John William Goode Jr. (March 10, 1923 – February 5, 1994) was a

lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...

San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...

who was a figure in the 1950s and 1960s rebirth of the Republican Party in

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

Background

Goode was a son of the physician John Goode Sr. (1886–1959) and the former Claudia Alice Nolte (1895–1969). In 1939, shortly after his sixteenth birthday, he graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School. He attended

Washington and Lee University Washington and Lee University (Washington and Lee or W&L) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States. Established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, it is among ...

Lexington, Virginia Lexington is an Independent city (United States)#Virginia, independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 7,320. It is the county seat of Rockbridge County, Virg ...

, for three years from 1939 to 1942, ultimately receiving his

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

in 1943 from the

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public university, public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 stud ...

Military

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 ...

, Goode served in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

as a combat infantry

platoon A platoon is a Military organization, military unit typically composed of two to four squads, Section (military unit), sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the Military branch, branch, but a platoon can ...

leader and executive officer in the South Pacific battles of Cape Gloucester,

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Peleliu Peleliu (or Beliliou) is an island in the island nation of Palau. Peleliu, along with two small islands to its northeast, forms one of the sixteen states of Palau. The island is notable as the location of the Battle of Peleliu in World War II. ...

, and

Okinawa most commonly refers to: * Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture * Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture * Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself * Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...

. In the two latter battles, he was wounded. He was honorably discharged in 1945 at the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

. At Peleliu, as a second lieutenant, he received the

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against a ...

for courageous actions on September 27, 1944. When his platoon encountered the

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

ese on a hill, Goode brought forward a machine-gun section. He pushed through hostile machine-gun and rifle fire which had already caused the death of one of his men and the wounding of two others. Twenty enemy soldiers were killed. Later in the day, Goode again braved hostile fire but managed to return to his support squad. His calm under hostile action and leadership in battle were determined to have saved the lives of many of his men. His superiors concluded that Goode's "gallant devotion to duty reflects great credit on imand the United States Naval Service." Goode received the

Bronze Star The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

and a Presidential Unit Citation."John W. Goode Jr.: Goode involved in law, politics: Active in legal and political ventures more than 40 years, but he was best known for his campaign against U.S. Rep. Henry B. Gonzalez in a special election in 1961", ''

San Antonio Express-News The ''San Antonio Express-News'' is a daily newspaper in San Antonio, Texas, founded in 1865. It is owned by the Hearst Corporation and has offices in San Antonio and Austin, Texas. The ''Express-News'' is the third largest newspaper in the sta ...

'', February 6, 1994

Family

In 1949, Goode married the former Janet Irwin, who died prior to 2003. The couple's two sons were John III and George Irwin Goode, who predeceased his father. Goode III, known as "Grizzly" or "Johnny", was an artist and graphic designer who worked in the restaurant and nightclub business in San Antonio and was a state judo champion. Goode's sister, Eleanor Goode Brune (1927–2005), served as the national committeewoman of the Young Republican Federation of Texas from 1950 to 1956. Like her brother, she was a UT graduate. She also attended the Worden School of Social Work at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio and was active in social work programs, having organized the Volunteer Service Bureau and worked with blind children. She retired to the

rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically desc ...

but historic Crowell community in Foard County in

West Texas West Texas is a loosely defined region in the U.S. state of Texas, generally encompassing the desert climate, arid and semiarid climate, semiarid lands west of a line drawn between the cities of Wichita Falls, Texas, Wichita Falls, Abilene, Texa ...

. Eleanor's husband and Goode's brother-in-law, David H. Brune (1930–2007), a native of

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, was in legal partnership with Goode from 1958 to 1962.

Law and politics

After the war, Goode completed his studies in 1948 at the

University of Texas School of Law The University of Texas School of Law (Texas Law) is the Law school in the United States, law school of the University of Texas at Austin, a public university, public research university in Austin, Texas. According to Texas Law’s American Bar ...

. For two-and-a-half years, he was acting first assistant district attorney in the office of the Bexar County

District Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represen ...

. He entered private practice thereafter and was involved during the course of his legal career in several firms, beginning with Hardy & Goode and ending with Goode, Casseb & Jones, now Goode, Casseb, Jones, Riklin, Choate & Watson. "He was so devoted to his law practice that, it was his hobby. ... He enjoyed corporate law and not the glamorous criminal law as much, although he did do some criminal cases," recalled his son, John W. Goode III. Goode worked on the successful

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionar ...

presidential campaign in

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Cairo Fire, Black Saturday in Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, ...

. He was a chairman of the San Antonio Municipal Civil Service Commission, and he was a Republican county chairman. He was a delegate to the 1960 Republican National Convention held in

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to nominate the unsuccessful

Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 36th vice president under P ...

- Lodge

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. In November 1961, he was the Republican candidate in a

special election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections. A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...

for the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

for Texas's 20th congressional district but was defeated by the Democrat, Henry B. Gonzalez, the first

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

to serve in both the Texas State Senate and as a member of Congress from Texas. Goode had been hopeful of a political upset after former president Dwight Eisenhower flew to San Antonio to campaign with Goode. The candidate also received support from a

Conservative Democrat In American politics, a conservative Democrat is a member of the Democratic Party with more conservative views than most Democrats. Traditionally, conservative Democrats have been elected to office from the Southern states, rural areas, and t ...

ic group. Mexican film star

Cantinflas Mario Fortino Alfonso Moreno Reyes (12 August 1911 – 20 April 1993), known by the stage name Cantinflas (), was a Mexican comedian, actor, and filmmaker. He is considered to have been the most widely accomplished Mexican comedian and is well ...

appeared with

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Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served a ...

at San Antonio

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s and

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s to rally voters for Gonzalez.Gilbert Garcia, "Castro unlike O'Rourke has much to lose," ''San Antonio Express-News'', March 31, 2017, p. A2. Earlier that same year in the spring of 1961, Gonzalez had lost out in another special election for the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

seat formerly held by Vice President Johnson. Victory in that race went in a major upset to

John Tower John Goodwin Tower (September 29, 1925 – April 5, 1991) was an American politician and military veteran who represented Texas in the United States Senate from 1961 to 1985. He was the first Republican elected to the U.S. Senate from Texas si ...

, the first Republican to represent Texas in the upper legislative chamber in the 20th century. In November 1993, three months before his death, Goode was inducted into the Bexar County Republican Party's newly established Hall of Fame. Goode was active in several civic organizations and fraternities, including the Texas Cavaliers, Texas Law Foundation, the San Antonio Bar Association, and the Order of the Alamo. Goode died in San Antonio a month prior to his 71st birthday.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goode, John W. 1923 births 1994 deaths Politicians from San Antonio Military personnel from Texas United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II United States Marine Corps officers Recipients of the Silver Star Lawyers from San Antonio Texas Republicans Jefferson High School (San Antonio, Texas) alumni Washington and Lee University alumni University of Texas at Austin alumni University of Texas School of Law alumni American Episcopalians