Changes

==Background==

==Background==

Born in [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] to a [[Methodist]] pastor, Joe Z. Tower (1898–1970) and his wife, Beryl (1898–1990), Tower served in the [[United States Navy]] during [[World War II]] and thereafter until 1989 in the Naval Reserve. He graduated from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, and studied at the London School of Economics in [[London]], [[England]]. He switched from the [[Democratic Party]] in 1951 (another source says 1948), and in 1954 unsuccessfully contested for a seat in the Texas House of Representative from [[Wichita Falls]] and campaigned in 1956 for [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]]'s re-election  to the presidency. In 1960, he polled 41 percent of the vote in a Republican campaign against Senator [[Lyndon B. Johnson]], who was also running for [[Vice President of the United States|vice president]] on the ticket headed by [[John F. Kennedy]]. Upon his election as vice president, Johnson resigned from the Senate and Governor Price Daniel, Sr. appointed a [[conservative]] Democrat, William A. "Bill" Blakley of [[Dallas]] as the interim senator. In a two-round special election in the spring of 1961, Tower prevailed by a narrow margin over Blakley, who had also been an interim senator in 1957, when the outgoing Senator Price Daniel became governor. Several prominent Democrats went down to defeat in the special election, including future U.S. House Speaker James C. "Jim" Wright of [[Fort Worth]] and the Hispanic firebrand, Henry B. Gonzalez, who later in 1961 won another special election for the [[United States House of Representatives]] for [[San Antonio]], a position he held until 1999.

Born in [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] to a [[Methodist]] pastor, Joe Z. Tower (1898–1970) and his wife, Beryl (1898–1990), Tower served in the [[United States Navy]] during [[World War II]] and thereafter until 1989 in the Naval Reserve. He graduated from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, and studied at the London School of Economics in [[London]], [[England]]. He switched from the [[Democratic Party]] in 1951 (another source says 1948), and in 1954 unsuccessfully contested for a seat in the Texas House of Representative from [[Wichita Falls]] and campaigned in 1956 for [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]]'s re-election  to the presidency. In 1960, he polled 41 percent of the vote in a Republican campaign against Senator [[Lyndon B. Johnson]], who was also running for [[Vice President of the United States|vice president]] on the ticket headed by [[John F. Kennedy]]. Upon his election as vice president, Johnson resigned from the Senate and Governor Price Daniel, Sr. appointed a [[conservative Democrat]], William A. "Bill" Blakley of [[Dallas]] as the interim senator. In a two-round special election in the spring of 1961, Tower prevailed by a narrow margin over Blakley, who had also been an interim senator in 1957, when the outgoing Senator Price Daniel became governor. Several prominent Democrats went down to defeat in the special election, including future U.S. House Speaker James C. "Jim" Wright of [[Fort Worth]] and the Hispanic firebrand, Henry B. Gonzalez, who later in 1961 won another special election for the [[United States House of Representatives]] for [[San Antonio]], a position he held until 1999.

==Political life==

==Political life==

{{quotebox-float|...'''the motion is merely another assault on title VI, ''which I believe is a good provision of the bill'''''. I think that if we had en-acted a separate measure containing the provisions in title VI some time ago, we would not be asked to enact some of the other measures which we are asked to enact today. I believe that if people in the States and localities are going to accept Federal money and Federal support, they must not engage in any kind of discrimination which is contrary to Federal policy. Therefore I intend to vote against the motion of the Senator from Tennessee.}}

{{quotebox-float|...'''the motion is merely another assault on title VI, ''which I believe is a good provision of the bill'''''. I think that if we had en-acted a separate measure containing the provisions in title VI some time ago, we would not be asked to enact some of the other measures which we are asked to enact today. I believe that if people in the States and localities are going to accept Federal money and Federal support, they must not engage in any kind of discrimination which is contrary to Federal policy. Therefore I intend to vote against the motion of the Senator from Tennessee.}}

This detail is often ignored by deceitful [[progressive]] historians including [[Princeton University]] professor Kevin M. Kruse who spew some inaccurate portrayals of civil rights history.<ref>https://twitter.com/KevinMKruse/status/1384152012011409417</ref>

This detail is often ignored by deceitful [[progressive]] historians including [[Princeton University]] professor Kevin M. Kruse who spew some inaccurate portrayals of civil rights history by ignoring certain contexts.<ref>https://twitter.com/KevinMKruse/status/1384152012011409417</ref>

He was considered for years as one of the most [[conservative]] members of the Senate. But in 1976, Tower began to alienate many conservatives by his support of [[Gerald Ford]], rather than [[Ronald Reagan]] in the 1976 Republican presidential primaries. Reagan won every Texas delegate in the Texas Republican presidential primary and four at-large delegates chosen at the state convention, but he narrowly lost the party nomination to Ford at the convention held that year in [[Kansas City]], [[Missouri]] though Ford was ultimately unseated by [[Jimmy Carter]]. [[Ernest Angelo, Jr.]], one of three co-chairmen of the 1976 Reagan campaign in Texas and a former mayor of [[Midland]], recalls a visit with Tower in 1975, when Angelo informed Tower that he would be working in the Reagan campaign. Angelo recalls Tower as having told him that supporting Reagan would be a "dumb thing to do".<ref>Billy Hathorn, "Mayor Ernest Angelo, Jr. of Midland and the 96-0 Reagan Sweep of Texas, May 1, 1976," ''West Texas Historical Association Yearbook'' Vol. 86 (2010) (since known as the ''West Texas Historical Review''), p. 85.</ref> At the time, all Republican U.S. senators except [[Jesse Helms]] of [[North Carolina]] and [[Paul Laxalt]] of [[Nevada]] were committed to Ford. Tower blamed Ford's defeat in Texas on "[[Dixiecrat]]s ... the Reagan organization, aided by former [[George Wallace]] leaders, made a concerted and obviously successful effort to get the Wallace vote in the Republican primary. In addition, some section of Ford's defense and foreign policy alienated some voters who may otherwise have cast their ballot for the president."<ref>''The Laredo Morning Times'', May 2, 1976.</ref>

