New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 2, Part 41

Author: Davis, Ellis A.
Publication date: 1926
Publisher: Dallas, Tex. : Texas development bureau, [1926?]
Number of Pages: 1262

USA > Texas > New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 2 > Part 41

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ILLIAM J. ARMSTRONG, for around two decades one of the members of the legal fraternity of Houston, has attained a com- mendable reputation as an attorney, and has been active in civic and welfare work for many years. Mr. Armstrong came to Houston in 1904, establishing his practice here in that year, and has secured and maintained a high position in his pro- fession, building up a very large practice. His prac- tice is of a general nature. Mr. Armstrong has a well appointed suite of offices in the Union National Bank Building. With the exception of three years, during which time he was associated with Mr. T. G. Britton, Mr. Armstrong has engaged in practice alone.

William J. Armstrong was born at Salem, Vir- ginia, the twelfth of May, 1877. His father, the late D. G. Armstrong, for many years a merchant of Salem, Virginia, was a native of West Virginia. His mother, now deceased, was before her marriage Miss Hannah Gibson, of West Virginia. Mr. Arm- strong began his education in the public schools of Salem, Virginia, and after graduating from the high school there he entered Roanoke College, at Salem, Virginia, where he attended four years, taking the

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A. B. degree from this institution, in 1897. Follow- ing his graduation, Mr. Armstrong went to Georgia, making that state his home for a number of years during which he pursued the study of law at nights and in his spare time. In July, 1904, Mr. Armstrong took the bar examinations before the Georgia bar and was admitted to practice. The following September he came to Houston, to which city his brother, Dr. E. M. Armstrong, one of the leading physicians of Houston, had preceded him, and has since been a resident here.

Mr. Armstrong was married at Roanoke, Virginia, the sixth of November, 1912, to Miss Mattie Taylor, a native of North Carolina, who was reared in Vir- ginia. Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong make Houston their home, and have one child, Mattie Williams Arm- strong. During his years of residence at Houston, Mr. Armstrong has acquired various business inter- ests here, and is one of the directors of the Universal Land Company. He is a member of the University Club. Mr. Armstrong has for many years con- tributed generously to the various charities of the city and has taken a deep interest in all welfare work. He has also been active in his support of various civic measures.

BE W. WAGNER, in the decade of his prac- tice of law at Houston, has attained a place of high standing in the Harris County Bar, and is regarded as one of the most capable jurists of this section of the state. Mr. Wagner is a member of the law firm of Wagner and Wagner, one of the most important law firms of Houston, and one of the strongest, both in point of practice and prestige. The firm occupies the third floor of the Union National Bank Building, and in addition to the members of the firm, has a number of legal ex- perts composing the legal staff. Mr. Wagner was admitted to the bar in 1915, beginning his practice at Houston, and at that time forming an associa- tion with his brother, Myer C. Wagner, which con- tinued until 1919 as the law firm of Wagner and Wagner. In that year William G. Love came into the firm and it became Love, Wagner and Wagner. When Mr. Love retired from the partnership, it continued as Wagner and Wagner. Tamp W. Grobe is associated with the firm.

Abe W. Wagner was born at Columbus, Texas, the twentieth of April, 1891. His father, I. Wag- ner, a native of Galicia, came to the United States as a young man, around four decades ago, coming direct to Texas. After one year at Houston, Mr. Wagner went to Columbus, Texas, where he engaged in business for more than a decade, and then re- turned to Houston, establishing a mercantile busi- ness here which he operated for many years. He has since entered the real estate and investment business, and is one of the best known realtors at Houston. Abe W. Wagner attended the public schools of Houston, and as a young man began to work in law offices, studying law at the same time, and receiving a large part of his legal training under such prominent lawyers as Sam Bradley, Mr. Fogle, and Colonel Thomas H. Ball. He was admitted to the bar in 1915, beginning his practice at Houston at that time, and has been active in this profession since.

Mr. Wagner was married at Houston, the eighth of January, 1916, to Miss Helen Maier, a native of

Palestine, Texas. Mr. and Mrs. Wagner reside at 104 Avondale, and have two children, Dorothy Lu- cille, and Abe W. Wagner, Jr. Mr. Wagner is a member of the Salesmanship Club. He is a prom- inent Mason of Houston, belonging to Holland Blue Lodge No. 1, and is a thirty-second degree Scot- tish Rite Mason, an officer in the Scottish Rite bodies, and belongs to Arabia Temple Shrine. Mr. Wagner is also an Elk and a trustee in the Houston Lodge. He has many friends among the profes- sional men of the city, and is a leader among the younger element here.

