Prominent Texan’s Oconee County background

One of the east Texas counties hit hard by Beryl is Rusk County, believed to have been named for a 19th century political and military leader.  A 101.7/WGOG listener points out that Thomas Jefferson Rusk was born in what today is Oconee County.  According to his profile, Rusk served as a general at the Battle of San Jacinto, later a senator from Texas from 1846 until his suicide in 1857.  In the year of his death, he also served as President pro tem of the U-S Senate.