Bill Daniel (politician)

William Partlow Daniel (November 20, 1915 – June 20, 2006), was an American politician and actor who served Governor of Guam from 1961 to 1963 and Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives. Born in Dayton, Texas, and a graduate of Baylor University and a member of the Baylor University Chamber of Commerce, he spent the majority of his life working as a lawyer in Liberty County, Texas.

William "Bill" Daniel
5th Appointed Governor of Guam
In office
May 20, 1961 (1961-May-20) – January 20, 1963 (1963-Jan-20)
Appointed byJohn F. Kennedy
Preceded byJoseph Flores
Succeeded byManuel Flores Leon Guerrero
Texas House of Representatives
In office
1949–1954
Preceded byDavid Read
Succeeded byBen Farrell
Personal details
Born(1915-11-20)November 20, 1915
Dayton, Texas, U.S.
DiedJune 20, 2006(2006-06-20) (aged 90)
Liberty, Texas, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseVara Martin Daniel
Children4
OccupationPolitician, Actor

Early life

Bill Daniel was born into a wealthy and prominent Texas family, his older brother Price Daniel Sr. went on to become Governor of Texas, Texas Supreme Court Justice and a US Senator. Daniel made large donations to good causes especially to his alma mater Baylor University, several of the campus buildings are named after him, his late wife Vara and other members of the Daniel family.[1][2]

Political career

Texas House of Representatives

From 1949 to 1953 he served as a Democratic Party member of the Texas House of Representatives for the 14th District, his brother Price had previously held this office from 1939 - 1945.

Governorship (1961–1963)

In 1961, U.S. President John F. Kennedy appointed him to the position of governor of Guam, an office that he held from May 20, 1961, to January 20, 1963.

The Governor Bill Daniel Student Center at Hill College in Hillsboro, Texas, is named for the former governor of Guam, Bill Daniel.

His main achievement as governor was to arrange for the removal of the requirement of a "security clearance" to enter or leave Guam, by persuading Kennedy to sign an executive order (No.11045), rescinding the one put in place during 1941 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The old (wartime) travel restrictions required that all civilians wishing to visit Guam needed to obtain approval from a senior US Navy officer based in Washington, D.C.; this often took weeks to obtain. This was obviously an obstacle to development, especially in the area of tourism, and its removal greatly benefited the economy of the territory.

His appointment resulted in the first occasion in which brothers simultaneously held governorships in the United States, as his older brother Price was governor of Texas for the entire time of his service as governor of Guam.

Acting career

Bill Daniel appeared in the John Wayne film The Alamo playing Colonel Neill. Daniel also provided the film with 400 longhorns and hundreds of horses from his ranch. [3] Daniel's most memorable scene from the film is suggesting a courier named Smitty, played by Frankie Avalon, dismount for food and rest, which Smitty refuses in order to return to help defend the Alamo.

Year Title Role Notes
1960The AlamoColonel Neill

Death

Bill Daniel died on June 20, 2006, at his home in Liberty, Texas, at the age of 90.

References
  1. Baylor University campus buildings Archived June 19, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  2. Bill Daniel's Baylor obituary
  3. "Bill Daniel". IMDb.
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