Court History
Charles S. Slatton (September 21, 1945, to October 1, 1947):
Supreme Court commissioner became justice in September 1945 by constitutional amendment. Resigned to become Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. general counsel.
James P. Hart (October 1, 1947, to November 15, 1950):
Appointed by Governor Beauford H. Jester to fill Slatton's vacancy. Elected in November 1948. Resigned to become the University of Texas System's first chancellor.
Clyde E. Smith (November 15, 1950, to December 31, 1970):
Appointed in November 1950 by Governor Allan Shivers to fill Hart's vacancy. Elected in November 1954 and re-elected in November 1960 and November 1966. Retired in January 1971.
Price Daniel (January 1, 1971, to December 31, 1978):
Appointed in January 1971 by Governor Preston Smith to fill Smith's vacancy. Elected in November 1972. Retired in January 1979.
Franklin S. Spears (January 1, 1979, to December 31, 1990):
Elected in November 1978 and re-elected in November 1984. Retired in January 1991.
John Cornyn (January 2, 1991, to October 18, 1997):
Elected in November 1990 and re-elected in November 1996. Resigned in October 1997 to run for Texas attorney general.
Deborah Hankinson (October 28, 1997, to December 31, 2002):
Appointed in October 1997 by Governor George W. Bush to fill Cornyn's vacancy. Elected in November 1998 to Cornyn's unexpired term. Did not seek re-election.
Dale Wainwright (January 1, 2003, to September 30, 2012):
Elected in November 2002 and re-elected in 2008. Resigned September 30, 2012, to enter private practice.
Jeffrey S. Boyd (December 3, 2012 to present):
Appointed by Gov. Rick Perry in December 2012 to fill Wainwright's unexpired term. Elected in 2014 and re-elected in November 2020. His current term ends December 31, 2026.