Wiltz Gleason Kirklin (1912-1997)

Portrait courtesy of the Texas Legislative Reference Library.

   A two-term member of the Texas House of Representatives from Ector County, Wiltz Gleason "Cotton" Kirklin was a veteran of WWII and following his service in the legislature went on to further recognition, being a member of both the Texas Building Commission and the Texas Health Facilities Commission. The son of Aaron and Georgie Lou Kirklin, Wiltz G. Kirklin was born on February 4, 1912, in Mooringsport, Louisiana. He was a student at the high school in the city of his birth and following his graduation in 1929 attended both Texas Christian University and Baylor University. 

  In 1936 Kirklin received a bachelor's degree in business from Baylor University and around this same time married Opal Mae Layton (1913-1989). The couple were wed for over five decades and would have two sons, Layton (born ca. 1937) and Donald Frank (born 1948). Shortly after his graduation, Kirklin entered into the oil business in Odessa, Texas, and after a brief stint of employment by the Gulf Oil Co. worked as a private oil driller. In 1942 he enlisted in the U.S. Army and during the Second World War served in Europe, eventually attaining the rank of Captain. 

  Following his return from service Kirklin returned to his oil drilling business and also engaged in irrigation farming and heavy equipment sales. In 1952 he was elected as Ector County's representative to the Texas state legislature and during his first term (1953-55) held seats on the committees on Common Carriers, Federal Relations, Military and Veteran's Affairs, Oil, Gas and Mining and Revenue and Taxation. He won a second term in the house during the 1954 election year and during this term sat on two new committees, those being Motor Vehicles and State Affairs.

  In his last year in the legislature, W.G. Kirklin was appointed by then-Governor Allan Shivers to the Board of Texas Hospitals and Special Schools. Following two years of service on the Texas State Building Commission (1963-65) Kirklin would be reappointed to that board by Governor Price Daniel and in 1965 was tapped to serve as assistant commissioner of the then recently established Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation. He would serve in that capacity until his retirement in 1977, and six years later returned to public service when he was appointed by Governor Mark White to chair the Texas Health Facilities Commission. 

  Kirklin retired from the above-named post in 1986 and in 1989 suffered the loss of his wife of over fifty years, Opal Mae. He himself died on May 9, 1997, at age 85 and was later interred at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin.