John Dowdy


John Vernard Dowdy was an American politician. Dowdy was a Democratic member of the United States [House of Representatives|House of Representatives] from the 7th District of Texas from 1952 to 1967 and then served as a congressman from the 2nd District of Texas until 1973, when he decided to retire under indictment for bribery. During his political campaigns his commercials featured the tune "Are You From Dixie" but with the words "Are you for Dowdy, John Dowdy, We'll I'm for Dowdy, too!"
Dowdy was one of four U.S. Congressmen from Texas to originally sign the Southern Manifesto, a resolution in protest of the United States Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education. Dowdy voted against the Civil [Rights Act of 1957|Civil Rights Acts of 1957], the Civil Rights Acts of 1960, the Civil Rights Acts of 1964, and the Civil Rights Acts of 1968 as well as the Twenty-fourth Amendment to [the United States Constitution|24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution] and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
According to prosecutors, he accepted a $25,000 bribe to intervene in the federal investigation of Monarch Construction Company of Silver Spring, Maryland. In 1971, Dowdy was convicted on eight counts: two of conspiracy, one of transporting a bribe over state lines, and five of perjury. In 1973, after Dowdy retired from Congress, the United States [Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit] in Richmond, Virginia, overturned the bribery and conspiracy convictions. Dowdy still served an 18-month sentence in prison for perjury.
Right-wing groups rallied to his defense, including the Washington Observer and the Liberty Lobby, which contended Dowdy was the victim of a "vicious frame-up by the Justice Department in collaboration with a clique of housing racketeers". The ulterior motive, according to the newspaper, was to stop Dowdy's subcommittee investigation of the fraud at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Dowdy was born in Waco, Texas, and lived in Texas for most of his life. He was a lawyer before entering politics. He died in Athens, Texas.

Committee assignments