Robert S. Calvert

Robert S. Calvert
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
In office January 18, 1949 – January 3, 1975
Governor	Beauford Jester Allan Shivers Price Daniel John Connally Preston Smith Dolph Briscoe
Preceded by	George H. Sheppard
Succeeded by	Bob Bullock
Personal details
Born	Robert Seale Calvert April 27, 1892 McGregor, McLennan County, Texas, U.S.
Died	September 1, 1981 (aged 89) Austin, Travis County, Texas, U.S.
Resting place	Austin Memorial Park Cemetery
Political party	Democratic
Residence	Austin, Texas, U.S.
Alma mater	Howard Payne Junior College
Military service
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1917-1919
Rank	Sergeant
Battles/wars	World War I

Robert Seale Calvert (April 27, 1892 - September 1, 1981) was the longest-serving Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, serving for 26 years.

From 1909 to 1910, Calvert attended Baptist-affiliated Howard Payne Junior College in Brownwood, Texas.

On January 18, 1949, Calvert was appointed by Governor Beauford Jester to the position of Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts following the death of his predecessor, George H. Sheppard, who died in office. He was elected to a full term in 1950 and re-elected in 1952, 1954, 1956, 1958, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1968, 1970 and 1972, serving for twenty-six years.

When the African American then State Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, later a member of the United States House of Representatives, filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in 1973, Calvert said in response, that Johnson was a "nigger woman who doesn't know what she is talking about." The EEOC ruled that racial discrimination could be inferred based on Calvert's response.^[1]

In 1972, Randy Pendleton, a former legislator from Andrews in West Texas,and Jim Wilson, a former employee, ran against Calvert. There was a run-off between Calvert and Wilson, in which Calvert won.

In 1974, Bob Bullock announced that he would challenge the octogenarian comptroller and promised to reform operations of the office. Bullock was so aggressive that Calvert withdrew from the race, and Bullock was elected to the first of four terms.

Calvert died in Austin in September 1981.

Sources

1. "Black Legislator in Texas moves to impeach official", Jet, p. 10, October 11, 1973, retrieved December 5, 2009