New Year’s Day was a momentous occasion for Sheriff Larry Busby, who was sworn into office for his twelfth consecutive four-year term, setting a record for a Texas sheriff. With a law enforcement career spanning 50 years, he has served as the county’s sheriff for 44 years, making him the longest-serving sheriff currently in office in Texas. Upon completing this term, he will solidify his place as the longest-serving sheriff in Texas history.
While many things have changed over Busby’s years in office, one thing that has not changed is his commitment to the people he protects as Sheriff of Live Oak County. Surrounding Busby in his office are memorabilia from throughout the years. It is a testament to the community’s appreciation for his dedication to the job. One reason he has remained in office for so many years is his philosophy of treating everyone with respect. Busby emphasizes, “You treat people with respect, the way you want to be respected. I never tried to bully anybody, never been in a fight with anybody. Just told them, this is the way it is, and we can do things easy or hard.”
Cowboy Roots
Busby’s roots in the region run deep, and from his family he learned the value of hard work, sacrifice, and responsibility at an early age. When Busby was born in April 1945, Hitler was in power, and World War II was coming to an end. With his father working for the owner of a large ranch in McMullen and Atascosa Counties, the family lived in a three-room shotgun house with no running water or electricity, using oil lamps for light and taking baths in a wash tub. They were fortunate to have a flowing well down by the cattle pens, as well as a cistern that captured rainwater, and his dad had a .22 rifle that kept the family fed with venison. He never lived in a house with a telephone until he went to college.
Growing up, Busby loved the cowboy lifestyle, learning to ride horses at an early age and getting his first saddle when he was only three years old. “All I ever wanted was to live on a ranch and be a cowboy, just like my daddy,” he recalls. However, around his junior year at Charlotte High School, he started thinking about getting a job that paid a little better. He enrolled in college at Texas A&I University (now Texas A&M University-Kingsville) and graduated in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Business.
About this time, the Vietnam War was going strong, and he was preparing to be drafted, but he marginally failed the hearing test, possibly because of his many years of shooting without hearing protection. He was told he would be contacted about a re-test, and he figured he would be cleared for duty at that time. Feeling certain he would be sent off to war, he did not want to get a job in the agribusiness field because he thought he would be leaving, so he went back to working cattle on various ranches.
Life as a School Teacher
One evening he was attending a VFW dance in Alice and ran into a friend from college who was a math teacher in Mathis ISD. School was getting ready to start, and the friend stated they were in desperate need of a math teacher and suggested Busby come help them out. Busby told him he was waiting to be drafted, but the friend advised he could teach until he got called and it would “just be until they found someone else.” So, armed with an emergency teaching certificate and a teacher’s edition math book, he faced seventh and eighth grade students. Busby enjoyed the 8-5 job as a teacher. He could teach school during the day, and in the evening and on weekends, he could hunt, rodeo, and take care of the ranch his father had managed until his death. The year ended with no recall by the draft board, so he signed the contract for another year. There was only one catch – he had to go back to college to obtain his teaching certificate. After three summers of going to college, he had his certificate in secondary education with math and business teaching fields.
Service in Law Enforcement
Busby’s comfortable and perhaps mundane lifestyle changed one night in the fall of 1974. He was at the VFW in George West relaxing and shooting pool when a deputy making his rounds asked Busby to ride with him. The ride-along proved to be a pivotal moment in Busby’s life. In the 1970s, Live Oak County was growing with people and industry and along with that bars and fights. More weekend patrols were needed, and soon Sheriff Sam Huff deputized Busby. In the spring of 1975, Busby got his reserve peace officer certification.
One evening, Busby heard the sheriff ask his deputy partner to come in his office and close the door. Shortly after hearing loud voices, the deputy left, and the sheriff handed Busby the keys to the patrol car. What should have been, “just until we find someone else” became five months of teaching during the day and riding patrol every evening until after midnight. “I didn’t make much money as a deputy, but it paid more than $15 dollars a day working cattle,” chuckles Busby.
