HomeMy WebLinkAboutAC074_JAMES_COMMITTEE_SCRAPBOOKDescriptive Sheet
The James Committee Scrapbook
AC-074
(Rrlr
No Inventory Available
General Type: Papers
Physical Description: 1 Scrapbook
Inclusive Dates: 1960-1961
Donor: The First Methodist Church of Beaumont, TX
DESCRIPTION
From 1930 to 1960, Jefferson County was considered an open
area for vice and corruption. For example, a large "red light"
district operated freely in Beaumont's Crockett Street area,
replete with saloons and brothels. In 1961, the General
Investigating Committee of the Texas House of Representatives (the
James Committee), chaired by Representative Tom James of Dallas,
opened investigations of vice and corruption in Beaumont. The
James Committee intended to destroy vice and corruption in
Jefferson County, fearing the growth of national crime
organizations in the state. Following a series of raids by the
Texas Rangers, the Committee began hearings in Beaumont on January
4. The hearings produced a scathing report on vice and corruption
in Jefferson County and resulted in the resignations of several
leading officials in law enforcement and local government.
This collection consists of one scrapbook containing newspaper
clippings on the James Committee hearings and investigations. Many
articles and editorials detail the revelations of witnesses and
chronological progression of events.
No restrictions apply.