Texas General Land Office

Last updated
Texas General Land Office
Texas General Land Office seal.png
Seal of the Texas General Land Office
AustinStateOfficeBuildingAustinTX.JPG
Stephen F. Austin State Office Building
Agency overview
Formed22 December 1836;187 years ago (1836-12-22)
Jurisdiction Texas public lands
HeadquartersStephen F. Austin State Office Building
1700 N. Congress Ave
Austin, Texas 78701
30°16′46″N97°44′22″W / 30.27944°N 97.73944°W / 30.27944; -97.73944
Agency executive
Website glo.texas.gov

The Texas General Land Office (GLO) is a state agency of the U.S. state of Texas, responsible for managing lands and mineral rights properties that are owned by the state. The GLO also manages and contributes to the state's Permanent School Fund. The agency is headquartered in the Stephen F. Austin State Office Building in Downtown Austin. [1]

Contents

Role and remit

The General Land Office's main role is to manage Texas's publicly owned lands, by negotiating and enforcing leases for the use of the land, and sometimes by making sales of public lands. Royalties and proceeds from land sales are added to the state's Permanent School Fund, which helps to fund public education within the state. [2] The agency is also responsible for keeping records of land grants and titles and for issuing maps and surveys of public lands. [3] The agency also manages federal disaster recovery grant funding. [4]

Since 2011 the GLO has managed The Alamo in San Antonio. The management of The Alamo was transferred to the General Land Office after allegations of mismanagement were directed at the prior manager, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. [5]

History

The Congress of the Republic of Texas established the General Land Office on 22 December 1836 (making the GLO the oldest existing Texas public agency). [6] The agency's constitutional purpose was to "superintend, execute, and perform all acts touching or respecting the public lands of Texas." [7] Since its establishment the agency has been located in Austin, although a relocation to Houston was briefly attempted during the Texas Archive War. One former home of the GLO, the Old Land Office Building, is a registered historic place and now serves as the Texas State Capitol Visitor Center.

When the State of Texas was annexed into the United States in 1845, it kept control of all of its public lands from its time as a sovereign state. [8] As a result, Texas is the only public land state in the US to control all of its own public lands; [7] all federal lands in Texas were acquired by purchase (e.g. military bases), donation (e.g. national parks) or eminent domain.

Texas's public lands were significantly enlarged by the US Submerged Lands Act of 1953 and the resolution of the ensuing Tidelands Controversy. Because Texas's historical territorial waters originated with the Republic, the US Supreme Court ruled in the 1960 case United States v. Louisiana [9] that Texas was in the unique position of owning territory out to three leagues (9 geographical miles which is nearly exactly 9 nautical miles, 10.35 statute miles, 16.66 km) from its coastline (significantly more than the three geographical miles controlled by other coastal states). All of these lands (and the oil and gas deposits beneath them) are managed by the General Land Office.

Texas Land Commissioner

Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office
Sen. Dawn Buckingham, M.D (cropped).jpg
Incumbent
Dawn Buckingham
since January 10, 2023
Style The Honorable
Term length Four years, no term limits
Formation Texas Constitution
Website Official Website

The head of the General Land Office is the Texas Land Commissioner, a statewide public official. Since a 1972 constitutional amendment, Texas state-wide officers–including the Commissioner–have been elected every four years, prior to which they were elected every two years. The current land commissioner is Dawn Buckingham, who was elected on 8 November 2022.