In Spring 1978, Sheriff Huff went to a meeting hosted by the Jail Commission and learned about all the changes coming to law enforcement and especially jails. When he returned, he asked Busby to step into his office and close the door. Remembering the last time someone went into the sheriff’s office and closed the door, Busby was thinking, “What did I do wrong?” Instead, Huff said to Busby, “You want to be sheriff? I’ve had enough. If you want to run, I’ll back you.” With the election two years away, Busby started preparing.
Running for Sheriff
To improve his chances, Sheriff Huff said he would make Busby a full-time criminal investigator, which would keep him off the streets and from arresting the people who might vote for him when the time came. It was a difficult decision, since he was making more money teaching school, but he really liked the work of investigating. At the end of the school year, he made the choice to obtain his police officer certification, so he resigned his teaching position and back to college he went during the summer. In 1978 he graduated from the police academy, and he has been a Master Peace Officer since the certification became available.
When Sheriff Huff’s term ended, Busby ran for sheriff against two opponents. He won the election with a majority of the votes with no run-off and was sworn in as Sheriff/Tax Assessor-Collector on Jan. 1, 1981. At the end of that term, he had one opponent, but Busby received 92% of the vote and it was a long time after that before anyone ran against him. Although he is a Republican now, during those years, the Texas Democrats were a very conservative group and were the majority in the state. In fact, Busby was the last Democrat elected to a local office in Live Oak County.
The Life of a Sheriff
For the first thirty plus years, Busby worked from 8 a.m. to midnight or later every day. Throughout his years, he has only taken two three-day vacations, once in 1983 with some friends and the other in 2013 to get married to Jo Ann. The personal dedication and responsibility are part of his deep roots growing up in the cattle ranching, “You don’t take days off in the ranching business. Cows have to eat every day,” he says with a grin. Despite the long hours, when he leaves the office, the work stays there. “The only reason I can work all those hours, is that when I leave, I clear my mind.”
Busby is proud to be from Live Oak County, the only place in Texas with two senior sheriffs: W.A. “Albert” Smith, who served nearly 38 years as sheriff, and himself. Over his career, he has worked on a variety of cases, including capital murders, robberies, kidnappings, rapes, and many drug-related offenses. While law enforcement and the county have evolved over the years—with advancements such as body cameras, specialized technology, and the construction of a new jail in 2009—some cases continue to weigh heavily on his mind, especially those that remain unresolved, where the killers have not been brought to justice.
Community Leadership
Busby’s sense of duty extends beyond his job as sheriff. Serving as college instructor and on the law enforcement advisory committees at both Coastal Bend and Del Mar College, he helps prepare the next generation of law enforcement professionals. He is also a member of the Live Oak County Boys and Girls Club Board of Directors, the George West Lions Club, Masonic Lodge, Sheriffs’ Association of Texas, Coastal Bend Peace Officers Association, National Sheriffs’ Association, and many legislative committees.
Although there has been little time for hobbies, Busby enjoyed cowboying, rodeoing and competitive shooting during his time in office. He was a member of the Peace Officers Rodeo Association and the state team roping champion in 1986. He has also been the top marksman with both revolvers and semi-automatic pistols at Coastal Area Law Enforcement Combat Shooters competitions many times over the years. With his extensive experience, he is a much sought-after firearms instructor and has taught classes at the college in Beeville. He also likes collecting firearms and spurs.
Busby was unopposed on the November ballot, a testament to his longstanding service and respect within the community. His popularity is underscored by one offender who said, “Yea, Larry’s arrested us, but we’re still going to vote for him because he always treated us good.”
Sheriff Busby’s legacy is grounded in respect, hard work, and an unwavering commitment to his community. As the citizens of Live Oak County look forward to another four-year term, he embodies the essence of public service, earning their respect and gratitude. “I work for the people of Live Oak County, and I’ve always tried to do the best I could for them,” concludes Busby.