EYER C. WAGNER, one of the ablest law- yers of Houston and the Lone Star State, has dignified the profession by two decades of practice in this city, and has earned note- worthy prominence for his masterly handling of cor- poration matters and his connection with a number of important cases. Mr. Wagner is a member of the firm of Wagner and Wagner, one of the leaders of the Houston bar. For several years it was known as Love, Wagner and Wagner, but when Mr. W. G. Love retired from the partnership it continued as Wagner and Wagner. Associated with Mr. Wagner is his brother, Abe W. Wagner. Prior to the organ- ization of this firm, Mr. Wagner had practiced alone in Houston, since being admitted to the bar in 1904. The firm maintains a well appointed suite of offices in the Union National Bank Building, and handles a large practice of a general civil nature. They are the attorneys for the Houston National Bank, and other large corporations and take a leading part in legal activities at Houston. Mr. Wagner is one of the most able attorneys of his day, and has intellectual talents of a high order, which, com- bined with a convincing platform manner, have been factors in his rapid advancement in his profession. He has a thorough understanding of economic and constructive policies, and notwithstanding the exact- ing professional and business demands on his time, has taken an active interest in public affairs.

Meyer C. Wagner is a native of Houston, in which city he was born the twenty-fifth of January, 1883. His father, I. Wagner, came to Houston around 1880, and although foreign born, was one of the most loyal supporters of American ideals in this city, and a man who took a deep interest in civic advancement. His mother was before her marriage Miss Bertha Nuss- baum. Mr. Wagner removed to Colorado County as a boy and attended the public schools of that coun- ty and early formed the intention of making the law his vocation. After finishing the schools in Colorado County, Mr. Wagner went to Washington, D. C. and entered Columbia University, where he graduated in 1904 with the L. L. B. degree. He re- turned to his native city, where he was admitted to the bar in 1904, and where he has since practiced, steadily advancing in his profession to one of the leading lawyers of the Lone Star State.

Mr. Wagner was married at Houston in 1917 to Miss Josie Kahn, of Lafayette, Louisiana. They. now make their home at 1610 Richmond, and have one child, Meyer, Jr. Mr. Wagner is a Kappa Sig- ma, belongs to the University Club, the Glenbrook Country Club, the Concordia Club, and attends Beth Israel. He has made a record in his profession that needs no commentary, but is the fulfilling of the predictions made during the early years of his career by his associates.

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OHN M. KING, one of the foremost lawyers of Houston, has been engaged in general practice since April 1, 1923, at which time he retired as General Attorney for the I. & G. N. Railroad, and is highly regarded as an at- torney, whose success and prestige in his profes- sion have been in proportion to his four decades of practice in various Texas cities. Mr. King is senior member of the law firm of King and Battaile, a firm established the first of January, 1924. Offices are maintained in the Bankers Mortgage Building. John F. Battaile, an attorney of recognized ability, is junior member of the firm.

John M. King was born in Aberfoyle, Pike Coun- ty, Alabama, 1863. His father was Shepherd W. King of Alabama, well known cotton broker, and merchant of that State, and later of Texas. His mother was Miss Antoinette Ford of Alabama, daughter of a well known planter. Mr. King's early education was obtained at Union Springs Academy, Alabama, and Marvin College, Waxahachie. After finishing his education Mr. King taught school at Pilot Point, Texas, for a period of three years and studied law at the same time. He was admitted to the bar in 1886, beginning his practice at Waxa- hachie the same year. He remained at Waxahachie until 1896, demonstrating qualifications which caused much favorable comment. In 1896 Mr. King came within one vote of being nominated for Congress as a dark horse. In 1896 he was appointed Assistant Attorney General of Texas, serving until January, 1899, under Attorney General M. M. Crane. The same year Mr. King went to Navasota, remaining there until 1905, during this period he engaged in private practice. In 1905 he was given an invitation to become Assistant General Attorney of the I. & G. N. Railroad by Judge N. A. Stedman, who was at that time General Attorney for the railroad. He accepted this position and upon the resignation of Judge Stedman in 1906 he was appointed General Attorney for the railroad and served as such with a brief intermission until April, 1923.

