He was born and raised in Corsicana. Jester was born to politics, since his father served two terms as lieutenant governor from 1894 to 1898.
Jester was educated at the University of Texas and attended Harvard Law School before leaving to command an infantry company in France during WWI. He returned to Austin to complete his legal studies, then opened a practice in Corsicana in 1920.
Most of Jester’s cases involved the oil and gas industry, and he also managed family ranching and mineral interests. Jester served on the Board of Regents of his alma mater during the 1930s, until appointed by Governor Coke Stevenson to the Railroad Commission. Later, Jester was elected to a full term on the commission, and served until elected governor in 1946.
Jester was reelected in 1948 but died following a heart attack on July 11, 1949, sustained while he rode a railroad train from Austin to Houston, and Lt. Gov. Allan Shivers succeeded to the governor’s office.
Jester had been a successful governor. His administration witnessed passage of the Gilmer-Aiken Law, which established state funding for public education, adoption of state assistance for rural roads, and other reforms. He is the only governor of Texas who died while still in office.