Tex Lezar

Harold Joseph Lezar, Jr., (better known as Tex Lezar) was born on September 30, 1948, in Dallas, TX and died on January 5, 2004 at which time he was partner with the Houston law firm of Clements, O'Neill, Pierce, Wilson & Fulkerson.

He grew up in Japan as the son of a ship's captain during the Korean War. He worked on Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign and married in June 1984 Merrie Spaeth. (see also John E. O'Neill & Swift Boat Veterans for Truth)

In early 1985 they returned to Dallas where Lezar joined the law firm of Carrington, Coleman, Sloman & Blumenthal. "He left the firm in 1989 to campaign for the GOP nomination for state attorney general, which he lost," the Washington Post reported.

Mr. Lezar tried to become lieutenant governor of Texas in 1994 but he failed to unseat Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock. At the same election, George W. Bush became in governor of Texas.

After his death, his close friend, former Whitewater special prosecutor, Kenneth Starr described him to the the Dallas Morning News as "one of the most talented lawyers of our generation. He combined a consummate legal skill and a superb feel for public policy issues. On a personal level, he was a great friend."

Education

 * 1970: B.A., Yale College
 * 1976: J.D., University of Texas School of Law

Career

 * 1970-71: assistant to William F. Buckley, Jr., at the National Review
 * 1971-74: staff assistant and speechwriter to President Nixon, the White House
 * 1975-76: Editor-in-Chief, Texas Law Review
 * 1977-79: trial lawyer for the firm of Mandell & Wright
 * 1979-80: general counsel to Texas Secretary of State George W. Strake, Jr.
 * 1980-81: attorney at law and consultant in private practice in Houston, TX
 * 1981-83: special counsel to the Attorney General
 * 1983-85: Counselor to the Attorney General, Department of Justice
 * 1984-85: Assistant Attorney General for Legal Policy
 * 1985-86: vice chairman of the U.S. Attorney General's Commission on Pornography
 * 1992: adjunct professor of constitutional law at Texas Wesleyan University
 * early 1990s: president and chief executive officer of the Texas Public Policy Foundation
 * 1996-97: chairman of Empower America
 * 1997-??: Dallas law firm Vial, Hamilton, Koch & Knox

Positions Held

 * 1984: delegate to the United Nations International Conference on African Refugee Assistance
 * 1985- : member of the Federal Judiciary Advisory Group
 * 1997- : president of the board of directors of the Texas Law Review Association
 * member of the Board of Directors, Defenders of Property Rights
 * member of the Environmental Task Force, National Center for Policy Analysis
 * member of the board of advisors of Texas Review of Law and Politics

Book

 * Tex Lezar, "Making Government Work: A Conservative Agenda for the States", Regnery Publishing, November 1, 1994.

Related Links

 * "Nominations, June 28, 1984," Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
 * "In Memoriam", University of Texas at Austin School of Law, 2004
 * "Yale 70 Class Notes: Class Notes 2004, Yale University, 2004
 * Michael C. Burgess, "Extension of Remarks in Honor of Harold J. 'Tex' Lezar Jr.," 2004
 * "COPNW Attorney Profiles - Partners," Clements, O'Neill, Pierce, Wilson and Fulkerson, 2004
 * "Ex-Bush ticketmate Lezar dies in Texas", United Press International, January 6, 2004.
 * Joe Simnacher, "Harold J. 'Tex' Lezar Jr: Member of Nixon, Reagan staffs, influential attorney", Dallas Morning News, January 6, 2004.
 * "Republican Tex Lezar dies at 55"", Star-Telegraph, January 6, 2004. (This is an Associated Press story).
 * H.J. 'Tex' Lezar, The Washington Post, January 8, 2004.