Mr. King has been married twice, his first wife having been Miss Lizzie McAdoo, to whom he was married in 1891 at Ennis, Texas, and whose death occurred a year later. To this union was born one child, John B. King, now an attorney at Wichita Falls. Mr. King was married the second time to Miss Mary McAdoo, a sister of his first wife. They were the daughters of Judge John D. McAdoo, for- mer Justice of Supreme Court of Texas and for many years a resident of Brenham, Texas, and uncle of William G. McAdoo. To this second union one child, Leon McAdoo King, was born. Mrs. King's death occurred at Paris, France, August, 1923. Mr. King is a Knight of Pythias, belonging to the Nava- sota Lodge, having been affiliated with this order since 1888. During his early career he was elected to the Twenty-Third Legislature, from Ellis County, serving one term.

UDGE J. WILL WOODS, senior member of the well known law firm of Woods, King and John, has for fifteen years practiced his profession in Houston, and during this period has been identified with many of the most important cases which have come before the courts of South Texas. This firm, as established in 1908, was Woods and Graham, and continued under this

name until January, 1911, when it was changed to Woods, Graham and Harris, and this firm name con- tinued until October 1st, 1912, when Mr. Graham withdrew and the name was changed to Woods and Harris. This firm continued until April 1st, 1914, when it became Woods, Harris and King. In Jan- uary, 1915, Mr. Harris withdrew and the firm became Woods and King, which continued until January 1st, 1916, when Mr. John entered the firm, and the name was again changed, and has continued since that time under the present name-Woods, King and John. This firm is engaged in the general practice of law, mostly civil work, and many dam- age cases are numbered among their large clientele. Woods, King and John are attorneys for the Citi- zens State Bank, Burge Manuacturing Company and many of the leading manufacturers, companies and individual interests of Houston, Harris County and South Texas. Their office is located at 1104 Union National Bank Building.

A native Texan, Judge Woods was born in Rob- ertson County December 11th, 1873. His father, J. A. Woods, was also born in Robertson County and for many years was engaged in farming in that county; his father, John Woods, came to Texas about 1845 and was among the pioneer settlers of the Lone Star State. His mother was Miss Fannie Parker, a native Texan, and a member of a prom- inent family of Washington County, where she was born. Her family came to Texas in the pioneer days. Judge Woods' education was obtained in the public schools and later he attended a business col- lege at Austin, Texas. Judge Woods studied law in the office of C. F. Cohron at Franklin, Texas, and was admitted to the bar in July, 1896, and im- mediately began the practice of his profession at Bremond, Texas, and continued his law practice there until November, 1900, when he was elected county attorney of Robertson County, and removed to Franklin, which is the county seat. From 1898 to 1900, Judge Woods served as assistant county attorney at Bremond, Texas. He served as county attorney of Robertson County from 1900 to 1904, when he was elected to the office of county judge of Robertson County, and served with distinction in this office until November, 1908. During this same year, he removed to Houston and began the practice of his profession, and has continued since that time, although the personnel of the firm and the name has been changed several times. One member of this law firm saw active service during the World War. In May, 1917, Mr. John entered the Army, and on September 1st, 1918, K. C. Barkley entered the firm and the name was changed at that time to Woods, Barkley and King, until Mr. John returned from the Army and in September, 1919, came back with the firm, but the name of the firm remained the same until January 1st, 1921, when Mr. Barkley left, and the firm returned to the present name. Since coming to Houston, Judge Woods has been closely connected with the commercial interests of the city, and is chairman of the Board of Directors of the Citizens National Bank and was one of the organizers of this institution. He is a director in the Burge Manufacturing Company and many other companies and industries of Houston. Judge Woods has been the recipient of many positions of honor and trust at the hands of his fellow men. Among these are numbered the fact that in November, 1918,

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he was elected presidential elector (Democratic) of the Sixth Congressional District. He has served his state and country in many ways, and during the World War, he served on the Legal Advisory Board, and was an ardent worker in many organizations.

Judge Woods was married in Robertson County, Texas, February 12th, 1899, to Miss Lena George, a daughter of W. R. George, a well known farmer of Robertson County. They have three children, Roy W. Woods, twenty-four years of age; Bessie, seven- teen years old, at school in New York City, and Joe Woods, aged fourteen years. In fraternal and pro- fessional organizatins, Judge Woods is a member of the Knights of Pythias, Woodmen of the World, Texas Bar Association and the Harris County Bar Association. He takes an active interest in all mat- ters having to do with the civic improvement of Houston, and he stands in the esteem of the Hous- ton citizenship as a champion of civic righteousness.

OHN G. LOGUE, attorney and counselor at law, and one of the leading practitioners before the Bar of South Texas, has been actively identified with the legal profession in the City of Houston for over twenty years.

Mr. Logue was admitted to the Bar in 1904, and came to Houston in that year from his former home at Columbus, Texas, and became associated with the law firm of Andrews, Ball and Streetman. In 1911 he became a member of the firm, the name of which was later changed to Andrews, Streetman, Logue and Mobley, now one of the leading law firms of Texas.

