Learn about John Nance Garner’s life and accomplishments. Read about Vice President Garner’s service during the 1930s and his contribution to the New Deal.
Updated: 11/21/2023
Vice President John Nance Garner | Biography & Quotes
Table of Contents
- Who Was John Nance Garner?
- John Nance Garner's Early Life
- John Nance Garner's Later Life
- Vice President Garner's Significance
- Lesson Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was John Nance Garner called Cactus Jack?
John Nance Garner was frequently referred to as Cactus Jack. He was called Cactus Jack because while in the Texas State Legislature, he fought to make the cactus the state flower. Although he was unsuccessful, the nickname stuck.
When was John Nance Garner born?
John Nance Garner was born on November 22, 1868 in Red River County, Texas. He was the oldest of 14. His parents John Garner III and Sarah Guest were poor farmers.
Table of Contents
- Who Was John Nance Garner?
- John Nance Garner's Early Life
- John Nance Garner's Later Life
- Vice President Garner's Significance
- Lesson Summary
John Nance Garner was the 32nd Vice President of the United States. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1902 and served fifteen terms. In the House, Garner became a strong negotiator and a loyal party voter. Because he was from the south, Garner was a very conservative Democrat but served as Vice President to a rising liberal Democrat. Garner's vice presidency was one of the last where a Vice President took a large role in the legislative process. He ascended the political ladder during the first half of the 20th century after World War One but prior to the racial reckoning of America. Garner was a leader during a time when Democrats were able to lead the country out of the Great Depression and before another rise of the Republican Party.
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Vice President Garner grew up in Texas during the reconstruction era following the Civil War. Texas was struggling socially and economically, just as the rest of the country was. The emancipation of slaves further changed the relationship between blacks and whites. As African Americans fled the state to go north, the economic status of the state, which was based on income from plantations, began to fail. Texas was going through a period where they had to confront their old order and values with critical change the after-effects of the Civil War brought.
John Nance Garner's Childhood and Education
John Nance Garner was born in Red River County, Texas on November 22, 1868. His parents, John Nance Garner III and Sarah Guest, were farmers. Garner was the oldest of thirteen children and grew up with in a very humble lifestyle. Garner's family were old school Democrats after experiencing the Civil War and its after-effects in the south. His father served in the Civil War in the Confederate Army. Garner attended small rural schools in Bogata and Blossom Prairie. As a young man, Garner worked odd jobs around town and even played semi-professional baseball. At eighteen, Garner went to Tennessee to attend Vanderbilt University, but dropped out after one semester due to health problems. He moved back to Texas and studied law and made an income by playing baseball. Garner passed the bar exam in 1890. Shortly after passing the bar exam, Garner was diagnosed with Tuberculosis. He moved to Uvalde, Texas for the drier climate. In Uvalde, Garner joined the law firm of Clark and Fuller. Garner was selected to fill the vacancy of a county judge and went on to run for a full term in 1893. He also worked as a member of the state legislature from 1898 to 1902.
John Nance Garner's Marriage and Personal Life
When Garner was running for a full term as county judge, his main opponent was a woman named Mariette Rheiner. He not only won the election, but he also won Rheiner's hand in marriage. They married on November 25, 1895. The couple went on to have one son, Tully, on September 24, 1896.
John Nance Garner's Early Career
In the 1890s, Garner entered into Texas politics. First, he was appointed to a vacant seat as a county judge. Garner went on to run for a full turn for the judge position and won. He served as county judge from 1893 to 1896. Garner also served in the Texas state legislature from 1898 to 1902. He was a conservative Democrat and a loyal southern Democrat. He supported the Jim Crow laws, especially because Texas was a well-known Jim Crow state. Garner also obtained the nickname ''Cactus Jack'' when he fought hard for the cactus to be the Texas state flower. Although he was unsuccessful and the Blue Bonnet was chosen, the nickname ''Cactus Jack'' stuck for the remainder of his political career.
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Garner spent his later life as a politician. He served thirty years in the House of Representatives. He was a loyal Democrat and became a great negotiator in regards to creating bills. Garner changed America for the better when he was elected with Franklin Roosevelt in the 1932 Presidential election. Together, they implanted the New Deal which assisted everyday Americans after they lost everything due to the stock market crash in 1929. They were a formidable team in the beginning and helped rejuvenate the Democratic Party.
After the stock market crashed which led to the Great Depression era, Americans needed assistance. After a long stretch under the Republican Party, the Great Depression led to a new Democratic led era. With the election of FDR and Garner, along with a Democratic congress, Democrats helped Americans and rescued them from the Great Depression. Roosevelt, Garner, and congressional Democrats implemented new government spending programs in America. Thus, changing American politics by having Democrats be the party of helping those in economic crisis.
John Nance Garner's Leadership in the House of Representatives
Garner decided to run for a United States House of Representative seat in 1902. He was successful and won his election. In the beginning, Garner was a quiet observer in the House. He did establish friendships with experienced members and created a record of party loyalty. It was not until 1905 that he gave his uttered a word in the House. It even took him eight years to make his first speech on the House floor. Garner ascended to leadership positions on the Ways and Means Committee and the Committee on Committees. Garner, a conservative Democrat, enjoyed bipartisanship. He joined forces with Republican Nicholas Longworth. They formed a close friendship and attempted to find common ground with both their parties.
