James Earl Mankins Sr. (February 9, 1926 – August 20, 2013) was an American businessman and politician. Born in

Electra, Texas Electra is a city in Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Wichita Falls metropolitan statistical area. The population was 2,292 at the 2020 census., down from 2,791 in 2010. Electra claims the title of Pump Jack Capital of ...

, Mankins served in the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Mankins owned a trucking business in

Kilgore, Texas Kilgore, officially the City of Kilgore, is a city in Gregg County, Texas, Gregg and Rusk County, Texas, Rusk counties in Texas, United States. Located where Interstate 20 and US 259 converge just south of the Sabine River (Texas–Louisiana), ...

. He served in the

Texas House of Representatives The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. There are no Term limits in the United States, term limits. The ...

from 1975 to 1985 as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

. Mankins was defeated by Mike Martin in the 1980 election cycle. After Martin resigned the District 13 seat, Mankins won a special election to return to the state house. Mankins died in

Longview, Texas Longview is a city in, and county seat of, Gregg County, Texas, United States. Longview is located in East Texas, where Interstate 20 and U.S. Highway system, U.S. highways U.S. Route 80, 80 and U.S. Route 259, 259 converge just north of the Sabi ...

. Mankins's son and namesake was indicted in 1995, after an investigation into the Kentucky Fried Chicken murders. Charges against Mankins Jr. were dismissed after DNA evidence failed to show that Mankins Jr. was involved in the crime. By a 2003 court order, his indictment was expunged from non-investigatory records of the KFC murders case, although Mankins Jr. remained imprisoned at the time on separate drug charges.

Notes

1926 births 2013 deaths People from Electra, Texas United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II Businesspeople from Texas Democratic Party members of the Texas House of Representatives People from Kilgore, Texas 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century members of the Texas Legislature {{Texas-politician-stub