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Texas
History A.M.
AIKIN, JRby
Archie P. McDonald | |
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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