Contents -- Foreword -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction: Assuming Center Stage -- Chapter One. Least Among Equals: The Presiding Speakership, 1846-1900 -- Chapter Two. Accumulating Clout: The Progressive Speakership, 1900-1921 -- Chapter Three. "Calculatin' Coke": The End of Progressivism and Birth of the Early Modern Speakership, 1921-1949 -- Chapter Four. Pragmatic Conservatism: The Dynastic Speakership, Part One, 1949-1961 -- Chapter Five. Liberals, Conservatives, and the Dilemma of Race: The Dynastic Speakership, Part Two, 1961-1969 -- Chapter Six. The Old Order Is Dead, Long Live the Old Order: Sharpstown, the Price Daniel Revolution, and the Speakership in Crisis, 1969-1975 -- Chapter Seven. The Executive Speakership, Part One, 1975-1983 -- Chapter Eight. The Executive Speakership, Part Two, 1983-2002 -- Chapter Nine. "Hell on Horses and Women": Gender and Family Life under the Dome -- Chapter Ten. The End of an Era? The Executive Speakership under Tom Craddick, 2003-2009 -- Notes -- Introduction -- Chapter One -- Chapter Two -- Chapter Three -- Chapter Four -- Chapter Five -- Chapter Six -- Chapter Seven -- Chapter Eight -- Chapter Nine -- Chapter Ten -- Bibliography -- Index.