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Shepperd was born in Gladewater, a small town in Gregg County near the county seat of [[Longview, Texas|Longview]], Texas, to Alfred Fulton Shepperd and the former Berthal Phillips. He graduated from the [[University of Texas]] at [[Austin]] with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1938 and an LL.B. in 1941. He was made a partner in the law firm of Kenley, Sharp, and Shepperd in Longview. During [[World War II]], Shepperd served for two years in the [[United States Army]]. In 1946, on his release from the military, Shepperd was appointed to complete the term of his father, who had resigned, on the Gregg County Commissioners Court. In Texas, such appointments are made by the elected county judge.<ref name="state historical society" />​

Shepperd was born in Gladewater, a small town in Gregg County near the county seat of [[Longview, Texas|Longview]], Texas, to Alfred Fulton Shepperd and the former Berthal Phillips. He graduated from the [[University of Texas]] at [[Austin]] with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1938 and an LL.B. in 1941. He was made a partner in the law firm of Kenley, Sharp, and Shepperd in Longview. During [[World War II]], Shepperd served for two years in the [[United States Army]]. In 1946, on his release from the military, Shepperd was appointed to complete the term of his father, who had resigned, on the Gregg County Commissioners Court. In Texas, such appointments are made by the elected county judge.<ref name="state historical society" />​

 

Shepperd rose to the top ranks of the Jaycees, having served as both state and national presidents of the organization. On three occasions, he was named one of the “Outstanding Young Men in Texas." In 1949, he was named among the “Outstanding Young Men in America”, along with future U.S. President [[Gerald Ford]] of  [[Michigan]] and later [[U.S. Senator]] [[Charles H. Percy]] of [[Illinois]]. Shepperd was allied with [[Governor]] Allan Shivers and the [[conservative]] wing of the then-dominant [[Democratic Party]]. He often clashed with the [[liberal]] wing headed by [[Ralph Yarborough]] of Austin, who would later become a U. S. Senator, he served briefly under appointment from Shivers on the elected Texas State Board of Education. In 1950, Shivers appointed Shepperd as the secretary of state.

Shepperd rose to the top ranks of the Jaycees, having served as both state and national presidents of the organization. On three occasions, he was named one of the “Outstanding Young Men in Texas." In 1949, he was named among the “Outstanding Young Men in America”, along with future U.S. President [[Gerald Ford]] of  [[Michigan]] and later [[U.S. Senator]] [[Charles H. Percy]] of [[Illinois]]. Shepperd was allied with [[Governor]] Allan Shivers and the [[conservative]] wing of the then-dominant [[Democratic Party]]. He often clashed with the [[liberal]] wing headed by [[Ralph Yarborough]] of Austin, who would later become a U. S. Senator, he served briefly under appointment from Shivers on the elected Texas State Board of Education. In 1950, Shivers appointed Shepperd as the secretary of state.

In that capacity, Shepperd organized an elections law task force and promoted measures to ensure economy in government.<ref name="state historical society" />​

In that capacity, Shepperd organized an elections law task force and promoted measures to ensure economy in government.<ref name="state historical society" />​

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==As attorney general==​

==As Attorney General==​

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===Racial Segregation===​

===Segregation ===​

In 1952, Shepperd was elected to the first of two two-year terms as state Attorney General. As his state’s chief legal officer Shepperd led the fight against the 1954 Supreme Court directive which mandated desegregation of public schools.​

In 1952, Shepperd was elected to the first of two two-year terms as state Attorney General. As his state’s chief legal officer Shepperd led the fight against the 1954 Supreme Court directive which mandated desegregation of public schools.​

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Shepperd later researched and drafted several bills designed to frustrate integration effort, writing in February 1957 that he "drew up a group of segregation bills before [he] went out of office and they have already been introduced in the Texas Legislature".<ref name ="Howell">{{cite journal|lauthor=Mark C. Howell|title=John Ben Shepperd, Attorney General of the State of Texas: His role in the continuation of segregation in Texas, 1953-1957|journal=Master’s Thesis|date=2003|publisher=University of Texas of the Permian Basin|location=Odessa, Texas}}</ref>​

Shepperd later researched and drafted several bills designed to frustrate integration effort, writing in February 1957 that he "drew up a group of segregation bills before [he] went out of office and they have already been introduced in the Texas Legislature".<ref name ="Howell">{{cite journal|lauthor=Mark C. Howell|title=John Ben Shepperd, Attorney General of the State of Texas: His role in the continuation of segregation in Texas, 1953-1957|journal=Master’s Thesis|date=2003|publisher=University of Texas of the Permian Basin|location=Odessa, Texas}}</ref>​

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===Corruption in Duval County===​

