title: Fifty-sixth Texas Legislature
text: # Fifty-sixth Texas Legislature
  
  The 56th Texas Legislature met from January 13, 1959, to May 7, 1959, and in three special sessions from May to August of that same year. All members present during this session were elected in the 1958 general elections.
  
  ## Sessions
  
  Regular Session: January 13, 1959 – May 12, 1959
  
  1st Called Session: May 18, 1959 – June 16, 1959
  
  2nd Called Session: June 17, 1959 – July 16, 1959
  
  3rd Called Session: July 17, 1959 – Aug 6, 1959
  
  ## Party summary
  
  ### Senate
  
  | Affiliation | Affiliation | Members | Note |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | | Democratic Party | 31 | |
  | Total | Total | 31 | |
  
  ### House
  
  | Affiliation | Affiliation | Members | Note |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | | Democratic Party | 150 | |
  | Total | Total | 150 | |
  
  ## Officers
  
  ### Senate
  
  * Lieutenant Governor: Ben Ramsey (D)
  * President Pro Tempore: George Parkhouse (D), Rudolph A. Weinert (D),
  
  Jarrard Secrest (D), Andrew J. “Andy” Rogers (D), Abraham “Chick” Kazen (D), Frank Owen, III (D)
  
  ### House
  
  * Speaker of the House: Waggoner Carr (D)
  
  ## Members
  
  ### House
  
  The House was composed of 150 Democrats.
  
  House members included future Congressmen Robert Eckhardt, Kika de la Garza and Joe Pool, as well as future Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock, future Texas Attorney General Waggoner Carr, and future Land Commissioner Jerry Sadler.
  
  ## Sources
  
  * Legislative Reference Library of Texas,
  