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|nationality=[[United States|American]]​

|nationality=[[United States|American]]​

|office=[[Texas]] State Senator for District 31 (Panhandle)​

|office=[[Texas]] State Senator for District 31 (Panhandle)​

|party=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]]  ​

|party=[[Democratic Party|Democrat]]  ​

|term_start=1941​

|term_start=1941​

|term_end=1971​

|term_end=1971​

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}}​

}}​

'''Grady Hazlewood''' (August 18, 1902 &ndash; April 1, 1989) was a [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] state senator from 1941 to 1971, having represented the District 31 seat, anchored in [[Amarillo]] in the [[Texas]] Panhandle He was sometimes called "the old gray fox" for his ability as an "aw shucks" country [[Attorney|lawyer]] to procure passage of his favored bills.<ref name=agn>{{cite web|url=http://www.amarillo.com/stories/051900/his_hazlewood.html|author=Robyn Followwill-Line|title=Grady Hazlewood|publisher=''Amarillo Globe-News''|date=May 19, 2000|accessdate=April 17, 2010}}</ref>​

'''Grady Hazlewood''' (August 18, 1902 &ndash; April 1, 1989) was a [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] state senator from 1941 to 1971, having represented the District 31 seat, anchored in [[Amarillo]] in the [[Texas]] Panhandle He was sometimes called "the old gray fox" for his ability as an "aw shucks" country [[Attorney|lawyer]] to procure passage of his favored bills.<ref name=agn>{{cite web|url=http://www.amarillo.com/stories/051900/his_hazlewood.html|author=Robyn Followwill-Line|title=Grady Hazlewood|publisher=''Amarillo Globe-News''|date=May 19, 2000|accessdate=April 17, 2010}}</ref>

 

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Hazlewood was born at Old Fort Chadbourne (established 1852) near Bronte in Coke County, [[Texas]], located northeast of [[San Angelo]]. Chadbourne is now a [[ghost town]] accessible to the south of Sweetwater in Nolan County. As a boy, Hazlewood relocated with his parents and four brothers to a farm near Canyon in Randall County, south of Amarillo. He graduated from West Texas A&M University (then West Texas State Teachers College) in Canyon. In 1926, he procured his legal degree through the [[University of Texas]] Law School in [[Austin]]. In 1927, he married the former Audrine Smith (1902-1991). He returned to Amarillo to practice law and was elected [[district attorney]] during the 1930s.<ref name=agn/>​

Hazlewood was born at Old Fort Chadbourne (established 1852) near Bronte in Coke County, [[Texas]], located northeast of [[San Angelo]]. Chadbourne is now a [[ghost town]] accessible to the south of Sweetwater in Nolan County. As a boy, Hazlewood relocated with his parents and four brothers to a farm near Canyon in Randall County, south of Amarillo. He graduated from West Texas A&M University (then West Texas State Teachers College) in Canyon. In 1926, he procured his legal degree through the [[University of Texas]] Law School in [[Austin]]. In 1927, he married the former Audrine Smith (1902-1991). He returned to Amarillo to practice law and was elected [[district attorney]] during the 1930s.<ref name=agn/>​

 

Having first been elected to the state Senate in 1940, he was undefeated and mostly unopposed until his retirement in 1971. He was succeeded by his fellow Democrat Max Sherman, also an Amarillo lawyer. In the 1970 [[general election]], Sherman defeated the [[Republican Party|Republican]] nominee [[Malouf Abraham, Sr.]], an oilman and two-term state representative from Canadian in Hemphill County, also in the Panhandle. In addition to his legal duties, Hazlewood operated a dairy [[farm]] and maintained [[real estate]] interests in Austin. He was a breeder and trainer of Tennessee walking horses.<ref name=agn/>​

Having first been elected to the state Senate in 1940, he was undefeated and mostly unopposed until his retirement in 1971. He was succeeded by his fellow Democrat Max Sherman, also an Amarillo lawyer. In the 1970 [[general election]], Sherman defeated the [[Republican Party|Republican]] nominee [[Malouf Abraham, Sr.]], an oilman and two-term state representative from Canadian in Hemphill County, also in the Panhandle. In addition to his legal duties, Hazlewood operated a dairy [[farm]] and maintained [[real estate]] interests in Austin. He was a breeder and trainer of Tennessee walking horses.<ref name=agn/>

