Guide to the Papers of Harold J. "Tex" Lezar at the Tarlton Law Library

Historical Background

Born in Dallas, Texas on September 30, 1948, Harold J. "Tex" Lezar Jr. earned his bachelor's degree from Yale University in 1970. After graduating, he served as an assistant to William F. Buckley at the National Review before becoming a speechwriter and special assistant to President Richard Nixon from 1971-1974, which encompassed the Watergate era. In 1974, Lezar relocated to Austin, where he earned a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law and was editor-in-chief of the Texas Law Review. Following his graduation in 1976, Lezar worked at the law firm of Mandell & Wright in Houston from 1977-1979. After a short term as General Counsel to Texas Secretary of State George W. Strake Jr., he joined the Department of Justice as Special Counsel to Attorney General William French Smith in 1983. In 1984 he gained the title of Assistant Attorney General for Legal Policy and Chief of Staff. The same year he married Merrie Spaeth, the director of White House media relations. In 1985, Lezar left full-time government service but remained active in public affairs. He served as vice-chairman on Attorney General Edwin Meese's Commission on Pornography from 1985-1986. After an unsuccessful bid to become State Attorney General in 1989 followed by a failed attempt to unseat Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock in 1994, Lezar was appointed president and chief executive officer of Empower America. Co-directors of this conservative Washington-based lobbyist group included Jack Kemp, Jean Kirkpatrick, William Bennett, and Lamar Alexander. At the time Lezar died on January 5, 2004, he was a partner with the Houston law firm of Clements, O'Neill, Pierce, Wilson & Fulkerson.

Contents of the Collection

The Harold J. "Tex" Lezar Jr. Papers document Lezar's education and public service career through 39 linear feet of correspondence, reports, article clippings, photographs, legal documents, financial documents, creative works, and artifacts spanning the years 1961-1986. Inter-office memoranda, correspondence, administrative records, photographs and article clippings measuring 12.1 linear feet document the turbulent atmosphere of the White House during President Richard Nixon's second term. Multiple drafts of President Nixon's 1974 State of the Union address highlight Lezar's contributions as a White House speechwriter. Collections of correspondence, newspaper and magazine articles, and presidential mail samples reflect public opinion during the Watergate years. A notable example is a letter dated May 28, 1976 to Lezar from fellow speechwriter Ray Price speculating about the identity of Deep Throat. Speeches, memoranda, correspondence, and legal documents constitute 6.0 linear feet and detail Lezar's administrative duties as Special Counsel and Chief of Staff of Attorney General William French Smith in the Department of Justice from 1983-1985. 1.9 linear feet of correspondence, reports and inter-office memoranda document Lezar's position as General Counsel to Texas Secretary of State George W. Strake Jr. from 1979-1980. 12.5 linear feet of article clippings, journals, correspondence, reports, testimony and memoranda cover the proceedings of Attorney General Edwin Meese's Commission on Pornography from 1985-1986. Reports prepared by the Investigative Service Division of the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C. in 1978 document organized crime's involvement in the pornography industry. Testimonies and letters written by vice-chairman Dr. James Dobson reflect the Commission's concern over the contributory effects of pornography on child molestation.

Administrative Information

Acquisition Information

Gift of Merrie Spaeth, widow of Tex Lezar, Feb. 2004.

Processing History

This collection was processed by Janice Carter, Erin Hammeke, Cara Johnston, Katherine Kelly, Andrea Knowlton, Stephanie Kolich, Molly Mackey, and Adrian Whatley during the fall of 2004.

Detailed Description of the Collection