The Texas Times

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Vol. 1 Decade 1970 NO. 1
Tornado Hits
Lubbock
Swati C. Yarlagadda
May 11, 1970- Two
tornadoes hit Lubbock, the
second of which devastated
the inner city and
residential areas. This
catastrophe left twenty-six
dead and injured over 1500
people. The second
tornado, the deadlier of the
two, also hit the Lubbock
Municipal Airport,
destroying 100 private
aircraft and 17 military
planes. The twister cut
through the citys power
and communication lines,
leaving around 170,000
people in the dark.
Residents reported hail half
an hour before a small
tornado tore the roof off a
barn. A curfew has been
ordered by Jim Granberry,
and as a precaution,
Department of Public
Safety and other officials
are roaming the streets.
This has been one of the
worst tornadoes in Texas
history and left thousands
homeless.






1973-80- A major energy crisis, also known as the 1970s Oil Crisis, has been affecting major industrial
countries such as the US, Western Europe, New Zealand, Japan, Australia, and Canada. The problem
began in 1948 when Jews occupied Israel as their newfound homeland. Arabs who were formerly
living in the area couldnt accept this, so they attacked several times. After a few small battles, the
conflicts turned into full-scaled wars. One such war, the Yom Kippur War, began in early October,
1973. During the war, Egypt and Syria attacked while the Soviets supplied them with arms. In an
effort to help Israel, President Richard Nixon gave Israel supplies. As a result, the Organization of
Arab Petroleum Exporting Companies (OAPEC), reduced their petroleum production and proclaimed
an embargo on oil shipments into the US and Netherlands, Israels main supporters. Even though the
embargo was lifted in 1974, the price of oil increased dramatically during the several months with
petrol shortage, up to four times the original prices. The second major oil crisis happened in 1979,
during the Iranian Revolution. During that time, there were many interruptions in the oil exports
from the Middle East. Throughout this period of shortage, major oil producing countries such as
Norway, Venezuela, and Mexico raised their prices. Even though these countries, and many others,
had oil to export, the unfriendly Middle Eastern countries were the main source of petroleum for the
US and other countries. In the US, Texas experienced a major oil boom in the 1940s that paid off for
them in this crisis. They had so much oil that their oil displaced agriculture as the most valuable
product driving the economy. Soon after, Texass oil production dominated the USs. Additionally,
Alaska had an oil discovery in 1968. These two states, along with southern states like Wyoming,
Colorado, and Louisiana, were able to make money due to recent oil discoveries. The energy problem
disappeared in 1980 when prices and oil production stabilized.

Article by Swati C. Yarlagadda


Major Energy Crisis Hits U.S. Texas and Alaska elated.












Sharpstown Stock Scandal Resolved
1972- The Sharpstown Stock Fraud Scandal has ended.
Originating in Houston, it revolves around Houston banker
and insurance company manager Frank Sharp. Sharp owns
companies Sharpstown State Bank and National Bankers Life
Insurance Corporation. The scandal started in early 1971 when
Sharp loaned $600,000 to US Officials, while in turn, they
bought stock from National Bankers Life, which Sharp made
sound more valuable than it really was. One victim, the Strake
Jesuit College Preparatory lost over six million dollars listening
to what Sharp advised. Using stock as encouragement, Sharp
tried to get legislation that would benefit National Bankers
Life. He did this by increasing the value of the company to
investors. In the end, the investors were the ones who would
push through the legislation. The scheme succeeded. Later on,
the US Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged
Sharp and other involved with criminal and civil charges. By
the middle of 1971, everyone connected to Sharp was heavily
politically pressured. Around that time, the Dirty Thirty was
formed, which was a group of Democrats, Republicans,
Conservatives, and Liberals on the Texas Board of
Representatives who grouped against people involved with the
Sharpstown Scandal. In 1972, Sharp was sentenced to three
years of probation and a $5000 fine after him and others were
tried in Abilene.
Swati C. Yarlagadda


Gus Mutscher, Gov. Preston Smith and Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes, and
Lyndon B. Johnson
1971-73- The Texas Women's Political
Caucus started in November 1971 in Austin,
Texas. The goal of this caucus is to have
more women in offices so that they can
address topics about sexism, racism,
institutional violence, and poverty. Their
priorities are to add the Equal Rights
Amendment to the Constitution and to
eliminate laws that violated "reproductive
freedom." This Caucus worked to make
equal legal rights for both genders in Texas
by 1972. In 1973, the Texas legislature
ratified the national Equal Rights
Amendment. This caucus was mostly made
out of people from Dallas, Austin, and
Houston. There was a debate among the
members about whether they should only
support women political candidates or to
support other people. The TWPC was very
well organized and supported from the full-
time lobbyist and staff and secure financial
backing. They increased their visibility by
building teaming up with other feminist
organizations. They set up Women's
Education for Delegate Selection, which
educate women on becoming delegates
across the country.

Texas Womens Political Caucus Takes Off. Will an Equal Rights Amendment be added?
Women try to earn their rights


































Significant People
Barbara Jordan's Congressional career
started in 1972. She was elected as a
representative in the United States House
of Representatives and served from January
3, 1973 to January 3, 1979. She was the
first African-American to represent Texas
and the first African American woman to
represent a southern state in the United
States House of Representatives. In 1974,
Jordan served on the influential House
Judiciary Committee during the Nixon
impeachment hearings. She was an
effective speaker and addressed how
people should do something about the
Constitution. This speech was considered
as one of the best speeches and is what
made the Democratic Party to deliver an
address at the 1976 Democratic national
convention. While Jordan was in Congress,
she expanded the Voting Rights Act and
the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977
as well as legislation that required banks to
lend and make services available to poor
and minority communities.


Walter Cronkite told America about
President Kennedys assassination, the
first man on the moon, and that we
couldnt win the war in Vietnam. He
anchored the evening news on CBS and
became a daily presence in the American
home. In the early 1970s Cronkite had
talks with President Lyndon Johnson
about his decision to end the bombing of
North Vietnam and him not seeking re-
election. Cronkite picked up an early
article on the Watergate Caper and
made the story national news with in the
fall of 1972, just a month before the
election. Cronkite reported the
proceedings of the House Judiciary
Committee on the Impeachment of
President Nixon. His goal is to tell citizens
what is going on in the world. Cronkite
set the standards of television news when
television was just beginning. Cronkite
was a witness to history and helped
shaped perceptions of it. In the early
1970s, an opinion poll identified Cronkite
as the most trusted public figure in
America. His influence was said to rival
presidents, and at least twice his name
had been floated as a presidential running
mate.


Fred Joseph Agnich was a longtime,
stalwart Dallas County Republican, a
successful business executive, dedicated
outdoorsman and civic leader. In 1970
Fred Agnich won on a Republican
ticket from District 33-R, Dallas for the
Texas Legislature. He was the first
Republican elected countywide in
Dallas since Reconstruction. He played
a key role in establishing the
Republican Party as a force in a Dallas.
While he was in the Texas House of
Representatives, he served on a variety
of committees. During his career in
Austin, the citizens of Texas entrusted
him to rewrite the Texas Constitution,
which has been unaltered since 1876.
Agnich served on the Finance
Committee and conducted research
and preliminary studies during 1973.
He was the vice chairman of the
Republican National Committee from
1974-1976 and was the Texas
committeeman for the Republican
National Committee from 1972-1976.
He did not hesitate to use state power
to promote his favorite interests,
environmental legislation and wildlife
preservation during his lifetime.


Significant People article and
Political Cartoon by Sumin Choi
Works Cited

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Miscellaneous-
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