He was considered for years as one of the most [[conservative]] members of the Senate. However, Tower began to alienate many conservatives in 1976 with his support of [[Gerald Ford]] rather than [[Ronald Reagan]] in the Republican presidential primaries that year. Reagan won every Texas delegate in the Texas Republican presidential primary and four at-large delegates chosen at the state convention, but he narrowly lost the party nomination to Ford at the convention held that year in [[Kansas City]], [[Missouri]] though Ford was ultimately unseated by [[Jimmy Carter]]. [[Ernest Angelo, Jr.]], one of three co-chairmen of the 1976 Reagan campaign in Texas and a former mayor of [[Midland]], recalls a visit with Tower in 1975, when Angelo informed Tower that he would be working in the Reagan campaign. Angelo recalls Tower as having told him that supporting Reagan would be a "dumb thing to do".<ref>Billy Hathorn, "Mayor Ernest Angelo, Jr. of Midland and the 96-0 Reagan Sweep of Texas, May 1, 1976," ''West Texas Historical Association Yearbook'' Vol. 86 (2010) (since known as the ''West Texas Historical Review''), p. 85.</ref> At the time, all Republican U.S. senators except [[Jesse Helms]] of [[North Carolina]] and [[Paul Laxalt]] of [[Nevada]] were committed to Ford. Tower blamed Ford's defeat in Texas on "[[Dixiecrat]]s ... the Reagan organization, aided by former [[George Wallace]] leaders, made a concerted and obviously successful effort to get the Wallace vote in the Republican primary. In addition, some section of Ford's defense and foreign policy alienated some voters who may otherwise have cast their ballot for the president."<ref>''The Laredo Morning Times'', May 2, 1976.</ref>

By virtue of their primary defeat, the Texas Ford supporters, including former state Senator [[Cyndi Taylor Krier]], were shut out of the national convention in Kansas City. Angelo recalls Tower as having "begged" for a delegate slot because he was a U.S. senator and was supposed to be the Ford floor leader at the convention. Angelo said that Tower could have been a delegate if he were to support Reagan, an impossible stipulation. Tower hence was not a delegate to the 1976 convention because Angelo was mindful that a close convention showdown could have been decided by a handful of delegate votes. Angelo said that he always personally liked and admired Tower though they disagreed on some issues: "John was the best extemporaneous speaker and solid as a rock on most issues." Tower had campaigned for Angelo in the latter's unsuccessful race in 1968 for the Texas State Senate. As time passed though, Tower alienated the conservative wing of his party with his support for legalized [[abortion]] and opposition to Reagan's [[Strategic Defense Initiative]].<ref>Hathorn, "Mayor Ernest Angelo", pg. 86.</ref> Barbara Staff, the Reagan co-chairman for Dallas County and North Texas, recalls that Tower spent much of his time at the convention with the closely divided [[Mississippi]] delegation and did not address the phalanx of Reagan backers in his own state's delegation. Among the Reagan backers was Betty Andujar of Fort Worth, the first Republican woman to serve in the State Senate.<ref>"Convention Notes: No love lost between Texans, [[Betty Ford]]", ''Dallas Morning News'', August 19, 1976, pg. 6A.</ref>

By virtue of their primary defeat, the Texas Ford supporters, including former state Senator [[Cyndi Taylor Krier]], were shut out of the national convention in Kansas City. Angelo recalls Tower as having "begged" for a delegate slot because he was a U.S. senator and was supposed to be the Ford floor leader at the convention. Angelo said that Tower could have been a delegate if he were to support Reagan, an impossible stipulation. Tower hence was not a delegate to the 1976 convention because Angelo was mindful that a close convention showdown could have been decided by a handful of delegate votes. Angelo said that he always personally liked and admired Tower though they disagreed on some issues: "John was the best extemporaneous speaker and solid as a rock on most issues." Tower had campaigned for Angelo in the latter's unsuccessful race in 1968 for the Texas State Senate. As time passed though, Tower alienated the conservative wing of his party with his support for legalized [[abortion]] and opposition to Reagan's [[Strategic Defense Initiative]].<ref>Hathorn, "Mayor Ernest Angelo", pg. 86.</ref> Barbara Staff, the Reagan co-chairman for Dallas County and North Texas, recalls that Tower spent much of his time at the convention with the closely divided [[Mississippi]] delegation and did not address the phalanx of Reagan backers in his own state's delegation. Among the Reagan backers was Betty Andujar of Fort Worth, the first Republican woman to serve in the State Senate.<ref>"Convention Notes: No love lost between Texans, [[Betty Ford]]", ''Dallas Morning News'', August 19, 1976, pg. 6A.</ref>