Land Commissioners by party affiliation (since statehood)
PartyLand Commissioner
Democratic 20
Republican 6
Land Commissioners in chronological order, showing party affiliation
No.ImageNameTerm of servicePolitical party
1 John P. Borden August 23, 1837 – December 12, 1840 [10]
2 (interim) [lower-alpha 1] H. W. Raglin December 12, 1840 – January 4, 1841 [11]
3 Thomas William Ward.png Thomas W. Ward January 4, 1841 – March 20, 1848 [12]
The Republic of Texas is admitted into the United States as the State of Texas (December 29, 1845)
4 GeorgeWSmyth.jpg George W. Smyth March 20, 1848 – August 4, 1851
Defeated Ward in 1848 election		Democratic
5 [lower-alpha 2] Stephen Crosby August 4, 1851 – March 1, 1858 [11] Democratic
6 [lower-alpha 3] Francis M. White March 1, 1858 – March 1, 1862 [11] Democratic
5Stephen CrosbyMarch 1, 1862 – September 1, 1865 [11] Democratic
6Francis M. WhiteSeptember 1, 1865 – August 7, 1866 [11] Democratic
5Stephen CrosbyAugust 7, 1866 – August 27, 1867 [11]
Removed from office by Reconstruction military government		Democratic
7 Joseph Spence August 27, 1867 – January 19, 1870 [11] Republican [13]
8 Jacob Kuechler.jpg Jacob Kuechler January 19, 1870 – January 20, 1874 [11] Republican
9 Johann J. Groos January 20, 1874 – June 15, 1878 [11]
Died in office		Democratic
10 W. C. Walsh June 15, 1878 – January 10, 1887 [11]
Appointed by Governor Richard B. Hubbard to remainder of Groos' term [14] 		Democratic
11 Richard M. Hall January 10, 1887 – January 16, 1891 [11] Democratic [15]
12 W. L. McGaughey January 16, 1891 – January 16, 1895 [11] Democratic [16]
13 Andrew J. Baker January 15, 1895 – January 16, 1899 [11] Democratic [17]
14 George W. Finger January 16, 1899 – May 4, 1899 [11]
Died in office [18] 		Democratic
15 Charles Rogan May 15, 1899 – January 10, 1903 [11]
Appointed by Governor Joseph Sayers to replace Finger; subsequently elected [19] 		Democratic
16 John J. Terrell January 10, 1903 – January 11, 1909 [11] Democratic
17 James T. Robison January 11, 1909 – September 8, 1929 [20]
Died in office		Democratic
18 J. H. Walker September 12, 1929 – January 1, 1937 [11]
Appointed by Governor Dan Moody to replace Robison; elected in 1930; re-elected in 1932 and 1934; did not stand in 1936		Democratic
19 William H. McDonald January 1, 1937 – January 1, 1939 [11] Democratic
20 Bascom Giles January 1, 1939 – January 5, 1955 [11]
Re-elected in 1954 but failed to take oath of office due to Veterans' Land Board scandal, for which he went on to serve 3 years in prison		Democratic
21 Major General James Earl Rudder Army.gif James Earl Rudder January 5, 1955 – February 1, 1958 [11]
Appointed by Governor Alan Shivers to replace Giles; elected in 1956; resigned in 1958		Democratic
22 Bill Allcorn February 1, 1958 – January 1, 1961 [11]
Appointed by Governor Price Daniel to replace Rudder; elected in 1958		Democratic
23 Jerry Sadler January 1, 1961 – January 1, 1971 [11] Democratic
24 Bob Armstrong January 12, 1971 – January 4, 1983Democratic
25 Garry headshot2.jpg Garry Mauro January 1, 1983 – January 5, 1999Democratic
26 David Dewhurst campaign photo.jpg David Dewhurst January 19, 1999 – January 21, 2003Republican
27 Jerry E. Patterson.jpg Jerry E. Patterson January 21, 2003 – January 2, 2015Republican
28 George P. Bush crop.jpg George P. Bush January 2, 2015 – January 10, 2023Republican
29 Sen. Dawn Buckingham, M.D (cropped).jpg Dawn Buckingham January 10, 2023 – presentRepublican

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llano County, Texas</span> County in Texas, United States

Llano County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 21,243. Its county seat is Llano, and the county is named for the Llano River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kendall County, Texas</span> County in Texas, United States

Kendall County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2020 census, its population was 44,279. Its county seat is Boerne. The county is named for George Wilkins Kendall, a journalist and Mexican–American War correspondent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alamo Mission</span> Fort in San Antonio, Texas, US

The Alamo is a historic Spanish mission and fortress compound founded in the 18th century by Roman Catholic missionaries in what is now San Antonio, Texas, United States. It was the site of the Battle of the Alamo in 1836, a pivotal event of the Texas Revolution in which American folk heroes James Bowie and Davy Crockett were killed. Today it is a museum in the Alamo Plaza Historic District and a part of the San Antonio Missions World Heritage Site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Braunfels, Texas</span> City in Texas, United States

New Braunfels is a city in Comal and Guadalupe counties in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the seat of Comal County. The city covers 44.9 square miles (116 km2) and had a population of 90,403 as of the 2020 Census. A suburb just north of San Antonio, and part of the Greater San Antonio metropolitan area, it was the third-fastest-growing city in the United States from 2010 to 2020. As of 2022, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates its population at 104,707.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daughters of the Republic of Texas</span> American nonprofit organization

