Alex Harris Short

SHORT, ALEX HARRIS (1947 ~ 1996). Alex Harris Short, Jr., State Representative, was born January 5, 1947, in Belton, Texas, but moved with his family to Texarkana, Texas, where he attended high school and Texarkana College. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from East Texas State University in Commerce, Texas. While in college, he married Rebecca Ruth Dees, whom he had met in high school.

A graduate of the Real Estate Institute of Texas and a certified real estate appraiser, he became Sales Manager and Secretary/Treasurer of Short Realtors, Inc. in Texarkana, in 1973. He remained with the company as a real estate broker and appraiser until 1987.

In 1982 Short was elected to the Texas House of Representatives. He represented House District 1, consisting of Bowie and Red River counties, from 1983 until 1987. During his tenure in the House, Short was named Vice-Chair of the Committee on Public Health and Vice-Chair of the Committee on House Administration. He also served on three other House committees, State Affairs, Law Enforcement, and Labor and Employment.

In 1987, Short joined the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation as its Director of Governmental Relations. The following year he became Director of Political Education for the Texas Medical Association. In 1991 he joined the Texas Civil League as its Director of Political Education. He held this position until his death, March 10, 1996.

Biography taken from Austin American-Statesman, March 12, 1996.