By J. Lyn Carl, GalleryWatch.com
Austin, TX –
James Jarrell "Jake" Pickle, who served Austin and the 10th Congressional District for more than 30 years, died today in Austin at age 91.
"My life has been given special purpose," Pickle once said. "Some men live to make money, drink, chase women, collect art, excel at a sport, or pursue other things that give them pleasure. The thing I got hooked on was helping people. And I've had the privilege of helping people by the thousands. Serving in Congress was the greatest honor of my life." Pickle, who retired from his Congressional seat he held from 1963 to 1995, was known for his folksy demeanor, his legendary "stories" and his hard work both in Congress and at home in Austin.
"Jake Pickle was a selfless public servant and respected leader for Texas for three decades," said Gov. Rick Perry upon learning of the longtime Congressman's death. "His strong, steady hand helped shape the Central Texas area we so love today."
When the Federal Building was named the J.J. "Jake" Pickle Building in 1998, fellow House member and fellow Texan Rep. Chet Edwards said of the Austin lawmaker, "His legacy lies in his many years of public service and the millions of Americans who have been touched by his devotion and dedication. Jake Pickle was an independent minded man who never shied from a fight, but who was always ready to listen to a problem and lend a helping hand."
Pickle's political career could well have begun when he was elected Student Body President while attending The University of Texas at Austin. He translated that successful election later into a career that covered more than three decades in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he cast important, yet difficult, votes for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He served on the House Ways and Means Committee and was a tireless advocate for keeping the nation's Social Security program financially stable.
Pickle was a native of Big Spring, earned his bachelor's degree from The University of Texas at Austin, was a U.S. Navy veteran, and was elected to Congress in a special election in 1963, and then was returned by voters in his district for 15 successive Congresses. Funeral services for Pickle are pending.