The selection of Beauford H. Jester, Governor of Texas, for the Kappa Sigma Man-of-the-Year Award in 1947, is in recognition of his outstanding accomplishments in the field of Political Science and Government.

Beauford Jester's first political service began with his election in August 1942, for the two-year unexpired term on the Railroad Commission of Texas.  In 1944, he was re-elected with opposition for the six-year elective term.   His service on this powerful regulatory branch of Texas State Government has been appraised as that of honest, effective, efficient and faithful public service, giving the people of Texas, and industries regulated by the Commission, confidence in the integrity and efficiency of its Railroad Commission.

He was nominated for Governor by the Democratic Party of Texas in the August 1946, primary, when he carried 250 out of 254 counties in Texas with 66.34 per cent of the 1,056,672 total votes cast in the Governor's race, for the most decisive victory ever won in a gubernatorial run off campaign in Texas.  He was elected in the November General Election, and took the oath of office January 21, 1947.

As Governor of Texas, the largest Gateway State to Latin America, Beauford Jester has made notable contribution to the Good Neighbor policy of our Country with our Latin American neighbors.

As Governor of Texas, Beauford Jester has exhibited national leadership for Congressional legislation to acknowledge and fix title in the States in and to their tidelands and submerged lands, following the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States in the case of the United States vs. California, announced in June, 1947.  Governor Jester sponsored and secured the unanimous passage of a resolution favoring such legislation at the Governors' Conference in Salt Lake City Utah, in July, 1947.  Since that time, he has been the leading figure among the Governors and other state officials in spearheading a national campaign on this issue.

In his State, Governor Jester, with the cooperation of the 50th Legislature, enacted into legislation the program upon which he based his campaign for the Governorship of Texas in 1946.  The Legislature enacted twenty-one out of twenty-seven specific suggestions made in the Governor's first message to the Legislature, and appropriated for the biennium beginning September 1, 1947, $70,000,000 for State Government functions - approximately $9,000,000 more than the previous biennium, increasing the effectiveness of all State services, all without any new taxes being imposed upon the people.  His administration has met many emergency matters with prompt and satisfactory action, and has instituted committees and agencies to improve the functioning of State Government.

In the selection of Governor Jester as this year's Kappa Sigma Man-of-the-Year, the Fraternity also acknowledges his long and distinguished leadership within Kappa Sigma.  As Worthy Grand Master of the Fraternity at the outbreak of the War, his war plans for the Fraternity strengthened the Fraternity for the impact of World War II upon colleges and fraternities.

This is the third time Kappa Sigma has selected its Man-of-the-Year from the field of Political Science and Government.  Its previous selections from this field were Senator Warren G. Austin of Vermont and Governor Dwight H. Green of Illinois.