The Daughters of the Republic of Texas (DRT) is a lineal association dedicated to perpetuating the memory of the founding families and soldiers of the Republic of Texas. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas is best known for its former role as caretakers of The Alamo. In early 2015, Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush officially removed control of the Alamo to the Texas General Land Office. The DRT were also the custodians of the historic French Legation Museum until 2017, which is owned by the State of Texas and is now operated by the Texas Historical Commission. In addition, they operate a museum in Austin on the history of Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States General Land Office</span> United States government agency (1812–1946)

The General Land Office (GLO) was an independent agency of the United States government responsible for public domain lands in the United States. It was created in 1812 to take over functions previously conducted by the United States Department of the Treasury. Starting with the enactment of the Land Ordinance of 1785, which created the Public Land Survey System, the Treasury Department had already overseen the survey of the Northwest Territory, including what is now the state of Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George P. Bush</span> American businessman and politician

George Prescott Bush is an American politician and attorney who served as the commissioner of the Texas General Land Office from 2015 to 2023. A member of the Republican Party, Bush unsuccessfully campaigned for the party's nomination in the 2022 Texas Attorney General election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Price Daniel</span> American judge and politician (1910–1988)

Marion Price Daniel Sr., was an American jurist and politician who served as a Democratic U.S. Senator and the 38th governor of Texas. He was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson to be a member of the National Security Council, Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness, and Assistant to the President for Federal-State Relations. Daniel also served as Associate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">José Antonio Navarro</span> American politician

José Antonio Navarro was a Texas statesman, revolutionary, rancher, and merchant. The son of Ángel Navarro and Josefa María Ruiz y Peña, he was born into a distinguished noble family at San Antonio de Béxar in the Viceroyalty of New Spain. His uncle was José Francisco Ruiz and his brother-in-law was Juan Martín de Veramendi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas W. Ward</span> Former mayor of Austin, Texas, USA

Thomas William Ward was an Irish-born American soldier and politician who served three nonconsecutive terms as the mayor of Austin, Texas. Ward also served as the 3rd Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office and United States consul to Panama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Secretary of state (U.S. state government)</span> Official in the state governments of the United States

The secretary of state is an official in the state governments of 47 of the 50 states of the United States, as well as Puerto Rico and other U.S. possessions. In Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, this official is called the secretary of the commonwealth. In states that have one, the secretary of state is the chief administrative officer of the state and is often the primary custodian of important state records. In the states of Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah, there is no secretary of state; in those states many duties that a secretary of state might normally execute fall within the domain of the lieutenant governor. Like the lieutenant governor, in most states, the secretary of state is in the line of succession to succeed the governor, in most cases immediately behind the lieutenant governor. In three states with no lieutenant governor as well as the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, the secretary of state is first in the line of succession in the event of a gubernatorial vacancy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John O. Meusebach</span> American politician

John O. Meusebach, born Otfried Hans Freiherr von Meusebach, was at first a Prussian bureaucrat, later an American farmer and politician who served in the Texas Senate, District 22.

Von Ormy is a city in southwest Bexar County, Texas, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 1,174. It is part of the San Antonio metropolitan statistical area.

Lionel Aron Peña, Jr., known as Aaron is an American attorney and politician who for 10 years represented House District 40 in the Texas House of Representatives, a seat he was first sworn into on January 14, 2003. On November 25, 2011, Rep. Aaron Peña announced that he would not seek re-election to a sixth term in office. He ended his tenure with the Texas House of Representatives on January 8, 2013 and returned to his work as an attorney and advisor in the private and public sectors. Currently Peña is employed with the Texas General Land Office, serving under the leadership of Land Commissioner George P. Bush.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adelsverein</span> Germany colony in Texas

The Mainzer Adelsverein at Biebrich am Rhein, better known as the Mainzer Adelsverein, organized on April 20, 1842, was a colonial attempt to establish a new German settlement within the borders of Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Sadler</span> American politician (1907–1982)

Gerald Anthony "Jerry" Sadler was a Democratic politician from the U.S. state of Texas. He was a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1955 to 1961, the Texas Railroad Commission from 1939 to 1943, and the Commissioner of the General Land Office from 1961 to 1971.