===Corruption in Duval County==​=

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Shepperd spearheaded an investigation of longstanding corruption in Duval County, the political machine province of [[George Parr]] (also known as “The Duke of Duval”), located in the barren dusty area east of [[Laredo]] in south Texas. Shepperd’s work produced some three hundred indictments of county and school officials.​

Shepperd spearheaded an investigation of longstanding corruption in Duval County, the political machine province of George Berham Parr (1901-1975), also known as "The Duke of Duval", located in the barren dusty area east of [[Laredo]] in south Texas. Shepperd’s work produced some three hundred indictments of county and school officials.​

===Other significant work===​

===Other significant cases===​

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As Attorney General, he led multiple investigations of  [[communism|communist]] infiltration of [[Organized labor|trade union]]s attempting to organize themselves in Texas.<ref name="ladino 1996">{{cite book|author=Robyn Duff Ladino|title=Desegregating Texas Schools: Eisenhower, Shivers, and the Crisis at Mansfield High|date=1996|publisher=University of Texas Press|location=Austin, Texas|isbn=978-0292746923|pages=35–36|url=https://books.google.ca/books?id=3_I3r53r1VgC&pg=PA35#v=onepage&q&f=false}}</ref> Shepperd exposed a scheme to defraud Texas of  [[tobacco tax]]es.<ref name="state historical society" /> He also defended Texas from questions raised by other states regarding the Submerged Lands Act of 1953 ({{usc|43|1301}}), a federal law which allocated revenues from the tidelands to Texas. In 1956, Shepperd was elected by his forty-seven peers as president of the National Association of Attorneys General.<ref name="state historical society" />​

As Attorney General, he led multiple investigations of  [[communism|communist]] infiltration of [[Organized labor|trade union]]s attempting to organize themselves in Texas.<ref name="ladino 1996">{{cite book|author=Robyn Duff Ladino|title=Desegregating Texas Schools: Eisenhower, Shivers, and the Crisis at Mansfield High|date=1996|publisher=University of Texas Press|location=Austin, Texas|isbn=978-0292746923|pages=35–36|url=https://books.google.ca/books?id=3_I3r53r1VgC&pg=PA35#v=onepage&q&f=false}}</ref> Shepperd exposed a scheme to defraud Texas of  [[tobacco tax]]es.<ref name="state historical society" /> He also defended Texas from questions raised by other states regarding the Submerged Lands Act of 1953, a federal law which allocated revenues from the tidelands to Texas. In 1956, Shepperd was elected by his forty-seven peers as president of the National Association of Attorneys General.<ref name="state historical society" />​

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===Land Board scandal===​

===Land Board scandal==​

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In 1954, the Veterans' Land Board scandal shook the Shivers administration when it was revealed that certain corrupt land speculators tried to enrich themselves at public expense. Bascom Giles, the elected commissioner of the Texas General Land Office and chairman of the Texas Veterans Land Board, was indicted, convicted, and served a prison term for his role in the scandal. Neither Shivers nor Shepperd was implicated in the wrongdoing, but both as ''ex officio'' members of the land board had missed meetings where the abuses had occurred. Another scandal involved [[insurance]] companies accused of fraudulent activities. Shepperd had been expected to seek the gubernatorial nomination in 1956, but he left elected politics to become general counsel of Odessa Natural Gasoline Company, later El Paso Products Company, and to establish a new law firm there called Shepperd and Rodman.<ref name="state historical society" /> The governorship went to U.S. Senator Price Daniel, who secured a narrow runoff victory over Ralph Yarborough. In 1958, Yarborough was elected to the first of two terms in the Senate; he occupied the seat that Daniel had vacated to become governor.  Daniel had also been Shepperd's predecessor as Attorney General.​

In 1954, the Veterans' Land Board scandal shook the Shivers administration when it was revealed that certain corrupt land speculators tried to enrich themselves at public expense. Bascom Giles, the elected commissioner of the Texas General Land Office and chairman of the Texas Veterans Land Board, was indicted, convicted, and served a prison term for his role in the scandal. Neither Shivers nor Shepperd was implicated in the wrongdoing, but both as ''ex officio'' members of the land board had missed meetings where the abuses had occurred. Another scandal involved [[insurance]] companies accused of fraudulent activities. Shepperd had been expected to seek the gubernatorial nomination in 1956, but he left elected politics to become general counsel of Odessa Natural Gasoline Company, later El Paso Products Company, and to establish a new law firm there called Shepperd and Rodman.<ref name="state historical society" /> The governorship went to U.S. Senator Price Daniel, who secured a narrow runoff victory over Ralph Yarborough. In 1958, Yarborough was elected to the first of two terms in the Senate; he occupied the seat that Daniel had vacated to become governor.  Daniel had also been Shepperd's predecessor as Attorney General.​