A. M. Aikin Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Texas Senate from the 1st district | |
| In office January 3, 1953 - January 9, 1979 | |
| Preceded by | Howard A. Carney |
| Succeeded by | Vernon Edgar Howard |
| Member of the Texas Senate from the 8th district | |
| In office January 12, 1937 - January 3, 1953 | |
| Preceded by | Tom A. DeBerry |
| Succeeded by | George Parkhouse |
| Member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 37th district | |
| In office January 10, 1933 - January 12, 1937 | |
| Preceded by | Wilburn Haywood Wiggs |
| Succeeded by | Thomas David Wells Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 9, 1905 Aikin Grove, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | October 24, 1981 (aged 76) Paris, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Welma Morphew |
| Children | 1 |
| Residence(s) | Paris, Texas, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Paris Junior College Cumberland University |
| Occupation | Lawyer and haberdasher |
Alexander Mack Aikin Jr. (October 9, 1905 – October 24, 1981) was an American politician who served in the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas Senate as a Democrat. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1932, and after serving two terms was elected to the Senate in 1937. In total, he served for 46 years in the two chambers of the Texas Legislature, making him the longest-tenured legislator in the history of Texas at the time of his retirement in January 1979.
Aikin earned a reputation as a staunch supporter of education, and was given the honorific "the father of modern Texas education". He served on the Senate Finance Committee from 1937 to 1979; he was also the chair of the committee from 1967 until 1979. In 1943, Aikin also served as president pro tempore of the Senate and, in the absence of Governor Coke R. Stevenson and the Lieutenant Governor, as acting governor for 14 days. The A. M. and Welma Aikin Regional Archives and the A. M. Aikin Symposium at Paris Junior College (PJC), as well as two chairs at the University of Texas at Austin, have been named in his honor.