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'''Alan Ray Ater''' (December 15, 1953 &ndash; May 21, 2017), known as '''Al Ater''', was a [[farmer]] and [[business]]man from Ferriday in Concordia Parish,  [[Louisiana]], who served from 1984 to 1992 as a [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for istrict 21 in the eastern portion of his state.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://house.louisiana.gov/H_PDFdocs/HouseMembers1812_2008.pdf|title=Membership in the Louisiana House of Representatives, 1812-2008|publisher=house.louisiana.gov|accessdate=December 23, 2009}}</ref> He served as interim secretary of state from 2005 through November 2006. He received praise for his handling of the New Orleans mayoral primary in early 2006, when the city was still disrupted from the effects of [[Hurricane Katrina]].

'''Alan Ray Ater''' (December 15, 1953 &ndash; May 21, 2017), known as '''Al Ater''', was a [[farmer]] and [[business]]man from Ferriday in Concordia Parish,  [[Louisiana]], who served from 1984 to 1992 as a [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for istrict 21 in the eastern portion of his state.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://house.louisiana.gov/H_PDFdocs/HouseMembers1812_2008.pdf|title=Membership in the Louisiana House of Representatives, 1812-2008|publisher=house.louisiana.gov|accessdate=December 23, 2009}}</ref> He served as interim secretary of state from 2005 through November 2006. He received praise for his handling of the New Orleans mayoral primary in early 2006, when the city was still disrupted from the effects of [[Hurricane Katrina]].

==Early life and family==​

==Background==​

A native of  Decatur in Macon County in central [[Illinois]], Ater was the youngest of five children of Donald Edward Ater (1923–1974)<ref name=tmsociety>{{cite web|url=http://tmsociety.org/thomas/clement/aqwg506.htm|title=Donald Edward Ater|publisher=tmsociety.org|accessdate=December 23, 2009}}</ref> and the former Ruth LaVonne Chapman (December 16, 1920 &ndash; October 28, 2004), both Illinois natives. His four older siblings are Marcia Kay, Donald Willard, Lynette, and Edward William Ater.​

A native of  Decatur in Macon County in central [[Illinois]], Ater was the youngest of five children of Donald Edward Ater (1923–1974)<ref name=tmsociety>{{cite web|url=http://tmsociety.org/thomas/clement/aqwg506.htm|title=Donald Edward Ater|publisher=tmsociety.org|accessdate=December 23, 2009}}</ref> and the former Ruth LaVonne Chapman (December 16, 1920 &ndash; October 28, 2004), both Illinois natives. His four older siblings are Marcia Kay, Donald Willard, Lynette, and Edward William Ater.​

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===Effects of Hurricane Katrina===​

===Effects of Hurricane Katrina===​

As secretary of state, Ater was called upon to monitor the municipal elections in [[New Orleans]] held some eight months after [[Hurricane Katrina]], when the city was still struggling to recover and had many former residents living elsewhere. The primary election was to have been conducted on February 4, 2006. Newspaperman Sam Hanna, Jr. (born 1969), of the ''Ouachita Citizen'' said that Ater ​

As secretary of state, Ater was called upon to monitor the municipal elections in [[New Orleans]] held some eight months after [[Hurricane Katrina]], when the city was still struggling to recover and had many former residents living elsewhere. The primary election was to have been conducted on February 4, 2006. Newspaperman Sam Hanna, Jr. (born 1969), of the ''Ouachita Citizen'' in West Monroe, said that Ater ​

<blockquote>"oversaw probably the cleanest [[mayor]]'s election in modern times in New Orleans' long, fabled history. ... He mowed down the political establishment on both sides of the aisle, which tried in vain to manipulate the election process in the Crescent City for its own selfish reasons. Yes, Ater stood out as a leader with a backbone among a host of local and state officials, who, quite frankly, have appeared spineless throughout the catastrophe caused by Katrina."<ref name=hanna>{{cite web|url=http://www.ouachitacitizen.com/news.php?id=153|title=What’s Big Al to do next?", July 20, 2006|publisher=ouachitacitizen.com|accessdate=December 23, 2009}}</ref></blockquote>  

<blockquote>"oversaw probably the cleanest [[mayor]]'s election in modern times in New Orleans' long, fabled history. ... He mowed down the political establishment on both sides of the aisle, which tried in vain to manipulate the election process in the Crescent City for its own selfish reasons. Yes, Ater stood out as a leader with a backbone among a host of local and state officials, who, quite frankly, have appeared spineless throughout the catastrophe caused by Katrina."<ref name=hanna>{{cite web|url=http://www.ouachitacitizen.com/news.php?id=153|title=What’s Big Al to do next?", July 20, 2006|publisher=ouachitacitizen.com|accessdate=December 23, 2009}}</ref></blockquote>