b. 1893 – Taylor, Texas
Governor: 1927–1931
Moody attended the University of Texas and studied law. World War I interrupted his law practice in Taylor, while he served in the Texas National Guard and the U.S. Army. He was the youngest person elected as county and district attorney of Williamson County, and as attorney general of Texas. His platform supported prohibition and woman suffrage, and his campaign was considered one of the most dramatic in Texas history.
Moody was elected governor in 1928. A reformer, he halted a liberal convict-pardon policy, established the state auditor’s office, and reorganized prison management and the state highway system, including a program for a network of roads, while the cost of highways was cut by almost half. Moody later served as a special assistant to the U.S. attorney general under President Franklin Roosevelt. He ran for the U.S. Senate but was defeated.