A native of Texas, Mr. Logue was born at Colum- bus, in Colorado County, on May 16th, 1882, a son of Lyle J. and Hattie T. (Cook) Logue. His father was an able'attorney of the old school and at the time of his death in 1884 was serving as county and district attorney of Colorado County. He had form- erly lived in Galveston where his father settled be- fore the Civil War.

Mr. Logue attended the public schools of Colum- bus, and later was a student at Baylor University and the University of Texas, graduating from the latter institution with the class of 1904 and receiving the degree of Bachelor of Laws.

On December 19th, 1906, Mr. Logue was married at Weimar, Texas, to Miss Kate Holloway, native of Colorado County, and a daughter of J. J. Holloway, pioneer merchant, planter and banker of that sec- tion. They have one daughter, Kathryn Lyle.

Mr. Logue is a member of the Delta Tau Delta, college fraternity, being a charter member of the chapter at Austin. He also is a Mason and a mem- ber of the Scottish Rite to the eighteenth degree, a member of the American Bar Association, Texas, and Harris County Bar Associations, the Houston, Lumbermen's and University Clubs, the Houston Country Club, and the River Oaks Country Club. He is a director of the Kirby Lumber Company and also a director of the San Jacinto Trust Company. During 1922 he served as president of the Harris County Bar Association.

During his practice before the courts of Texas, Mr. Logue has handled a great deal of litigation that has been of extreme importance and interest to members of the Bar generally. Many of his cases have decided new questions of law and have become precedents for the guidance of the courts in later decisions.

LAWRENCE COOK, Attorney at Law and member of the well known firm of An- drews, Streetman, Logue & Mobley, came to Houston in 1908 from Austin and since that time has practiced his profession before the Houston bar. This firm are General Attorneys for the Gulf Coast Lines, comprising Beaumont, Sour Lake and Western Railway Company, Orange & North West- ern Railroad Company, Houston & Brazos Valley Railway Company and St. Louis, Brownsville & Mex- ico Railway Company; are General Attorneys for Houston Belt & Terminal Railway Company and are local attorneys for the Trinity and Brazos Valley Railroad, now being operated under a Federal Court receivership. Mr. Cooke looks after the work for these railroads largely in person. He has special- ized to a considerable extent in insurance, partic- ularly the Workmen's Compensation Insurance and casualty lines. This firm are attorneys for Aetna Casualty and Insurance Company, New Amsterdam Casualty Company, Home Life and Accident Com- pany, Lumbermans Reciprocal Company, Oil Men's Reciprocal Company, Medical Protective Company and others.

Mr. Cook was born near Meridian, Mississippi, December 25, 1879. His father, J. E. Cook, has been a public school teacher all his life, first in Missis- sippi and afterwards in Texas. He is now living in Fort Bend County, Texas. His mother was Miss Augusta Rosser, a native of Mississippi. His public school education was obtained in the schools of Hays, Caldwell, Cherokee and Robertson Counties, Texas, his high school work having been completed in the high school of Hearne, Texas, where he graduated in the class of 1898. He then entered the Univer- sity of Texas and graduated from that institution in the class of 1905 with the A. B. degree, and in 1908 obtained the degree L. L. B. Mr. Cook worked for one year in a newspaper office before entering the University of Texas, and between 1902 and 1903 he taught private school in Houston. In 1903 he entered the University of Texas, taking the position of Assistant Registrar, later becoming Secretary to the President and Board of Regents, which posiiton he held during President David F. Houston's admin- istration. After leaving college, Mr. Cook came with the present firm, which at that time was under a different name, on a salary and became a member of the firm in 1918.

Mr. Cook was married in Austin, Texas, on Au- gust 18, 1919, to Miss Juliette Elliott, a native Texan and a daughter of Rev. Claybourne Elliott, a well known Methodist minister. They have five children, William Lawrence Cook, Jr., John Edward, Raymond Augustus, Frank Elliott and Robert Le- roy. Mr. Cook is a York Rite Mason and a member of Arabia Temple of the order of Mystic Shriners. He is also a member and Treasurer of the Harris County Bar Association, member of the Houston Country Club, Houston Club, Lumbermen's Club and the University Club. He is a member of St. Paul's Methodist Church. Mr. Cook sees a great future for Houston, and believes that in addition to soon becoming the leading city in the Southwest in other ways, it will soon be an important educational center of the South. Mr. Cook is loyal to the city of his adoption, where he is recognized as one of the lead- ers in his profession among the younger generation.

