J.J. Pickle
Encyclopedia
James Jarrell Pickle also known as J.J. 'Jake' Pickle, was a United States Representative
from the 10th congressional district
of Texas
from 1963 to 1995.
Pickle was born in Roscoe, Texas
. He acquired his nickname Jake from a mischievous character he portrayed in a family play when he was four years old. Pickle was an Eagle Scout
and recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
from the Boy Scouts of America
.
Pickle attended the public schools in Big Spring
and received his Bachelor of Arts
from the University of Texas at Austin
where he was a member of the 1934 Southwest Conference championship swimming team and the student body president as a senior in 1937. He was also a member of the Friar Society
. Pickle was introduced by future governor James Connally to Congressman Lyndon Johnson, who served as his political mentor. He assisted the latter in his 1940 election campaign and assisted Lady Bird Johnson in running the Congressional office. When the United States entered WWII, Pickle joined the Navy
as a gunnery officer and was stationed on the USS St. Louis
and the USS Miami
, surviving three torpedo attacks. When the war ended, he, Johnson, and Connally helped found a radio station (KVET) in Austin, Texas
. After 10 years in the advertising business, he joined the Democratic Election Executive Committee of Texas in 1957.
From 1961 to 1963, Pickle was a member of the Texas Employment Commission, since renamed the Texas Workforce Commission. He served under appointment of Governor
Price Daniel]].
Pickle was elected as a Democrat to the 88th Congress
, by special election, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of United States Representative Homer Thornberry
, who became a U.S. District judge. Pickle was reelected 15 times before retiring at the conclusion of his 1993-94 term. His campaign trademark was a "squeaky pickle
" rubber toy he handed out to those he met in area parades.
While in the House, Pickle rose through the ranks to become the third ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee. He was one of only six Southern Congressmen to vote for the Civil Rights Act of 1964
, and went on to play a key role in passing major Social Security
reform legislation in 1983 to save the system from insolvency
. The reforms increased the payroll tax rate, slowly increased the full benefit retirement
age to 67 and taxed some of the benefits. He considered this legislation his greatest accomplishment.
Pickle was able to steer research money to the University of Texas, and today the University's J. J. Pickle Research Campus is named in his honor. He was influential in the city of Austin
, as well, most notably for relocating Austin's main airport from Robert Mueller Municipal Airport
to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
. He was also instrumental in bringing the SEMATECH
and the MCC
consortia to Austin.
Before Pickle left for World War II
in 1942, he married Ella Nora "Sugar" Critz. They had one daughter together. Critz died in 1952 and Pickle married Beryl Bolton McCarroll in 1960. Pickle was diagnosed with prostate cancer
in 1991 and lymphoma
in 2001. He died at his home in Austin on June 18, 2005 of complications from his cancer and is interred at the Texas State Cemetery
there.
Peggy Pickle was Jake Pickle's only daughter. She still makes contributions to the University of Texas at Austin on her father's behalf. In 1997, Jake and Peggy Pickle wrote a book together called Jake with a foreword by former Texas governor Ann Richards
.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from the 10th congressional district
Texas's 10th congressional district
Texas District 10 of the United States House of Representatives is a congressional district that serves the northwestern portion of the Greater Houston region stretching to the Austin area of Texas...
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
from 1963 to 1995.
Pickle was born in Roscoe, Texas
Roscoe, Texas
Roscoe is a town in Nolan County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,378 at the 2000 census, but has decreased to only 900.-Geography:Roscoe is located at ....
. He acquired his nickname Jake from a mischievous character he portrayed in a family play when he was four years old. Pickle was an Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
and recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
The Distinguished Eagle Scout Award is a distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America . It is awarded to an Eagle Scout for distinguished service in his profession and to his community for a period of at least 25 years after attaining the level of Eagle Scout...
from the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
.
Pickle attended the public schools in Big Spring
Big Spring, Texas
Big Spring is a city in and the county seat of Howard County, Texas, United States, at the crossroads of U.S. Highway 87 and Interstate 20. With a population of 25,233 at the 2000 census, it is the largest city between Midland to the west, Abilene to the east, Lubbock to the north, and San Angelo...
and received his Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
where he was a member of the 1934 Southwest Conference championship swimming team and the student body president as a senior in 1937. He was also a member of the Friar Society
Friar Society
The Friar Society is the oldest honor society at the University of Texas at Austin.-Origins:The Friar Society was founded in 1911 by Curtice Rosser and Marion Levy. Eight members were initially selected in the charter group...