The Board of Commissioners of Public Lands, otherwise known as BCPL, is a state agency responsible for investing Wisconsin's school trust funds in support of public education, for managing the state's remaining school trust lands, and for maintaining an extensive archive of land records. The board was established by Article X, Sections 7 and 8 of the Wisconsin Constitution, ratified in 1848, making it Wisconsin's oldest extant state agency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fisher–Miller Land Grant</span>

The Fisher–Miller Land Grant was part of an early colonization effort of the Republic of Texas. Its 3,878,000 acres covered 5,000 square miles (13,000 km2) between the Llano River and Colorado River. Originally granted to Henry Francis Fisher and Burchard Miller, the grant was sold to the German colonization company of Adelsverein. Very few colonizations resulted from the land grant, as most settlers preferred Fredericksburg and New Braunfels, which lay outside the land grant boundaries. A granite monument located near Lookout Mountain in Burnet County summarizes the history and importance of the Fisher-Miller Land Grant and was designated as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1964, Marker number 9438.

The Texas Permanent School Fund is a sovereign wealth fund which serves to provide revenues for funding of public primary and secondary education in the US state of Texas. Its assets include many publicly owned lands within Texas and various other investments; as of the end of fiscal 2020, the fund had an endowment of $48.3 billion. The fund is distinct from the Permanent University Fund, which funds most institutions in the University of Texas System and the Texas A&M University System, but no other public universities or schools in the state.

John Ben Shepperd was an American lawyer, businessman, and politician who served as the Secretary of State (1950–1952) and Attorney General (1953–1957) for the U.S. state of Texas.

References

  1. ↑ "Locations and Hours". Texas General Land Office. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  2. ↑ Satija, Neena (October 28, 2014). "All Eyes on Land Office if George P. Bush Wins". Texas Tribune . Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  3. ↑ "History of the Texas General Land Office". Texas General Land Office. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  4. ↑ "Texas GLO - Community Development & Revitalization". The Texas General Land Office, George P. Bush - Commissioner. Retrieved 2022-01-21.
  5. ↑ Brown, Beth (26 July 2011). "Control of Alamo Begins to Shift Away From DRT". Texas Tribune . Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  6. ↑ "Welcome to the Texas General Land Office!". Texas General Land Office. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  7. 1 2 Johnson, John G. (15 June 2010). "GENERAL LAND OFFICE". Handbook of Texas Online . Texas State Historical Association . Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  8. ↑ Joint Resolution for annexing Texas to the United States, J.Res. 8, enacted March 1, 1845, 5  Stat.   797. Joint Resolution for the admission of the state of Texas into the Union, J.Res. 1, enacted December 29, 1845, 9  Stat.   108.
  9. ↑ United States v. Louisiana , 363 U.S. 1 (1960)
  10. ↑ Todd, William N.; Knape, Gerald (1952). "Borden, John Pettit". Handbook of Texas (Texas State Historical Association). Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Three Centuries on the Land: The Archives of the Texas General Land Office (PDF). Texas General Land Office. 2012. p. 18.
  12. ↑ "Ward, Thomas William (1807–1872)". Handbook of Texas (Texas State Historical Association). 1952. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  13. ↑ "Spence, Joseph (1826–1894)". Handbook of Texas (Texas State Historical Association). 1952. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  14. ↑ "Walsh, William C. (1836–1924)". Handbook of Texas (Texas State Historical Association). 1952. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  15. ↑ "Hall, Richard Moore (1851–1917)". Handbook of Texas (Texas State Historical Association). 1952. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  16. ↑ "McGaughey, William L. (1837–1912)". Handbook of Texas (Texas State Historical Association). 1952. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  17. ↑ "Baker, Andrew Jackson (1842–1912)". Handbook of Texas (Texas State Historical Association). 1952. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  18. ↑ "Finger, George W. (1857–1899)". Handbook of Texas (Texas State Historical Association). 1952. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  19. ↑ "Rogan, Charles (1858–1932)". Handbook of Texas (Texas State Historical Association). 1952. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  20. ↑ Harper, Cecil Jr (1952). "Robison, James Thomas". Handbook of Texas (Texas State Historical Association). Retrieved 2024-02-09.

Notes

  1. ↑ Sources differ in whether they include Raglin in the count of Commissioners, and hence whether they consider Ward to be second or third commissioner; however, the General Land Office's official enumeration includes Raglin in its count
  2. ↑ Crosby served three non-consecutive terms as Land Commissioner, but is only counted in the enumeration once
  3. ↑ White served two non-consecutive terms as Land Commissioner, but is only counted in the enumeration once
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.