Rienzi Melville Johnston, 10th president, was born in Sandersville, Ga., Sept. 9, 1849. He was only 15 when the Civil War ended, yet he served in the Confederate Army more than a year.

He learned the printer’s trade in early life and was a first-class printer. He went from the print shop to the front office.

He came to Texas as a young man after some newspaper work in Georgia.

His first newspaper work in Texas was as staff correspondent of the Houston Post at Austin. About 1886 he became editorial writer on the Post and later purchased a large interest in the paper and became editor in chief.

He served as a member of the Texas Senate and was once granted the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, but declined.

From Jan. 4-29, 1913, he was appointed United States senator to succeed Joseph W. Bailey. He was the Texas member of the Democratic National Executive Committee from 1900 to 1912.

He married Mary E. Parsons in 1875. He died Feb. 28, 1926.

Source: Biographical directory of the U.S. Congress