Thomas Beck (politician)

Thomas Beck (1819 – ?) was an African-American Republican politician who served three terms in the Texas House of Representatives. Various sources list his birthplace as Kentucky, Mississippi, or Virginia. He moved to Texas about 1842 and began farming in Grimes County.

Thomas Beck
Texas State Representative
for District 15 (Grimes County)
In office
January 13, 1874  April 18, 1876
Texas State Representative
for District 30 (Grimes County)
In office
January 14, 1879  January 9, 1883
Personal details
Born1819
DiedDate of death missing
Political partyRepublican
SpouseMartha
ResidenceGrimes County, Texas
Occupationfarmer
Military service
Branch/serviceConfederate Army

According to his biographical sketch in the 1879 Texas Legislative Manual, he served in the Confederate Army for four months at Fort Smith, Arkansas. During his time in the legislature he served on the following committees: Privileges and Elections, Agriculture and Stock Raising, and Roads, Bridges, and Ferries. He also supported funding for what is now the historically black Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View, Texas. He worked to pass legislation which prevents children from being employed without the permission of their parents. Beck and his wife, Martha, had at least three children.

References

Forever Free: Nineteenth Century African-American Legislators and Constitutional Convention Delegates of Texas
Texas Legislators: Past & Present - Thomas Beck
Handbook of Texas Online - Thomas Beck


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