Skip to main content

Benjamin Dudley Tarlton Papers

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: Coll-52

The B. Dudley Tarlton Papers is a limited collection which includes documents pertaining to numerous civil court cases, and a few criminal court cases he was involved in during the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s; as well as correspondence concerning these cases. There is also a limited amount of correspondence concerning the political campaigns of the 1930s, and some personal correspondence. These papers represent only a portion of Tarlton's legal and public career; the remainder were destroyed by excess water damage.

Dates

  • 1899-1904

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

No restrictions

Conditions Governing Use

This material is made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to taking precautions against infringement of copyright and respecting the publication rights of reproduced materials. All rights are reserved and retained regardless of current or future development or laws that may apply to fair use standards. Any materials used should be fully credited with their source according to the example given in the Preferred Citation note. Requests for assistance with citations and images of publication quality should be directed to specialcollections@tamucc.edu

Extent

21.54 Linear Feet

Abstract

This collection mostly consists of legal documents related to the life and work of attorney Benjamin Dudley Tarlton Jr.

Arrangement

This collection was bulk uploaded to ArchivesSpace from being previously processed.

Physical Location

204-2/C/1-6 204-2/D/1-3

Immediate Source of Acquisition

This collection was donated By Benjamin Dudley Tarlton’s daughter, Frances T. “Sissy” Farenthold in 1993.

Related Materials

Tony Bonilla Papers W.E. Pope Papers

Bibliography

Benjamin Dudley Tarlton, Jr. (1889-1956), the son of former Chief Justice of the Texas Court of Civil Appeals B.D. Tarlton, Sr., was born at Hillsboro, Texas.

After finishing high school, he took a Bachelor of Arts from St. Edwards University in Austin and entered the University of Texas Law School from which he graduated in 1911.

Tarlton was soon appointed as District Attorney for the 36th Judicial District in Hill County, Texas. He remained in this position until 1917 when he resigned to join the Army.

Upon his release from service in 1919, Tarlton moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, where he returned to the practice of law. He quickly emerged as one of Corpus Christi's most prominent attorneys and citizens.

A colorful attorney, Tarlton participated in almost every important law case in South Texas for the next thirty-five years. Early in his career, Tarlton gained a reputation as an authority on Texas election laws. Tarlton had a reputation for winning at least ninety percent of his cases. He may be best known for winning all but one of over a hundred murder trials he handled.

While Tarlton never ran for public office, he was a staunch Democrat and actively participated in local, state, and national politics. He managed several of U.S. Congressman Richard M. Kleberg's successful campaigns and had a working relationship with U.S. Representative Lyndon B. Johnson. Of interest was Tarlton's opposition to a U.S. president holding a third term. This belief led him to support Wendell Wilke against Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940.

Tarlton died in Corpus Christi in 1956 after a short illness. At the time of his death, he was still actively practicing law with his son Vincent B. Tarlton. His daughter, Frances T. "Sissy" Farenthold later became one of the most prominent political figures and international peace activists in Texas history. -From Findagrave.com

Processing Information

This collection was originally processed by Charles E. Albridge Jr in 1994. ArchivesSpace upload was completed by Eric Christensen, Archivist and Book Collections Librarian in 2024.

Subjects

Related Names

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Benjamin Dudley Tarlton Papers
Status
Completed
Author
Eric Christensen, biographical note found on findagrave.com appears to be written by previous TAMUCC archivist.
Date
8-12-2024
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English
Edition statement
1st

Physical Storage Information

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections and Archives, Mary and Jeff Bell Library, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Repository

https://www.tamucc.edu/library/find/special-collections/
Contact:
6300 Ocean Dr.
Unit 5702
Corpus Christi TX 78412 United States
361-825-4500
361-825-5973 (Fax)