[4] With his proclivity for fist fighting, folksy turns of phrase and snuff sniffing, Sadler ranks among the state's most colorful politicians.

His great-grandfather William Turner Sadler, fought at the Battle of San Jacinto and served in the House of Representatives of the Ninth Congress of the Republic of Texas and, after annexation to the U.S., was reelected to the First and Second state legislatures.

[4] According to his autobiography, Politics, Fat Cats and Honey-Money Boys: The Mem-Wars of Jerry Sadler, he then worked briefly as a youth minister in Port Arthur, as an undercover FBI agent in the Valley, and became the state's youngest millionaire in the East Texas oilfields.

[11] He launched the ultimately unsuccessful campaign with a "hillbilly band" and his cousin/campaign manager, the well-known tent entertainer Harley Sadler, serving as emcee.

In the 1946 gubernatorial election, Sadler ran for the Democratic nomination, but was defeated by his successor on the Railroad Commission, Beauford H. Jester of Corsicana in Navarro County.

When interviewed by the Houston Post, Sadler said of his breakfast remarks, "I mentioned appropriations and as a matter of fact [I] voted against those for the university because they have Negro undergraduates.

[11] In 1962, Sadler opposed Senator Ralph Yarborough's plans to create a National Seashore at South Padre Island.

Sadler claimed that a National Seashore that took over state-owned tidelands would prohibit the removal of oil and natural gas and thus deprive Texas of millions of dollars in revenues that would otherwise contribute to the school fund.

Using fervent language such as "summarily stripped of such great wealth," Sadler convinced Governor Price Daniel, Sr., to appoint a statewide committee to study the feasibility of a state park in place of the National Seashore.

[19] In 1968, Sadler became involved with Platoro Ltd. of Indiana, which discovered the wrecks of three 16th century Spanish galleons while dredging along the Gulf Coast near South Padre Island.

[19] When Sadler heard of the operation he protested that the artifacts belonged to the State of Texas[20] and claimed the treasure trove for the Permanent School Fund.

[19] Sadler's handling of the treasure earned him the nickname "Jerry the Pirate" from state legislators who questioned his authority.

[11] In 1969, State Representative Jake Johnson of San Antonio held a press conference demanding the return of the Spanish treasure.

To facilitate the retrieval, Sadler signed an agreement with Platoro stating that Texas and the company would split the treasure equally.

Once the goods were safely stored, Sadler persuaded Texas Attorney General Crawford Martin to take legal action to protect them.

[19] The act additionally gave the committee jurisdiction over discovery and salvage operations at designated sites, as well as the responsibility to preserve and protect archeological resources.

[19] It is thought Sadler's career-ending move was his authorship and mass printing of a booklet, Treasure Tempest in Texas, that detailed the shipwreck story and his own heroic efforts to preserve the artifacts.

[19] In 1970, State Representative Bob Armstrong of Austin defeated Sadler in the Democratic primary and went on to hold the position of Land Commissioner for twelve years.

[7] In later years, he retired to his farm in Anderson County and helped the local Slocum Independent School District by managing the construction of several new buildings.