Earle Bradford Mayfield


Earle Bradford Mayfield was a lawyer and Democratic Party politician from Overton, Texas who served in both the Texas State Senate and United States Senate.

Early life

Mayfield was born in Overton, Texas on April 12, 1881, the son of John Blythe and Mary Mayfield. He graduated from high school in Timpson, Texas, and then from Tyler Business College.
In 1900, Mayfield graduated from Southwestern University, and he studied law at the University of Texas at Austin from 1900 to 1901. He continued to study law, was admitted to the bar in 1907, and practiced in Meridian, Bosque County. Mayfield was also involved in several business ventures including the wholesale grocery industry and operation of several farms.

Political career

State politics

A Democrat, he served in the Texas State Senate from 1907 to 1913, and as a member of the Texas Railroad Commission from 1913 to 1923.

United States Senate

In 1922, Mayfield was one of six candidates who challenged five-term United States Senator Charles A. Culberson for the Democratic senatorial nomination. In the ensuing runoff between Mayfield and former Governor James E. Ferguson, Mayfield was labeled the "Ku Klux Klan candidate" because he and the KKK supported prohibition, while Ferguson emphasized an anti-prohibition stance; at the time the sale of alcoholic beverage was illegal throughout the United States under the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution.
After securing the endorsement of the other U.S. Senator from Texas, Morris Sheppard of Texarkana, Mayfield won the Democratic nomination. In the general election held on November 7, 1922, Mayfield faced the Independent candidate George Peddy, who also had the backing of the Republican Party. Because Peddy's name was not on the ballot, the insurgents waged a write-in campaign. Peddy's write-in effort netted him a third of the vote.
After the election, Peddy challenged the results on the grounds of disputes over filing deadlines and other technical issues. A Senate committee ruled in Mayfield's favor, and the full Senate voted to seat him, but his swearing in was delayed until December 1923.
in 1928, Mayfield faced a large field of candidates, and was defeated in the runoff by Tom Connally, a member of the United States House of Representatives from McLennan County; winning the Democratic nomination was tantamount to election, and Connally went on to win the seat and succeed Mayfield.
In 1930, Mayfield sought the Democratic nomination for governor, but finished seventh among eleven candidates; the successful candidate was Ross Sterling.

Retirement and death

After losing his Senate seat, Mayfield moved to Tyler. He continued to practice law and manage his business interests until retiring in 1952.
Mayfield died in Tyler on June 23, 1964, and was buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Tyler.

Family

Mayfield married Ora Lumpkin on June 10, 1902; they were the parents of three sons.

Legacy

Mayfield received the honorary degree of doctor of humane letters from John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas.