A Guide to the Ken Towery Papers, 1954-2003

Investigation into the Veterans' Land Board Scandal

Biographical Note

Ken Towery (1923- ), Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and former POW, was born in 1923 in Monroe County, Mississippi. After World War II, Towery attended Southwest Texas Junior College and became the managing editor of the Cuero Daily Record in Cuero, Texas.

In 1955, Towery was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in local reporting for breaking the story and publishing a series of articles exposing fraud and corruption in the Texas Veterans Land Programs. Towery had discovered that white Cuero businessmen were paying black veterans to sign over veterans loan applications to buy land. The Veterans Land Board was investigated by the State Legislature, and Texas Land Commissioner Bascom Giles was indicted and served three years in the Texas State Penitentiary. In total, twenty people were indicted in nine counties.

Towery went on to work in government service and was active in politics and political campaigns.

Sources

• Kaderli, Elizabeth, Handbook of Texas Online , http://http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/mqv01 (accessed October 15, 2009)
• Towery, Ken, The Chow Dipper: A Personal and Political Odyssey . Austin, Texas: Eakin Press, 1994
• Ken Towery Papers (KT.AR.272).Archives and Records, Texas General Land Office.

Scope and Contents of the Records

The Ken Towery Papers, 1954-2003, contain newspapers, clippings, magazines, and moving images. The bulk of the collection is comprised of newspapers, magazines, and clippings containing articles about Towery and the Veterans' Land Board Scandal investigation and trials in Austin and DeWitt County.

The scandal, during which local white businessmen coerced African-American veterans into signing over rights to land-purchase loans, is well documented as reported by the local daily 6-page paper where the story first broke. Of note are editorials and letters to the editor that reflect local perspectives. Also included are articles by Towery and others and UP wires from Austin.

This collection also contains the May 3, 1955 edition of Edward R. Murrow’s CBS television program See It Now, which highlighted Towery’s investigation and Pulitzer Prize, and footage of the 2003 ceremony at which Towery donated his papers to the Texas General Land Office.

Restrictions

Conditions Governing Access note

Unrestricted access.

Conditions Governing Use note

Materials may be under copyright protection. US copyright law does allow for reproduction of materials under copyright for uses such as critique, criticism, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research. The researcher has full responsibility for determining copyright status, locating copyright holders, and abiding by current copyright laws when publishing or displaying copies of Special Collections material in print or electronic form.

Related Material

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Ken Towery Papers (KT.AR.272). Archives and Records Program, Texas General Land Office, Austin.

Accession Information

Ken Towery donated his papers to the Texas General Land Office on October 1, 2003.

Processing Information

Finding aid by Lauren Goodley, October 2009, based on a previous inventory by Jerry Drake.

Other formats of the records

The 16mm film has been copied onto VHS and DVD formats.

Materials in this collection have not been digitized.

Detailed Description of the Collection