Jack Favor
Jack Favor | |
|---|---|
 Favor in 1965 | |
| Born | Jack Graves Favor[1] November 30, 1911 Eula, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | December 27, 1988 (aged 77) Arlington, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation | Rodeo performer |
| Spouse |
Ponder Favor (m. 1940) |
| Children | 3[2] |
Jack Graves Favor (November 30, 1911 – December 27, 1988), also known as Cadillac Jack Favor,[4][5] was an American rodeo performer.[6][7][8]
Biography
Early life
Favor was born on a ranch in Eula, Texas,[1][2] the son of Robert and Georgia Favor. He attended and graduated from Abilene High School. While at high school he won his first rodeo competition as a bronc rider in Cameron, Texas.[2]
Later life
Favor served in the United States Navy from 1929 to 1932, returning to Texas after his discharge. He worked as a truck driver for a plumbing company in Abilene, Texas.[2] He later settled in Fort Worth, Texas,[1] before returning to the Navy in 1941.[2]
Favor continued to compete in rodeos, retiring in 1961 to live in Texarkana, Texas, working as a salesman.[2]
Conviction, imprisonment and acquittal
In 1967, Favor was convicted of a double murder after being accused by a hitchhiker he had picked up. He was represented by Louisiana state senator Joe T. Cawthorn in his court trial, but was found guilty and served eight years of a life sentence at Angola State Penitentiary before being acquitted in a retrial.[1]
After his release, Favor sued for wrongful conviction and imprisonment, settling for $55,000.[9] He was the subject of a book written by William B. Moody, titled In Jack’s Favor, and appeared in the NBC late-night television talk show The Tomorrow Show, and a radio show hosted by sports journalist Howard Cosell.[2]
Death and legacy
Favor died on December 27, 1988, from complications of cancer in a hospital in Arlington, Texas, at the age of 77. He was buried at Parkdale Cemetery.[1]
In 1998, Favor was played by actor and musician Clint Black in the television film Still Holding On: The Legend of Cadillac Jack.[5] Black also co-wrote the song "Cadillac Jack" with country songwriter Hayden Nicholas.[4]
In 2009, Favor was posthumously inducted into the Texas Trail of Fame.[10]
References
- ^ a b c d e "Jack Favor, 77, rodeo champ who fought for prison reform". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas. December 29, 1988. p. 15. Retrieved March 24, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e f g h ""Not Guilty"" (PDF). The Christian Ranchman. 2012. pp. 1, 12–13. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 21, 2014. Retrieved March 24, 2022 – via Wayback Machine.
- ^ Hawkes, Charles (June 20, 1974). "Jack Favor asks "What's next?": Former cowboy, sailor, salesman, convict tells his story". Mansfield News-Mirror. Mansfield, Texas. p. 1. Retrieved July 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "American Cowboy (Vol. 3, No. 6)". American Cowboy. Active Interest Media: 32. March–April 1997. ISSN 1079-3690 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b Miller, Daryl (April 28, 1998). "'Cadillac Jack' Rides Down a Well-Worn Country Road". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
- ^ "3 Men Indicted In Double Killing". The Town Talk. Alexandria, Louisiana. October 14, 1965. p. 18. Retrieved March 24, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Jack Favor: Rodeo Star Condition Said Stable". Daily World. Opelousas, Louisiana. May 5, 1974. p. 2. Retrieved March 24, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ McConal, Jon (July 12, 1974). "Jack Favor Back in the Saddle After 8 Years Lost to Bum Rap". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas. p. 4. Retrieved March 24, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Settlement Reached". Reading Eagle. May 17, 1976. p. 57. Retrieved March 24, 2022 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Inductees by Year". Western Heritage from the Texas Trail of Fame. Archived from the original on November 4, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2022 – via Wayback Machine.