The Texas General Land Office (GLO) is a state agency of the U.S. state of Texas, responsible for managing lands and mineral rights properties that are owned by the state. The GLO also manages and contributes to the state's Permanent School Fund. The agency is headquartered in the Stephen F. Austin State Office Building in Downtown Austin.

Role and remit The General Land Office's main role is to manage Texas's publicly owned lands, by negotiating and enforcing leases for the use of the land, and sometimes by making sales of public lands. Royalties and proceeds from land sales are added to the state's Permanent School Fund, which helps to fund public education within the state. The agency is also responsible for keeping records of land grants and titles and for issuing maps and surveys of public lands. The agency also manages federal disaster recovery grant funding.

Since 2011 the GLO has managed The Alamo in San Antonio. The management of The Alamo was transferred to the General Land Office after allegations of mismanagement were directed at the prior manager, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas.

History The Congress of the Republic of Texas established the General Land Office on 22 December 1836 (making the GLO the oldest existing Texas public agency). The agency's constitutional purpose was to "superintend, execute, and perform all acts touching or respecting the public lands of Texas." Since its establishment the agency has been located in Austin, although a relocation to Houston was briefly attempted during the Texas Archive War. One former home of the GLO, the Old Land Office Building, is a registered historic place and now serves as the Texas State Capitol Visitor Center.

When the State of Texas was annexed into the United States in 1845, it kept control of all of its public lands from its time as a sovereign state.Joint Resolution for annexing Texas to the United States, J.Res. 8, enacted March 1, 1845, . Joint Resolution for the admission of the state of Texas into the Union, J.Res. 1, enacted December 29, 1845, . As a result, Texas is the only public land state in the US to control all of its own public lands; all federal lands in Texas were acquired by purchase (e.g. military bases), donation (e.g. national parks) or eminent domain.

Texas's public lands were significantly enlarged by the US Submerged Lands Act of 1953 and the resolution of the ensuing Tidelands Controversy. Because Texas's historical territorial waters originated with the Republic, the US Supreme Court ruled in the 1960 case United States v. Louisiana that Texas was in the unique position of owning territory out to three leagues (9 geographical miles which is nearly exactly 9 nautical miles, 10.35 statute miles, 16.66 km) from its coastline (significantly more than the three geographical miles controlled by other coastal states). All of these lands (and the oil and gas deposits beneath them) are managed by the General Land Office.

Texas Land Commissioner

The head of the General Land Office is the Texas Land Commissioner, a statewide public official. Since a 1972 constitutional amendment, Texas state-wide officers–including the Commissioner–have been elected every four years, prior to which they were elected every two years. The current land commissioner is Dawn Buckingham, who was elected on 8 November 2022.

+ Land Commissioners by party affiliation (since statehood) Party Land Commissioner Democratic 20 Republican 6

+ Land Commissioners in chronological order, showing party affiliation Image Name Term of service Political party1 John P. BordenAugust 23, 1837 – December 12, 18402 (interim) H. W. RaglinDecember 12, 1840 – January 4, 18413 Thomas W. WardJanuary 4, 1841 – March 20, 1848The Republic of Texas is admitted into the United States as the State of Texas (December 29, 1845)4 George W. SmythMarch 20, 1848 – August 4, 1851Defeated Ward in 1848 election Democratic5 Stephen CrosbyAugust 4, 1851 – March 1, 1858 Democratic6 Francis M. WhiteMarch 1, 1858 – March 1, 1862 Democratic5 Stephen CrosbyMarch 1, 1862 – September 1, 1865 Democratic6 Francis M. WhiteSeptember 1, 1865 – August 7, 1866 Democratic5 Stephen CrosbyAugust 7, 1866 – August 27, 1867Removed from office by Reconstruction military government Democratic7 Joseph SpenceAugust 27, 1867 – January 19, 1870 Republican8 Jacob KuechlerJanuary 19, 1870 – January 20, 1874 Republican9 Johann J. GroosJanuary 20, 1874 – June 15, 1878Died in office Democratic10 W. C. WalshJune 15, 1878 – January 10, 1887Appointed by Governor Richard B. Hubbard to remainder of Groos' term Democratic11 Richard M. HallJanuary 10, 1887 – January 16, 1891 Democratic12 W. L. McGaugheyJanuary 16, 1891 – January 16, 1895 Democratic13 Andrew J. BakerJanuary 15, 1895 – January 16, 1899 Democratic14 George W. FingerJanuary 16, 1899 – May 4, 1899Died in office Democratic15 Charles RoganMay 15, 1899 – January 10, 1903Appointed by Governor Joseph Sayers to replace Finger; subsequently elected Democratic16 John J. TerrellJanuary 10, 1903 – January 11, 1909 Democratic17 James T. RobisonJanuary 11, 1909 – September 8, 1929Died in office Democratic18 J. H. WalkerSeptember 12, 1929 – January 1, 1937Appointed by Governor Dan Moody to replace Robison; elected in 1930; re-elected in 1932 and 1934; did not stand in 1936 Democratic19 William H. McDonaldJanuary 1, 1937 – January 1, 1939 Democratic20 Bascom GilesJanuary 1, 1939 – January 5, 1955Re-elected in 1954 but failed to take oath of office due to Veterans' Land Board scandal, for which he went on to serve 3 years in prison Democratic21 James Earl RudderJanuary 5, 1955 – February 1, 1958Appointed by Governor Alan Shivers to replace Giles; elected in 1956; resigned in 1958 Democratic22 Bill AllcornFebruary 1, 1958 – January 1, 1961Appointed by Governor Price Daniel to replace Rudder; elected in 1958 Democratic23 Jerry SadlerJanuary 1, 1961 – January 1, 1971 Democratic24 Bob ArmstrongJanuary 12, 1971 – January 4, 1983 Democratic25 Garry MauroJanuary 1, 1983 – January 5, 1999 Democratic26 David DewhurstJanuary 19, 1999 – January 21, 2003 Republican27 Jerry E. PattersonJanuary 21, 2003 – January 2, 2015 Republican28 George P. BushJanuary 2, 2015 – January 10, 2023 Republican29 Dawn BuckinghamJanuary 10, 2023 – present Republican

See also

Permanent School Fund

References

Notes

External links