John W. Goode

For the Demogratic politician from Virginia, see John Goode.
John William Goode, Jr.
Born (1923-03-10)March 10, 1923
San Antonio, Texas, USA
Died February 5, 1994(1994-02-05) (aged 70)
San Antonio, Texas
Residence San Antonio, Texas
Alma mater

Jefferson High School
Washington and Lee University
University of Texas at Austin

University of Texas School of Law
Occupation Lawyer
Political party Republican
Religion Episcopalian
Spouse(s) Janet Irwin Goode (married 1949-1994, his death)
Children

Both deceased:
John W. Goode, III

George Irwin Goode
Awards

Bronze Star

Silver Star in World War II

John William Goode, Jr. (March 10, 1923 February 5, 1994), was a lawyer in his native San Antonio, who was a figure in the 1950s and 1960s rebirth of the Republican Party in Texas.

Background

Goode was a son of the physician John Goode, Sr. (1886-1959), and the former Claudia Alice Nolte (1895-1969). In 1939, shortly after his sixteenth birthday, he graduated from Jefferson High School. He attended Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia for three years from 1939 to 1942,[1] but he received his bachelor's degree in 1943 from the University of Texas in the capital city of Austin.[2]

Military

During World War II, Goode served in the United States Marine Corps as a combat infantry platoon leader and executive officer in the South Pacific battles of Cape Gloucester, New Britain, Peleliu, and Okinawa. In the two latter battles, he was wounded. He was honorably discharged in 1945 at the rank of captain.[3] At Peleliu, as a second lieutenant, he received the Silver Star for courageous actions on September 27, 1944. When his platoon encountered the Japanese on a hill, Goode brought forward a machine-gun section. He pushed through hostile machine-gun and rifle fire which had already caused the death of one of his men and the wounding of two others. Twenty enemy soldiers were killed. Later in the day, Goode again braved hostile fire but managed to return to his support squad. His calm under hostile action and leadership in battle were determined to have saved the lives of many of his men. His superiors concluded that Goode's "gallant devotion to duty reflects great credit on [him] and the United States Naval Service."[4] Goode also received the Bronze Star and a Presidential Unit Citation.[3]

Family

In 1949, Goode married the former Janet Irwin, who died prior to 2003. The couple's two sons were John, III, and George Irwin Goode, who predeceased his father. Goode, III, known as "Grizzly" or "Johnny", was an artist and graphic designer who worked in the restaurant and nightclub business in San Antonio and was a state judo champion.[5]

Goode's sister, Eleanor Goode Brune (1927-2005), was from 1950 to 1956, the national committeewoman of the Young Republican Federation of Texas. Like her brother, she was a UT graduate. She also attended the Worden School of Social Work at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio and was active in social work programs, having organized the Volunteer Service Bureau and worked with blind children. She retired to the rural but historic Crowell community in Foard County in West Texas.[6] Eleanor's husband and Goode's brother-in-law, David H. Brune (1930-2007), a native of California, was in legal partnership with Goode from 1958 to 1962.[7]

Law and politics

After the war, Goode completed his studies in 1948 at the University of Texas School of Law.[2] For two-and-a-half years, he was acting first assistant DA in the office of the Bexar CountyDistrict Attorney. He entered private practice thereafter and was involved during the course of his legal career in several firms, beginning with Hardy & Goode and ending with Goode, Casseb & Jones, now Goode, Casseb, Jones, Riklin, Choate & Watson. "He was so devoted to his law practice that, it was his hobby. ... He enjoyed corporate law and not the glamorous criminal law as much, although he did do some criminal cases," recalled his son, John W. Goode, III (1949-2003).[3]

Goode worked in the successful Dwight D. Eisenhower campaign in 1952. He was a chairman of the San Antonio Municipal Civil Service Commission, and he was a Republican county chairman.[3] He was a delegate to the 1960 Republican National Convention held in Chicago to nominate the unsuccessful Nixon-Lodge ticket.[8] In November 1961, he was the Republican candidate in a special election for the United States House of Representatives for Texas' 20th congressional district but was defeated by the Democrat, Henry B. Gonzalez, the first Hispanic to serve in both the Texas State Senate and as a member of Congress from Texas.[3] Goode had been hopeful of a political upset after former President Eisenhower flew to San Antonio to campaign with Goode.[9] The candidate also received support from a Conservative Democratic group.[10] because Gonzalez had lost out in another special election in May of that year for the United States Senate seat formerly held by Lyndon B. Johnson, then the vice president. Victory in that race had ultimately gone in a major upset to John Tower, the first Republican to represent Texas in the upper legislative chamber in the 20th century.

In November 1993, three months before his death, Goode was inducted into the Bexar County Republican Party's newly established Hall of Fame. Goode was active in several civic organizations and fraternities, including the Texas Cavaliers, Texas Law Foundation, the San Antonio Bar Association, and the Order of the Alamo.[3]

Goode died in San Antonio a month prior to his 71st birthday. A memorial service was held at the Episcopalian Church of Reconciliation in San Antonio. He was cremated.[3]

References

  1. "John Goode". spoke.com. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
  2. 1 2 "The Alcalde". University of Texas. May 1994. p. 37. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "John W. Goode Jr.: Goode involved in law, politics: Active in legal and political ventures more than 40 years, but he was best known for his campaign against U.S. Rep. Henry B. Gonzalez in a special election in 1961", San Antonio Express-News, February 6, 1994
  4. "John W. Goode, Jr.: Silver Star". Military Times. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
  5. "John "Grizzly" Goode". Porter Loring Tributes. May 16, 2003. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
  6. "Eleanor Goode Brune". Dallas Morning News. November 20, 2005. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
  7. "David Brune". Dallas Morning News. January 14, 2007. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
  8. "Goode, John W., Jr.". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
  9. "Eisenhower, Dwight D.: visit to San Antonio in behalf of John Goode and Henry Catto, Jr.; downtown San Antonio". University of Texas Library. October 29, 1961. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
  10. "Conservative Demos go for Goode", San Antonio Express and News, October 29, 1961, p. 5.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/10/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.