Eugene
Benjamin Germany was born in Sweetwater, Texas, on 18th September,
1892. After graduating from Southwestern University in 1912 he worked
as a teacher in Grand Saline. During the summer holidays he attended
the Southern Methodist University where he studied geology.
In
1916 Germany began work as a geologist for Gadley Oil. Later he did
a similar job for Calto Oil. In 1928 he moved to Dallas where he formed
a partnership with Thomas Cranfill (the Cranfill and Germany Oil Company).
Germany's company was involved in several business ventures in Texas,
Louisiana, Mississippi and New Mexico.
In
the early 1940s Germany joined a group of right-wing members of the
Democratic
Party that
were plotting against President Franklin
D. Roosevelt.
In 1944 they formed the Texas Regulars. Members included Germany,
Wilbert Lee O'Daniel,
Martin
Dies and Hugh
R. Cullen.
Supported by Texas oilmen, the group were also opposed to the fixed
prices of oil and gas imposed by Roosevelt's government during the
Second World War. They also campaigned against
the New Deal, civil
rights and pro-trade union legislation.
The group disbanded in 1945 after they failed to remove Roosevelt
as the leader of their party.
In
1947 Germany became president of the Lone Star Steel Company. Later
he became president of the Mustang Oil Company and its subsidiaries.
He was also president of the Independent Petroleum Association of
Texas and the Texas Manufacturers Association.
Germany
was also opposed to Harry S. Truman and
his Fair Deal proposals that included legislation on civil rights,
fair employment practices, opposition to lynching
and
improvements in existing public welfare laws. When Truman won the
nomination in 1948, he joined the States' Rights Democratic Party
(Dixiecrats). Storm
Thurmond was
chosen as its presidential candidate. It
was thought that with two former Democrats, Thurmond and Henry
Wallace standing, Truman would have difficulty defeating the Republican
Party candidate, Thomas Dewey. However,
both Thurmond and Wallace did badly and Truman defeated Dewey by 24,105,812
votes to 21,970,065.
Eugene
Benjamin Germany
died in Dallas, Texas, on 12th July, 1971.
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