Texas House of Representatives From 1949 to 1953 he served as a Democratic Party member of the Texas House of Representatives for the 14th District, his brother Price had previously held this office from 1939 to 1945.
Governorship (1961–1963) In 1961,
U.S. President John F. Kennedy appointed him to the position of
governor of Guam, an office that he held from May 20, 1961, to January 20, 1963. , Waco, Texas. in
Hillsboro,
Texas, is named for the former governor of Guam, Bill Daniel. His main achievement as governor was to arrange for the removal of the requirement of a "security clearance" to enter or leave Guam, by persuading Kennedy to sign an
executive order (No.11045), rescinding the one put in place during 1941 by President
Franklin D. Roosevelt. The old (wartime) travel restrictions required that all civilians wishing to visit Guam needed to obtain approval from a senior
US Navy officer based in
Washington, D.C.; this often took weeks to obtain. This was obviously an obstacle to development, especially in the area of tourism, and its removal greatly benefited the economy of the territory. His appointment resulted in the first occasion in which brothers simultaneously held governorships in the United States, as his older brother Price was
governor of Texas for the entire time of his service as governor of Guam. ==Acting career==