DUANE
Duane's take
Here's the story as the official marker tells it, and I'm gonna give it to you straight. Charles A. Culberson — born June 10, 1855, died March 19, 1925 — came into this world in Alabama, but Texas is where he grew up, and he grew up in Jefferson, which is the kind of town that has a way of producing people who go somewhere.
And brother, did he go somewhere. He earned his law degree at the University of Virginia, married Sallie Harrison in 1882, and then set his sights on public life in a way that would eventually reach the highest chambers of the United States Senate. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
First came the work. Two full terms as Attorney General of Texas — and during those two terms, Culberson was the man enforcing the reform policies of Governor James S. Hogg.
When you're the one makin' sure the governor's reforms actually stick, you're doin' the heavy liftin', and Culberson did it. Then, when Hogg stepped aside, Culberson didn't step back — he stepped up. He succeeded Hogg as Governor, serving from 1895 to 1899.
That's the kind of career arc most men only dream about. But here's where the story really opens up. Culberson went to Washington.
Four terms in the United States Senate — four — and by 1907 he had earned something that tells you everything about how his colleagues saw him: Democratic Minority Leader. The whole caucus looked to this Texas lawyer to lead. And if that weren't enough, from 1913 to 1919 he chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee, the post that puts a man's knowledge of the law on display for the entire nation to judge.
They called him renowned for that knowledge, and by the record, they weren't wrong. Charles A. Culberson — Alabama-born, Jefferson-raised, Virginia-trained — and Texas was better for every bit of it.
What the marker says
(June 10, 1855 - March 19, 1925) A native of Alabama, Charles A. Culberson grew up in Jefferson, Texas. He married Sallie Harrison (1861-1926) in 1882 after earning his law degree at the University of Virginia. During two terms as Attorney General of Texas, Culberson enforced the reform policies of Gov. James S. Hogg. He succeeded Hogg as Governor, 1895-99. Culberson served four terms in the United States Senate, winning the post of Democratic Minority Leader in 1907. Renowned for his knowledge of the law, he chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee from 1913 to 1919. (1979)