From the end of Reconstruction until the 1950s, Texas was classified 
as part of the "Solid South," consistently electing Democrats to 
national, state, and local office. After World War II, however, a new 
politics began to emerge throughout the South that ultimately made 
the region as solidly Republican as it had once been Democratic.

    Allan Shivers wielded extraordinary influence in this about-face. 
Serving as governor from 1949 to 1957, Shivers stands as an important 
transitional figure who, while staying within the Democratic Party all 
his life, nonetheless led Texas into Eisenhower's column and toward a 
new political alignment.

    Author Ricky F. Dobbs traces the political career of Allan Shivers 
from his student days at the University of Texas, through his World 
War II service with the 36th Infantry and various state offices, to his 
role within the party after leaving the governor's mansion. Throughout,
Dobbs places Shivers's career in the context of the modernization and 
urbanization that changed the state and regional picture. He portrays 
Shivers as one of the state's most powerful governors and compellingly 
shows his influence on modern Texas.

_________________________________________________________

RICKY F. DOBBS holds a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University. He is an
assistant professor at Texas A&M University—Commerce.



What people are saying about this book

". . . his masterful treatment of Allan Shivers' political career is a 
welcome addition to the literature. . . . This well researched and elegantly 
written book should be of interest to both scholars and students of 
modern Texas politics."—East Texas Historical Journal, Spring 2007

"Ricky Dobbs's book is valuable for anyone attempting to understand 
Texas politics after World War II and the rise of presidential 
Republicanism in Texas and the South."—The Journal of Southern 
History