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Texas History
A.M. AIKIN,
JR
by Archie
P. McDonald |
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In
these days of evaluating our schools—exemplary to acceptable to whatever—and
multiple special legislative sessions devoted to figuring out how
to spend more money on schools while taking in less revenue, Texans
might want to remember A.M. Aikin Jr., who helped drag education and
Texas into modern times.
A generation ago, every Texan associated with education knew of A.M.
Aikin, who served in the legislature for 46 years and authored or
co-authored ever-major education bill considered during that time.
Aikin was born in Aikin Grove, Red River County, on October 9, 1905.
He attended a three-teacher school, to which he rode horseback four
miles each way each day until he graduated from high school, which
helped form his legislative philosophy to support children to acquire
an education more easily than had been his lot.
Aikin won election to the Texas House of Representatives in 1932,
then moved to the Senate in 1937, where he served for the next four
decades. He missed only two session days in his entire legislative
tenure. Aikin chaired the Senate’s Appropriations Committee, which
was of considerable benefit to public and higher education in Texas.
With Representative Claude Gilmer, Aikin sponsored the Gilmer-Aikin
Laws in 1949, also passed with the considerate assistance of Senator
Ottis Lock, another lawmaker from East Texas. The Gilmer-Aikin Laws
centralized the state school system and established minimum salaries
and expenditures for each scholastic based on a state formula. The
point was to insure state monies to assist every community in providing
educational opportunities for its young scholars.
Aikin also sponsored an amendment to the state constitution creating
the Teacher Retirement System in 1937, and in every legislative session
until he retired he worked to increase funding for education.
Senator Aikin had other interests as well, as is illustrated by this:
As chairman of appropriations, when the state budget neared completion,
Aikin always asked if M.D. Anderson Hospital, the state cancer treatment
center, had received its requested appropriation. If not, they all
went back to work until he was satisfied.
Aikin died in Paris, Texas, on October 24, 1981, leaving a legacy
worthy of immulation by today’s legislators. |
© Archie P. McDonald
All
Things Historical
November 7, 2005 column
A syndicated column in over 40 East Texas newspapers
This column is provided as a public service by the East Texas Historical
Association. Archie P. McDonald is director of the Association and
author of more than 20 books on Texas. |
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