John Connally | |
|---|---|
 Connally in 1961 | |
| 61st United States Secretary of the Treasury | |
| In office February 11, 1971 – June 12, 1972 | |
| President | Richard Nixon |
| Preceded by | David M. Kennedy |
| Succeeded by | George Shultz |
| 39th Governor of Texas | |
| In office January 15, 1963 – January 21, 1969 | |
| Lieutenant | Preston Smith |
| Preceded by | Price Daniel |
| Succeeded by | Preston Smith |
| 56th United States Secretary of the Navy | |
| In office January 25, 1961 – December 20, 1961 | |
| President | John F. Kennedy |
| Preceded by | William B. Franke |
| Succeeded by | Fred Korth |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Bowden Connally Jr. February 27, 1917 Floresville, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | June 15, 1993 (aged 76) Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Resting place | Texas State Cemetery |
| Political party | Republican (from 1973) |
| Other political affiliations | Democratic (until 1973) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Wayne Connally (brother) |
| Education | University of Texas, Austin (BA, LLB) |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Navy |
| Rank | Lieutenant commander |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
John Bowden Connally Jr. (February 27, 1917 – June 15, 1993) was an American politician who served as the 39th governor of Texas (1963–1969) and as the 61st United States Secretary of the Treasury (1971–1972). He began his career as a Democrat and later became a Republican in 1973.
Born in Floresville, Texas, Connally pursued a legal career after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin. During World War II, he served on the staff of James Forrestal and Dwight D. Eisenhower before transferring to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater. After the war, he became an aide to Senator Lyndon B. Johnson. When Johnson assumed the vice presidency in 1961, he convinced President John F. Kennedy to appoint Connally to the position of United States Secretary of the Navy. Connally left the Kennedy Administration in December 1961 to successfully run for Governor of Texas. In 1963, Connally was riding in the presidential limousine when Kennedy was assassinated, and was seriously wounded. During his governorship, he was a conservative Democrat.
In 1971, Republican President Richard Nixon appointed Connally as his treasury secretary. In this position, Connally presided over the removal of the United States dollar from the gold standard, an event known as the Nixon shock. Connally stepped down from the Cabinet in 1972 to lead the Democrats for Nixon organization, which campaigned for Nixon's re-election. He was a candidate to replace Vice President Spiro Agnew after the latter resigned in 1973, but Nixon chose Gerald Ford instead. He sought the Republican nomination for president in the 1980 election, but withdrew from the race after the first set of primaries. Connally did not seek public office again after 1980 and died of pulmonary fibrosis in 1993.