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OSEPH E. WINFREE, Attorney at Law, of Houston, Texas, during his practice before the local bar, has been identified with much of the important litigation that has come before the courts of South Texas. A notable case in which Mr. Winfree appeared with the late Judge Masterson, was Masterson and Kempner versus A. C. Allen and others. This case lasted six weeks and was tried before Judge Charles E. Ashe, and was won by Mr. Winfree and his associates. Mr. Win- free is the senior member of the well known law firm of Winfree and Weslow, with offices in the State National Bank Building, and are engaged in a general practice of civil law. This firm enjoys the confidence of a large clientele, including many large companies, among which are the following: The Gulf State Bank, Howard G. Fields Lumber Com- pany, J. P. Ross and Sons, Gammage Investment Company, Independent Lumber Company, G. W. Hunt Lumber Company, and the Texas Division of the Actors Equity Association. They are also local attorneys for the Southern Pacific Railroad Com- pany, and represent many of the city's large institu- tions and representative business men. Mr. Winfree has been a member of the Texas Legislature from Harris County for two years, and has won the dis- tinction as a law maker who has the welfare of his constituents, and the Texas people in general, at heart. Associated with Mr. Winfree is his partner, Mr. Julian A. Weslow and David Harris, H. G. Hart, and Devereaux Henderson, all well known attorneys of this city. Mr. Winfree started his career in the business world in a sawmill, where he was employed by the West Lumber Company, in a little lumber town of East Texas. At that early age he had his mind made up to be a lawyer. He purchased law books, which he studied diligently at night, while working by day in the sawmill, and by dint of in- dustry and close application to his studies, was ad- mitted to the bar in 1912. He immediately estab- lished his office among his friends and acquaintances of his boyhood at Crockett, Texas, where he prac- ticed his profession for two and one-half years. Realizing the wonderful future for a young, indus- trious and enthusiastic lawyer in Houston, he ac- cordingly removed to the Southwest Metropolis, and again fortune favored him in that he was able to become associated with one of Houston's greatest lawyers, Judge Harris Masterson, who was without a peer in the profession of law. Mr. Winfree re- mained with Judge Masterson until he formed the present partnership with Mr. Weslow in 1919. The able counsel and advice and daily life of Judge Mas- terson are still among his most cherished memories of his early days as a member of the Texas legal fraternity. Long ago Mr. Winfree identified him- self with the business life of Houston, and is inter- ested in many of the city's business and industrial institutions, among which is the Gammage Invest- ment Company, of which he is a Director, and the Howard G. Fields Lumber Company, of which he is Vice-President. He is also Vice-President of the Winlow Place Company, capital stock $100,000.00, fully paid up.

A native Texan, Mr. Winfree was born at Crock- ett on December 20, 1891. His father, Edwin Win- free, is a pioneer of the Lone Star State, and has always taken an active interest in all matters having as their object the betterment and advancement of Texas, where he is known as one of the State's most

prominent citizens, and is now Superintendent of the Confederate Home at Austin. His early education was obtained in the public schools of Crockett, after which he became a student of the University of Texas, where he pursued a straight academic course.

Mr. Winfree was married at Crockett, Texas, on April 3, 1912, to Miss Jessie May Reynolds, a native of Crockett, where she was a member of a well known family. They have three children, Joseph Edwin, James Lipscomb and Harris Masterson. Mr. and Mrs. Winfree reside at 4802 Rusk Avenue. Mr. Winfree is a member of the A. F. and A. M., and has attained to the 32nd degree in the Scottish Rite body of this order and is a Shriner of Arabia Temple. His Masonic membership is in Temple Lodge of Houston, where his degrees have been taken. Mr. Winfree is a staunch and consistent member of the Baptist Church and is an ardent worker in church work of all kinds. He is Vice- President of the Baptist Conference of Texas and is a teacher in the Sunday School of the Central Baptist Church, where his class numbers from fifty to one hundred members. Mr. Winfree does not hesitate to pronounce Texas the greatest State in the Union, and Houston one of the greatest cities of the Southwest, and in this great district he is regarded as one of the most highly esteemed of his calling, as well as one of Houston's most progres- sive and public spirited citizens.

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New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 2, Part 41

Author: Davis, Ellis A. Publication date: 1926 Publisher: Dallas, Tex. : Texas development bureau, [1926?] Number of Pages: 1262

Author: Davis, Ellis A.
Publication date: 1926
Publisher: Dallas, Tex. : Texas development bureau, [1926?]
Number of Pages: 1262