 

Senator Hazlewood worked for passage of legislation establishing the first loan program in any state that permitted tuition-free education at Texas colleges and universities for returning veterans of [[World War II]]. Later, he co-sponsored the Hinson-Hazlewood program, the first plan in any state to offer low-interest state loans to Texas college students. He authored the legislation that elevated his ''alma mater'' to the full-fledged WTAMU. He was subsequently appointed by Democratic [[Governor]] [[Preston  Smith]] to the WTAMU board of regents.<ref name=agn/>​

Senator Hazlewood worked for passage of legislation establishing the first loan program in any state that permitted tuition-free education at Texas colleges and universities for returning veterans of [[World War II]]. Later, he co-sponsored the Hinson-Hazlewood program, the first plan in any state to offer low-interest state loans to Texas college students. He authored the legislation that elevated his ''alma mater'' to the full-fledged WTAMU. He was subsequently appointed by Democratic [[Governor]] [[Preston  Smith]] to the WTAMU board of regents.<ref name=agn/>​

 

Hazlewood created the Canadian River Municipal Water Authority, which led to the building of Lake Meredith, a major water source for the northern Texas Panhandle.  In the late 1940s, he co-sponsored the original farm-to-market road program, which in time paved in asphalt the previous rural dirt roads.<ref name=agn/> In 1963, Hazlewood was chairman of the influential Senate Finance Committee during the tenure of Governor [[John Connally]]. Among his interests was obtaining state appropriations for the transportation of [[tuberculosis]] patients to and from state hospitals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oag.state.tx.us/opinions/opinions/43carr/op/1963/pdf/wc0038.pdf|title=Letter from Texas Attorney General Waggoner Carr to Senator Hazlewood|date=March 18, 1963|publisher=oag.state.tx.us|accessdate=April 17, 2010}}</ref>​

Hazlewood created the Canadian River Municipal Water Authority, which led to the building of Lake Meredith, a major water source for the northern Texas Panhandle.  In the late 1940s, he co-sponsored the original farm-to-market road program, which in time paved in asphalt the previous rural dirt roads.<ref name=agn/> In 1963, Hazlewood was chairman of the influential Senate Finance Committee during the tenure of Governor [[John Connally]]. Among his interests was obtaining state appropriations for the transportation of [[tuberculosis]] patients to and from state hospitals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oag.state.tx.us/opinions/opinions/43carr/op/1963/pdf/wc0038.pdf|title=Letter from Texas Attorney General Waggoner Carr to Senator Hazlewood|date=March 18, 1963|publisher=oag.state.tx.us|accessdate=April 17, 2010}}</ref>​

 

Hazlewood obtained state support for the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum in Canyon and even helped to maintain the museum for a time with his own financial backing. He left his papers to the museum and contributed $20,000 toward the construction of the museum archives. The Hazlewood papers are hence available to researchers through WTAMU. Hazlewood sponsored the creation of Texas' first municipal hospital supported by [[property tax]]es.  The hospital, located in Amarillo, became subsequently a model for other cities. Through a gift from his estate to the Amarillo Area Foundation, several scholarships for Panhandle students are still offered in Hazlewood's name.<ref name=agn/>​

Hazlewood obtained state support for the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum in Canyon and even helped to maintain the museum for a time with his own financial backing. He left his papers to the museum and contributed $20,000 toward the construction of the museum archives. The Hazlewood papers are hence available to researchers through WTAMU. Hazlewood sponsored the creation of Texas' first municipal hospital supported by [[property tax]]es.  The hospital, located in Amarillo, became subsequently a model for other cities. Through a gift from his estate to the Amarillo Area Foundation, several scholarships for Panhandle students are still offered in Hazlewood's name.<ref name=agn/>​

 

Hazlewood's former Senate seat is now held by Kelton Gray "Kel" Seliger (born 1953), a [[Moderate Republican]] and a former [[mayor]] of Amarillo.​

Hazlewood's former Senate seat is now held by Kelton Gray "Kel" Seliger (born 1953), a [[Moderate Republican]] and a former [[mayor]] of Amarillo.​

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==References==​

==References==​

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