J.J. Pickle

James Jarrell Pickle (October 11, 1913 – June 18, 2005) also known as J.J. 'Jake' Pickle, was a United States Representative from the 10th congressional district of Texas from 1963 to 1995.

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October 11 - 1913 - June 18 - 2005 - United States Representative - 10th congressional district - Texas - 1963 - 1995

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Pickle was born in Roscoe, Texas. He acquired his nickname, Jake, from a mischievous character he portrayed in a family play when he was four years old.

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Born - Roscoe, Texas - Nickname - Character - Family - Play - Year

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Pickle attended the public schools in Big Spring and received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin where he was a member of the 1934 Southwest Conference championship swimming team and the student body president as a senior in 1937. He served as an officer in the United States Navy for three and a half years (1942 - 1945) and was stationed on the USS St. Louis and the USS Miami.

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Big Spring - Bachelor of Arts - University of Texas at Austin - 1934 - Southwest Conference - Champion - Swimming - Team - Student body - President - 1937 - Officer - United States Navy - 1942 - 1945 - USS St. Louis - USS Miami

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Pickle was elected as a Democrat to the Eighty-eighth Congress, by special election, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of United States Representative Homer Thornberry. Pickle was reelected to the fifteen succeeding Congresses (December 21, 1963-January 3, 1995) before retiring. His campaign trademark was a "squeaky pickle" rubber toy he handed out to those he met and tossed from floats in area parades.

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Democrat - Eighty-eighth Congress - Special election - Resignation - Homer Thornberry - December 21 - 1963 - January 3 - 1995 - Campaign - Trademark - Pickle - Rubber - Toy - Float - Parade

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While in the House, Pickle rose through the ranks to become the third ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee. He played a key role in passing major Social Security reform legislation in 1983 to save the system from insolvency. The reforms increased the payroll tax rate, slowly increased the full benefit retirement age to 67 and taxed some of the benefits. He considered this legislation his greatest accomplishment.

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House Ways and Means Committee - Social Security - Legislation - 1983 - Insolvency - Payroll - Tax - Retirement

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Pickle was able to steer research money to the University of Texas, and today the University's J.J. Pickle Research Campus is named in his honor. He was influential in the city of Austin, as well, most notably for relocating Austin's main airport from Robert Mueller Municipal Airport to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. He was also instrumental in bringing the SEMATECH and the MCC consortiums to Austin.

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Research - Money - J.J. Pickle Research Campus - City - Austin - Robert Mueller Municipal Airport - Austin-Bergstrom International Airport - SEMATECH - MCC - Consortium

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Before Pickle left for World War II in 1942, he married Ella Nora Critz. They had one daughter together. Critz died in 1952 and Pickle remarried in 1960 to Beryl Bolton McCarroll. Pickle struggled with prostate cancer for 14 years and with lymphoma for four. He died at his home in Austin and was buried in the Texas State Cemetery also in Austin.

Related Topics:
World War II - Married - Daughter - Died - 1952 - 1960 - Prostate cancer - Lymphoma - Home

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