Jim Hightower, syndicated columnist, progressive political activist and author, is 79 years old today.
From 1983 to 1991, Hightower served as the elected commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture.
Born in Denison in Grayson County in north Texas, Hightower came from a working class background. He received a Bachelor of Arts in government from the University of North Texas in Denton, where he served as student body president. He later did graduate work at Columbia University in New York City in international affairs.
In the late 1960s, he worked in Washington, D.C., as legislative aide to U.S. Senator Ralph Yarborough. After managing the presidential campaign of former Senator Fred R. Harris of Oklahoma in 1976, he returned to Texas to become the editor of the The Texas Observer magazine.
In 1982, Hightower was elected Agricultural Commissioner, having unseated fellow Democrat Reagan V. Brown, who had ordered a quarantine of fruit coming into Texas from California. He served as agriculture commissioner until he was unseated in 1990 by the Democrat-turned-Republican, Rick Perry, later the governor of Texas.
His tenure was noted for fostering organic production, alternative crops, direct marketing by small farmers and strong gross materials regulations. During that time, he also became a leading national spokesman for Democrats and endorsed Jesse Jackson for president in 1988. Soon after Bill Clinton was elected president, Hightower became a critic.
He criticized Clinton for having accepted corporate soft money contributions, his support of NAFTA, his health care plan and his refusal to crack down on "corporate welfare." He also criticized Clinton’s inadequate efforts at fighting unemployment and poverty.
In 2000, he joined with talk show host Phil Donahue and actress Susan Sarandon to co-chair the presidential campaign of Ralph Nader. He also appeared at Nader's "super-rallies" and stumped across the country for him.
Since 1993, Hightower has produced "Hightower Radio," a daily two-minute commentary carried by over 130 affiliates. He also hosted a weekend talk show on the American Broadcasting Company radio network and a weekday midday talk show on the United Broadcasting Network (later called America Radio Network). The show aired in thirty-eight markets around the United States.
Hightower had endorsed Bernie Sanders for President in 2016, actively campaigning for the Democratic candidate. Despite the Democratic party losing each house of power in the United States, Hightower talked of his optimism toward a greater progressive revolution after meeting with Sanders.
Hightower cites the large number of progressive initiatives passed to counter the idea that Donald Trump and far right rhetoric is surpassing progressive ideals.
Hightower currently writes a nationally syndicated column carried by seventy-five independent weekly newspapers and other publications through Creators Syndicate. He also writes for The Progressive Populist.'
Above photo by Caleb Bryant Miller