consolidating school districts, and providing state funding for equalization. The Gilmer-Aikin Act also established the Texas Education Agency and guaranteed all Texas children the opportunity to attend public school for twelve years.

Jester died unexpectedly of a heart attack on a train on July 11, 1949. He is the only Texas governor to die in office. Jester's body was returned to his hometown of Corsicana, where he is interred in Oakwood Cemetery.

From 1940 until Jester's death in 1949, singer Caroline Roget was Jester's secretary and romantic partner, according to papers at the Texas State Archives

Legacy and honors

In the 1950s, the Texas Department of Corrections complex of prisons, the Jester Prison Farm, was named after Jester to honor his efforts at prison reform. In 1964, Jester Park was dedicated by the City of Corsicana in memory of Beauford Jester. The park is home to the Lefty Frizzell Memorial and the Pioneer Village, which recreates the lives of the city's pioneers with replicas of historic buildings. In 1968, the Jester Center on the University of Texas campus was named after him. This contains Jester Dormitory, formerly the largest college residential facility in the world, housing just under 3,000 students, as well as classroom and faculty space. Land formerly owned by Jester in the Hill Country just west of Austin (now incorporated into Austin) was developed as "Jester Estates", a neighborhood now of about 1,000 homes. The two major streets entering the neighborhood are Beauford Drive and Jester Boulevard. The neighborhood runs along a ridge of the Balcones Plateau, and is surrounded on three sides by protected endangered-species habitat.