George Thompson Ruby

George Thompson Ruby
Texas State Senator from District 12 (Brazoria, Galveston, and Matagorda Counties)
In office February 8, 1870 – January 13, 1874
Succeeded by	Benjamin Cromwell Franklin
Personal details
Born	1841 New York
Died	October 31, 1882 New Orleans, Louisiana
Political party	Republican
Occupation	Journalist, Teacher

George Thompson Ruby (1841 - October 31, 1882) was a journalist, teacher, and Republican political activist. Born in New York in 1841 to Ebenezer and Jemima Ruby, he later moved to Maine where he was educated. He then worked briefly in Haiti as a correspondent for James Redpath's newspaper the Pine and Palm. He moved to Louisiana in 1864, where he worked as a teacher. He moved to Galveston, Texas in 1866, where he began working with the Freedmen's Bureau, taught school, and worked as a correspondent for the New Orleans Tribune. Soon thereafter, he became active in establishing local chapters of the Union League. In 1868, he was elected the League's first state president, a powerful political position because of its influence over the state's black voters. Later that year, he was the first African-American from Texas to attend the Republican National Convention. He was also a delegate to the Texas State Constitutional Convention of 1868-1869. He was appointed as a customs officer in Galveston in 1869.

In 1870, he was elected to the Texas Senate and served two terms. After leaving the Senate, he moved back to New Orleans, where he worked for the Port of New Orleans. He also edited the New Orleans Observer. He died of malaria October 31, 1882.

One historian called Ruby, "the most important black politician in Texas during Reconstruction in terms of power and ability."

References

• "Texas Legislators: George T. Ruby". Lrl.state.tx.us. Legislative Reference Library of Texas. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
• "Ruby, George Thompson". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
• "Union League". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
• "The 1860s: George T. Ruby". Forever Free: Nineteenth Century African-American Legislators and Constitutional Convention Delegates of Texas. Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Retrieved May 25, 2015.