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{{Infobox officeholder

{{Infobox officeholder

|name= William Harrison Bledsoe​

|name= William Harrison Bledsoe​

|office=[[Texas]] State Senator for District 29 (49 counties: Archer, Armstrong, Bailey, Baylor, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Childress, Clay, Cochran, Collingsworth, Cottle, Crosby, Dallam, Deaf Smith, Dickens, Donley, Floyd, Foard, Gray, Hale, Hall, Hansford, Hardeman, Hartley, Hemphill, Hockley, Hutchinson, Jack, King, Knox, Lamb, Lipscomb, Lubbock, Moore, Motley, Ochiltree, Oldham, Parmer, Potter, Randall, Roberts, Sherman, Swisher, Throckmorton, Wheeler, Wichita, Wilbarger, and Young)​

|office=[[Texas]] State Senator for District 29 (49 counties:<br>

Archer, Armstrong, Bailey, Baylor, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Childress, Clay, Cochran, Collingsworth, Cottle, Crosby, Dallam, Deaf Smith, Dickens, Donley, Floyd, Foard, Gray, Hale, Hall, Hansford, Hardeman, Hartley, Hemphill, Hockley, Hutchinson, Jack, King, Knox, Lamb, Lipscomb, Lubbock, Moore, Motley, Ochiltree, Oldham, Parmer, Potter, Randall, Roberts, Sherman, Swisher, Throckmorton, Wheeler, Wichita, Wilbarger, and Young)​

|term_start=July 17, 1919​

|term_start=July 17, 1919​

|term_end=January 13, 1925​

|term_end=January 13, 1925​

|alma_mater=[[University of Texas at Austin]]​

|alma_mater=[[University of Texas at Austin]]​

Self-educated in the law​}}

Self-educated in the law​}}

​

​

'''William Harrison Bledsoe''', also known as '''W. H. Bledsoe''' (December 23, 1869 &ndash; March 30, 1936),  was an [[Lawyer|attorney]] and [[business]]man from [[Lubbock]], [[Texas]], who served as a [[Democratic Party |Democrat]] from 1915 to 1929 in both houses, consecutively, of the Texas legislature. In 1923, as a state senator for District 29, which encompassed a large geographic portion of West Texas, he co-authored legislation to establish what became [[Texas Tech University]].​

'''William Harrison Bledsoe''', also known as '''W. H. Bledsoe''' (December 23, 1869 &ndash; March 30, 1936),  was an [[Lawyer|attorney]] and [[business]]man from [[Lubbock]], [[Texas]], who served as a [[Democratic Party |Democrat]] from 1915 to 1929 in both houses, consecutively, of the Texas legislature. In 1923, as a state senator for District 29, which encompassed a large geographic portion of West Texas, he co-authored legislation to establish what became [[Texas Tech University]].​

Bledsoe was born in Cleburne in Johnson County south of [[Fort Worth]], the fifth of six children of Willis Scott Bledsoe (1837–1877), a Democratic member of the Texas House for District 23 with service from 1873 to 1874.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/legeLeaders/members/membersearch.cfm|title=W. S. Bledsoe|publisher=Texas Legislative Reference Library|accessdate=May 31, 2020}}</ref> His mother, the former Susan Frances Harrison (1840-1909), a native of Overton County, [[Tennessee]], and known as Sue F. Bledsoe,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=18987771|title=Susan Francis Harrison Bledsoe|publisher=findagrave.com|accessdate=May 31, 2020}}</ref> was widowed when he was eight years of age; his oldest living sibling, a sister, Nellie Bledsoe Templeton (1864–1941), was then thirteen. His younger brother, Albert Sydney Bledsoe (1871–1913), was born and died in Cleburne and was married to the former Nettie McQueen.<ref name=findagrave>{{cite web|url=http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7854482|title=William Harrison Bledsoe|publisher=findagrave.com|author=David Sifford|date=September 9, 2003|accessdate=May 31, 2020}}</ref>​

Bledsoe was born in Cleburne in Johnson County south of [[Fort Worth]], the fifth of six children of Willis Scott Bledsoe (1837–1877), a Democratic member of the Texas House for District 23 with service from 1873 to 1874.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/legeLeaders/members/membersearch.cfm|title=W. S. Bledsoe|publisher=Texas Legislative Reference Library|accessdate=May 31, 2020}}</ref> His mother, the former Susan Frances Harrison (1840-1909), a native of Overton County, [[Tennessee]], and known as Sue F. Bledsoe,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=18987771|title=Susan Francis Harrison Bledsoe|publisher=findagrave.com|accessdate=May 31, 2020}}</ref> was widowed when he was eight years of age; his oldest living sibling, a sister, Nellie Bledsoe Templeton (1864–1941), was then thirteen. His younger brother, Albert Sydney Bledsoe (1871–1913), was born and died in Cleburne and was married to the former Nettie McQueen.<ref name=findagrave>{{cite web|url=http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7854482|title=William Harrison Bledsoe|publisher=findagrave.com|author=David Sifford|date=September 9, 2003|accessdate=May 31, 2020}}</ref>​

