Wayne Warren Wagonseller

WAGONSELLER, WAYNE WARREN (1921-1955) Wayne Warren Wagonseller, state legislator, was born in Montague County, Texas, on February 1, 1921, to Amos Warren and Clara Augusta (Beck) Wagonseller. He attended North Texas State College and the University of Texas.

After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Wagonseller volunteered for Army service. He landed at the Normandy beachhead and was later wounded at St. Lo and Brest, France. He served throughout the war as an enlisted man with the 2nd Infantry Division. He holds the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.

Wagonseller was a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1947 to 1950 and a member of the Texas Senate from 1950 to 1955. In March of 1955, he set a national marathon filibuster record, talking 28 hours and 5 minutes against a bill to reduce bus registration fees. He was widely known for his powers of oratory and had many demands for public appearances and speeches.

He was killed in an automobile accident on August 13, 1955, in Fort Worth, Texas.

Biography taken from Austin American-Statesman, August 14, 1955.