. Pickle was introduced by future governor James Connally to Congressman Lyndon Johnson, who served as his political mentor. He assisted the latter in his 1940 election campaign and assisted Lady Bird Johnson in running the Congressional office. When the United States entered WWII, Pickle joined the Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
as a gunnery officer and was stationed on the USS St. Louis
USS St. Louis (CL-49)
USS St. Louis , the lead ship of her class of light cruiser, was the fifth ship of the United States Navy named after the city of St. Louis, Missouri. In January 1951, she was commissioned into the Brazilian Navy as Almirante Tamandaré....
and the USS Miami
USS Miami (CL-89)
was one of 26 United States Navy light cruisers completed during or shortly after World War II. The ship, the second US Navy ship to bear the name, was named for the city of Miami, Florida. Miami was commissioned in December 1943, and saw service in several campaigns in the Pacific...
, surviving three torpedo attacks. When the war ended, he, Johnson, and Connally helped found a radio station (KVET) in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. After 10 years in the advertising business, he joined the Democratic Election Executive Committee of Texas in 1957.
From 1961 to 1963, Pickle was a member of the Texas Employment Commission, since renamed the Texas Workforce Commission. He served under appointment of Governor
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
Price Daniel]].
Pickle was elected as a Democrat to the 88th Congress
88th United States Congress
The Eighty-eighth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1963 to January 3, 1965, during the last year of...
, by special election, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of United States Representative Homer Thornberry
Homer Thornberry
William Homer Thornberry was a United States Representative from the 10th congressional district of Texas from 1948 to 1963, and then was a federal judge.-Biography:...
, who became a U.S. District judge. Pickle was reelected 15 times before retiring at the conclusion of his 1993-94 term. His campaign trademark was a "squeaky pickle
Pickling
Pickling, also known as brining or corning is the process of preserving food by anaerobic fermentation in brine to produce lactic acid, or marinating and storing it in an acid solution, usually vinegar . The resulting food is called a pickle. This procedure gives the food a salty or sour taste...
" rubber toy he handed out to those he met in area parades.
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark piece of legislation in the United States that outlawed major forms of discrimination against African Americans and women, including racial segregation...
, and went on to play a key role in passing major Social Security
Social Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
reform legislation in 1983 to save the system from insolvency
Insolvency
Insolvency means the inability to pay one's debts as they fall due. Usually used to refer to a business, insolvency refers to the inability of a company to pay off its debts.Business insolvency is defined in two different ways:...
. The reforms increased the payroll tax rate, slowly increased the full benefit retirement
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
age to 67 and taxed some of the benefits. He considered this legislation his greatest accomplishment.
Pickle was able to steer research money to the University of Texas, and today the University's J. J. Pickle Research Campus is named in his honor. He was influential in the city of Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, as well, most notably for relocating Austin's main airport from Robert Mueller Municipal Airport
Robert Mueller Municipal Airport
Robert Mueller Municipal Airport served the Austin, Texas, United States, area until it was replaced by the Austin Bergstrom International Airport and subsequently closed in 1999...
to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is a mixed-use commercial airport located southeast of the central business district of Austin, Texas, United States. It covers and has two runways and three helipads.The airport began passenger service on May 23, 1999...
. He was also instrumental in bringing the SEMATECH
SEMATECH
- Purpose :SEMATECH , a not-for-profit consortium, performs research and development to advance chip manufacturing. SEMATECH has broad engagement with various sectors of the R&D community, including chipmakers, equipment and material suppliers, universities, research institutes, and government...
and the MCC
Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation
Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation was the first, and - at one time - one of the largest, computer industry research and development consortia in the United States....
consortia to Austin.
Before Pickle left for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1942, he married Ella Nora "Sugar" Critz. They had one daughter together. Critz died in 1952 and Pickle married Beryl Bolton McCarroll in 1960. Pickle was diagnosed with prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
in 1991 and lymphoma
Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a cancer in the lymphatic cells of the immune system. Typically, lymphomas present as a solid tumor of lymphoid cells. Treatment might involve chemotherapy and in some cases radiotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation, and can be curable depending on the histology, type, and stage...
in 2001. He died at his home in Austin on June 18, 2005 of complications from his cancer and is interred at the Texas State Cemetery
Texas State Cemetery
The Texas State Cemetery is a cemetery located on about just east of downtown Austin, the capital of Texas. Originally the burial place of Edward Burleson, Texas Revolutionary general and Vice-President of the Republic of Texas, it was expanded into a Confederate cemetery during the Civil War...
there.
Peggy Pickle was Jake Pickle's only daughter. She still makes contributions to the University of Texas at Austin on her father's behalf. In 1997, Jake and Peggy Pickle wrote a book together called Jake with a foreword by former Texas governor Ann Richards
Ann Richards
Dorothy Ann Willis Richards was an American politician from Texas. She first came to national attention as the state treasurer of Texas, when she delivered the keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention. Richards served as the 45th Governor of Texas from 1991 to 1995 and was...
.