From 2003 to 2005, the Briscoe Center staff extensively interviewed House Speaker Tom Craddick and nine former Texas House Speakers: Reuben Senterfitt, Jim T. Lindsey, James “Jimmy” Turman, Ben Barnes, Gus Mutscher, Rayford Price, Bill Clayton, Gibson D. “Gib” Lewis, and Pete Laney. The interviews revealed that the powers of Texas House Speakers have expanded greatly since World War II. The project led to the publication of The House Will Come to Order, How the Texas House Speaker Became a Power in State and National Politics (UT Press, 2010) authored by project staff members Patrick L. Cox and Michael Phillips.
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