By 1909, Garner became the Democratic party's whip. During World War One, he established himself as a strong leader in the House and was the liaison between the House and President Woodrow Wilson. In 1929, Garner was elected as minority leader. When the Democrats took back control, Garner became Speaker of the House in 1931. Garner became known as a great negotiator in the House and served 15 consecutive terms.
John Nance Garner's Election to the Vice Presidency
In 1932, Garner was a popular contender for the Democratic nomination for President. However, Garner could not obtain enough support to secure the nomination. The other front runners also did not reach the two-thirds majority to secure the nomination either. Garner's campaign manager, Texan Sam Rayburn, met with the campaign manager of Franklin Roosevelt, a front runner. They reached an agreement: Garner's delegates would be transferred to Roosevelt and Garner would subsequently be offered the Vice President role. The Roosevelt-Garner ticked won the election in 1932.
At the beginning of FDR's first term, FDR had an ambitious agenda. He used Garner's negotiating experience to help advise him and help get his New Deal legislation passed in Congress. Although Garner assisted FDR tremendously in passing aspects of the New Deal, their relationship quickly began to collapse. Garner was a very conservative, southern Democrat and FDR was more liberal-leaning. Garner supported some aspects of the New Deal legislation but was very critical of the Social Security Act and Revenue Act aspects. FDR also tried to be a direct legislature; he wanted to write the bills his way. Garner was very critical of that because he believed in the separation of powers.
In 1936, the two were re-elected. The duo began to get into more disagreements and arguments. Roosevelt's approach to the labor strike and his labor union bills led to a very heated argument between him and Garner. Soon, Garner became a figure of opposition as opposed to an advisor and assistant. They completely fell out of favor with each other during the end of their second term when FDR attempted to pack the courts and tried to unseat conservative Democrats during the 1938 midterms.
At the end of their second term, FDR began to float the idea of running for an unprecedented third term. Garner was shocked and angered. He declared his own candidacy for President in December 1939 but quickly dropped out knowing if FDR decided to run, he would certainly cinch the nomination. Garner did not reconcile with FDR and did not even vote in the 1940 election.
Vice President Garner's Final Years
After his two terms as Vice President, Garner retired from politics. He moved back home to Uvalde, Texas after the 1940 election. In the late 1940s, his wife burned all of his public and private papers. Only his scrapbook collection was not touched. Garner spent his retirement years hunting and fishing with his group of friends. Garner's wife passed away in 1948 at the age of 78. Fifteen days shy of his 99th birthday, Garner passed away at his home in Uvalde on November 7, 1967.
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Vice President Garner's significance and legacy will live on forever. As a political, he became a master persuader and negotiator; skills he used as Vice President. Although looking back, he is sometimes remembered as being a tough, unmovable, conservative Democrat, in actuality, he was reflecting the Democratic Party of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Garner represented what the Democratic Party was before the racial reckoning era of the 1950s, which led to the ascension and realignment of the Republican party in the 1960s in the south. Garner also revitalized the job of a Vice President. He took his job as President of the Senate seriously and used his Congressional skills and connections to pass Roosevelt's agenda.
Vice President Garner Quotes
Here is a list of some of Vice President Garner's worthwhile quotes:
- ''The spare tire on the automobile of government.''
- ''The Vice Presidency isn't worth a pitcher of warm spit.''
- ''Our firm has two members. The senior member does all the talking and I do all the work.''
Garner was a notable and influential politician in the House as a minority leader and Speaker of the House. However, when he became Vice President, his power and influence was significantly reduced, despite being a close advisor to FDR when dealing with Congress. He had a sharp tongue when describing his time as Vice President.
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The 32nd Vice President of the United States, John Nance Garner, was born in Texas on November 22, 1868. He lived in Texas during its reconstruction era after the Civil War. While he was a State Representative from 1898 to 1902, he earned the nickname ''Cactus Jack'' after an unsuccessful fight to make the cactus the state flower of Texas. Garner was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1902. It was there where he learned great negation skills. As a conservative Democrat, Garner enjoyed bipartisanship and formed a friendship with Republican Nicholas Longworth. After thirty years in Congress, he became Franklin Roosevelt's running mate in the 1932 election.
The duo secured victory and had to deal with the effects of the Great Depression. Roosevelt had an ambitious agenda, particularly a large piece of legislation called the New Deal. Roosevelt used Garner's great persuasion and negotiating skills to pass most of his ideas. However, the two began to argue. Roosevelt was more liberal and wanted to pack the courts and pass labor union bills. Garner was against it and their relationship fractured. Garner is quoted as describing the job of Vice President as ''the spare tire on the automobile of government.'' FDR and Garner's relationship completely broke when FDR was hinting at a third term. Garner tried to run, but Roosevelt was a machine and Garner was defeated. He retired back to Texas in 1940. Garner lived a peaceful retirement and died on November 7, 1967, 15 days shy of his 99th birthday.