 

==Political life==​

==Political life==

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After brief study at the [[University of Texas at Austin|University of Texas]] at [[Austin]], Bledsoe was admitted in 1890 to the State Bar of Texas, based on his independent preparation. He returned to Cleburne to practice law but relocated eighteen years later to Lubbock in 1908 in search of opportunities on the South Plains. He founded the Lubbock law firm, Bledsoe, Crenshaw and Dupree, later known as Crenshaw, Dupree and Milam. He worked to establish the South Plains Bar Association, was city attorney in Lubbock and a member of the local school board.<ref name=findagrave/>​

After brief study at the [[University of Texas at Austin|University of Texas]] at [[Austin]], Bledsoe was admitted in 1890 to the State Bar of Texas, based on his independent preparation. He returned to Cleburne to practice law but relocated eighteen years later to Lubbock in 1908 in search of opportunities on the South Plains. He founded the Lubbock law firm, Bledsoe, Crenshaw and Dupree, later known as Crenshaw, Dupree and Milam. He worked to establish the South Plains Bar Association, was city attorney in Lubbock and a member of the local school board.<ref name=findagrave/>​

The  West Texas Chamber of Commerce supported legislation passed by both houses of the legislature in 1921 to establish a West Texas A&M College. The bill was [[veto]]ed by Governor Pat Morris Neff, who said that the state could not afford another state college. Neff also defended his veto on grounds that the proposed college was not included in the 1920 Democratic state platform. Neff's veto stirred up a political firestorm; two years later he was prepared to sign similar legislation.<ref name=findagrave/> ​

The  West Texas Chamber of Commerce supported legislation passed by both houses of the legislature in 1921 to establish a West Texas A&M College. The bill was [[veto]]ed by Governor Pat Morris Neff, who said that the state could not afford another state college. Neff also defended his veto on grounds that the proposed college was not included in the 1920 Democratic state platform. Neff's veto stirred up a political firestorm; two years later he was prepared to sign similar legislation.<ref name=findagrave/> ​

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===Establishing Texas Tech University==

===Establishing Texas Tech University===

In 1923, Bledsoe and Representative Roy Alvin Baldwin of Slaton in south Lubbock County pushed to passage the legislation (Senate Bill 103) with a $1 million appropriation to establish a four-year institution in West Texas with an emphasis on agricultural research. The school would be separate from [[Texas A&M University]] in [[College Station, Texas|College Station]], which had a similar mission and whose leadership opposed the new institution. Bledsoe confessed to having drawn up the requirements for the host city to fit only Lubbock, which was selected over thirty-six other locations, including Sweetwater in Nolan County, [[San Angelo, Texas|San Angelo]] (before the existence of Angelo State University), [[Midland]], Plainview in Hale County, Brownwood, Lampasas, Big Spring, Boerne (pronounced BUR NEY) in Kendall County northwest of [[San Antonio]]. Vernon, Texas, west of [[Wichita Falls]] claimed it should have been selected because of its [[railroad]] access; at the time Vernon had approximately one thousand more people than Lubbock. <ref name=zachd/>  

In 1923, Bledsoe and Representative Roy Alvin Baldwin of Slaton in south Lubbock County pushed to passage the legislation (Senate Bill 103) with a $1 million appropriation to establish a four-year institution in West Texas with an emphasis on agricultural research. The school would be separate from [[Texas A&M University]] in [[College Station, Texas|College Station]], which had a similar mission and whose leadership opposed the new institution. Bledsoe confessed to having drawn up the requirements for the host city to fit only Lubbock, which was selected over thirty-six other locations, including Sweetwater in Nolan County, [[San Angelo, Texas|San Angelo]] (before the existence of Angelo State University), [[Midland]], Plainview in Hale County, Brownwood, Lampasas, Big Spring, Boerne (pronounced BUR NEY) in Kendall County northwest of [[San Antonio]]. Vernon, Texas, west of [[Wichita Falls]] claimed it should have been selected because of its [[railroad]] access; at the time Vernon had approximately one thousand more people than Lubbock. <ref name=zachd/>