Ted Connell was Commander in Chief of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) of United States from 1960 to 1961. His career made him a well-known businessman in central Texas which included a term as Killeen mayor from 1962 to 1966, a stint as the personal aide to President Lyndon B. Johnson and activities in real estate, banking, automobile and regional airline businesses.

In 2004 a 7-foot bronze statue of Ted Connell was placed in the new lobby of the Ted C. Connell Terminal building at the Killeen-Ft Hood Regional Airport. The Killeen City Council agreed to name the airport terminal after Ted Connell a few months before his death in September 2001.