Papers of Paul B. Ragsdale consist of classified files assembled when he was state representative from Dallas (1973-1986). Ragsdale served on the following committees, among others: Regions, Compacts, Districts (1977-1984); Public Education (1983-1986); and State, Federal, and International Affairs (1981-1982, chairman 1985-1986). Files document state government and legislative issues including educational reform (1984), public safety, redistricting of election constituencies (1981), and issues pertaining to blacks such as equal opportunity employment and constituent discrimination claims; minority business enterprise; the Black Legislative Caucus; the Texas Black Legislators before 1900 Project; and the East Texas Project, a series of lawsuits regarding reapportionment of county commissioner precincts in 48 East Texas counties. Materials include legislative bills, press releases, correspondence, statistical employment records, reports, campaign materials, newspaper clippings, and maps of state and local election districts.
Born in 1945, Paul B. Ragsdale was one of the first African American legislators in Texas since Reconstruction. Growing up the son of a barber in a rural area near Jacksonville, Texas, Ragsdale went on to earn a sociology degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He was elected to represent Dallas as a democrat in the 1972 state elections. A champion of African American and Hispanic rights, Ragsdale fought racial bias in the workplace and played an active role in state politics. In 1973 he applied for food stamps to protest his $4,800 annual pay as a legislator.
Paul B. Ragsdale Papers, 1972-1987, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin
Portions of this collection are stored remotely; advance notice required for retrieval; contact repository for retrieval.