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Additional Info
John N. Garner
'The single biggest time waster in the world is not completing what you start.' John Nance Garner
John Nance Garner was born on November 22, 1868, in Red River, Texas to less than humble beginnings. At 18, he attended the University of Tennessee but was unable to complete his studies. He returned home and worked in a law office, before earning admission to the bar in 1890.
'How can we preserve our aspirations and at the same time develop the toughness of mind and spirit to face the fact that there are no easy victories? One is tough minded recognition that the fight for a better world is a long one.' John Nance Garner
Garner moved to Uvalde, Texas in the 1890's where he successfully ran for Uvalde County Judge and met his future wife and personal secretary, Ettie. He served as county judge from 1893-1896, and then in the state legislature as a Democrat from 1898-1902. In 1900, Texas won an extra Congressional seat and Garner was charged with drawing up the new district. Taking full advantage of the opportunity, he ran for the seat himself and joined the U.S. House of Representatives in 1902.
Representative Garner
'You have to do a little bragging on yourself even to your own relatives-man doesn't get anywhere without advertising.' John Nance Garner
During his first years in Congress, Garner learned from the friendships he cultivated among more experienced Congressmen. By the 1920s he found himself in leadership of important committees like the Ways and Means Committee.
In 1929, Garner became floor leader of the minority Democratic Party and aligned himself with the Republican Speaker, Nicholas Longworth. Garner advertised himself as the opposite to his new ally and described their friendship in the following words, 'I was the heathen and Nick was the aristocrat.' Bipartisanship was the name of the day under Garner and Longworth and they had daily meetings with legislators from both parties in the lower levels of the Capital called the Bureau of Education.
Speaker of the House
'Worst damn-fool mistake I ever made was letting myself get elected Vice President of the United States. Should have stuck as Speaker of the House. Gave up the second most important job in government for eight long years as Roosevelt's spare tire.' John Nance Garner
When Longworth and 14 other members of the House died in 1931, a reshuffling of the majority and minority parties occurred. With the Democrats in the majority, Garner became the new Speaker of the House. The new Speaker would ensure the loyalty of his party under his mantra, 'You've got to bloody your knuckles.' If members didn't tow the party line Garner made sure that they paid for their disloyalty.
When the Great Depression began Garner was Speaker of the House, and worked to support President Hoover's initiatives despite his reservations. By 1932, his position on Hoover's effectiveness changed and Garner began to publically condemn his attempts to fix the economy.
Vice President
'The Vice Presidency isn't worth a pitcher of warm spit.' John Nance Garner
William Hearst began to run editorials in 1932 pitching Garner for president. As a conservative, Garner was seen as a Democratic version of President Coolidge and rank and file members of the party fell more in line with him at the top of the ticket.
Garner had other plans and wanted to remain as Speaker of the House. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was his choice, but by the time of the Democratic Convention, he found himself increasing in delegate votes during each tally. The Franklin D. Roosevelt camp realized the situation at hand and offered Garner the role of running mate. Sam Rayburn was instrumental in convincing Garner to take the role, and reluctantly Garner agreed.
In his first term as vice president, Garner worked to support FDR's ambitious New Deal programs. Reduced to a powerless position, Garner never got used to being what he described as 'the spare tire on the automobile of government'. However, Garner's role as advisor to FDR proved to be very important.
Garner's knowledge of the inner workings of Congress was invaluable to Roosevelt, and he often gauged Congress' response to his measures by Garner's advice. Garner kept his bipartisan meetings going throughout his time as vice president, and was the push behind the scenes that got Roosevelt's New Deal through Congress.
FDR's second term saw the two men fall out of favor with each other. Garner didn't support the President's labor union bills or his court packing attempts with the Supreme Court. As both moved through Congress, Garner showed his contempt by leaving D.C. and returning to Texas, leaving the President's measures to flounder without his guiding hand.
Conservative Democrats like Garner had obstructed FDR during his first two terms, and by 1938's mid-term elections, FDR decided to purge the party. Garner warned him that his efforts would only aid the Republicans but the president insisted. When FDR decided to run for a third term in 1940, Garner was vehemently against the run. Both men had privately agreed to only serve eight years, and then retire. Garner saw the move by FDR as a breach of trust. Again, Garner was mentioned as a candidate for president at the Democratic Convention of 1940, but FDR won the party's nomination handily.
Garner never campaigned for FDR, went home to Uvalde and retired. Twenty-seven years later, Garner died at the age of 98.
Lesson Summary
'I have always done what I thought was best for my country, never varying unless I was advised that two-thirds of Democrats were for a bill and then I voted for it.' John Nance Garner
John Nance Garner is remembered as a common sense legislator who was the king of the backroom deal. He was also a party loyalist and conservative Democrat from Texas who along with Sam Rayburn made Texas politicians a formidable force to be reckoned with on Capital Hill during the 1920s and 1930s.
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Vice President John Nance Garner | Biography & Quotes
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