The Fall of the Duke of Duval: A Prosecutor's Journal

by Dr John E Clark PH.D

The name Parr may not be familiar to most readers, but many know Lyndon Johnson's first U.S. Senate election was tainted: this 1948 "Box 13" fraud was perpetrated in the town of Alice in Jim Wells County, Texas, by George Parr, the "duke" of neighboring Duval County. Clark, an assistant federal prosecutor under U.S. Attorney William Sessions (later FBI director) in the1970s, played a key role in the long federal grand jury investigation of the Parr machine and later trials of its leading operators. His book describes the system of patronage and corruption Archie Parr developed in the early 1900s and his son George ran until a 1970s legal onslaught--set off quite unintentionally by an IRS audit of an Austin contractor--brought it down. The Parrs controlled their territory's dominant Hispanic population by selecting Latino agents and providing jobs and services to needy constituents; in the meantime, astonishing sums of money flowed from county school boards and reclamation offices to the Parrs and their friends. A true-crime tale with a vivid local-politics focus.

390 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1995

Reviews

[Rolando Gallegos · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book that those who grew up around the Duval County area in Texas will want to read. George Parr was known as the Duke of Duval from the 1930s to the mid 1970s for a good reason. He ran the county with an iron fist while handing out political favors to those who supported him. He also made sure that he was well taken care of by stealing from the county every dollar he could. This is a tale of corruption that will make your head spin. It was a fascinating book that was only slowed down by some of the court details, but made up by the tales of Box 13 and Parr's antics beyond helping LBJ start his political career. I highly recommend this book as a tale that we all must remember that corruption, like politics. is all local....it wasn't more local than in Duval County.

[Esteban Stipnieks · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading this book I got graspy of my childhood my mother was born and raised in Alice Texas and her sister left San Diego Texas as a teacher early on because of Boss Parr.... enlightening horrifying and detailed wow....... just a bit dry

[Mark Thorne-Thomsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenominal book for Law students and Texas political junkies. You will see names of politicians that are still relevant today. A little long at times but a great insight into an intriguing story.

[Aubrey Caudill · Rating 4 out of 5]

slow start, but once you get past that its a good read.