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When Ben Barnes was 21-years-old he was a student at the University of Texas at Austin. At the time he was splitting time between selling vacuums door-to-door in Austin and working at the Texas State Health Department.
After noticing some financial inaccuracies that led to the eventual indictment of the State Health Commissioner,
Barnes became interested in politics. He returned home from Austin and decided to run for State Representative. Despite his youth and inexperience he ran an unorthodox campaign and was elected.
The wheels began to roll for the young man immediately. By 1963 he was named Chairman of the Rules Committee.
At the time, fellow Texan and democrat Lyndon B. Johnson was President of the United States. President Johnson took a special interest in Ben Barnes and helped educate him as a politician. Barnes took the encouragement and ran with it.
Ben Barnes served as Speaker of the House from 1965-1969. During his tenure as Speaker, he was handpicked by President Johnson as the U.S. Representative to the NATO Conference in 1967 and United Nations Representative to Geneva, Switzerland in 1968.
In 1969, the 31-year-old Barnes ran for Lt. Governor of Texas and won in a landslide.
For the first time in Texas state history a candidate won every county and he was the youngest Lt. Governor to hold the office.
Ben Barnes served two terms under Governor John Connally. He retired from politics in 1973 to explore private business and development opportunities.
NPR Interview with Ben Barnes
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