The Honorable Bob Bullock

Bob Bullock's state service in Texas spanned more than 40 years, beginning with his election to the Legislature in 1956 to serving as Secretary of State, State Comptroller, and as Texas's 38th Lieutenant Governor from 1991 to 1999. Considered one of the most outstanding Texas political leaders of the 20th century, he has been compared to former US House Speaker Sam Rayburn and President Lyndon B. Johnson and is credited as being the principal architect of modern Texas government.

Bob Bullock loved Texas and was a serious student of Texas history. His interest in seeing that Texas had a state history museum grew after visits to history museums in other states; he began discussing the idea informally with state and local leaders in 1995.  He once commented to a reporter, "As great as this state is — the greatest in the Union, in my opinion— we have no state museum in our state capital, a magnificent museum where our history can be properly displayed... Texas has gone too long without one."  Bullock presented a museum proposal to the legislature in 1997 and funding was secured for the endeavor under the planning and guidance of the State Preservation Board.

 Bullock, a native of Hillsboro, was a graduate of Hill College, Texas Tech University and Baylor University Law School. He broke ground for the Museum in April 1999, a few months before his death on Friday, June 18, 1999, in Austin at the age of 69. He is buried in the Texas State Cemetery.

 In his honor, a bronze statue of Bob Bullock is located in the second floor lobby of The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.  A limestone wall behind the statue is engraved with Bullock's trademark words, "God Bless Texas." 

*Bob and his wife Jan Felts Bullock