Changes

==Political life==

==Political life==

From 1942 to 1946, Thompson served during [[World War II]] in the [[United States Army]] Air Corps, the forerunner to the Air Force. From 1948 to 1952, during the administration of [[Governor]] [[Earl Long|Earl Kemp Long]]. Thompson was the state legislative budget officer and financial adviser.<ref name=bioguide/>

From 1942 to 1946, Thompson served during [[World War II]] in the [[United States Army]] Air Corps, the forerunner to the Air Force. From 1948 to 1952, during the administration of [[Governor]] [[Earl Long|Earl Kemp Long]]. Thompson was the state legislative budget officer and financial adviser.<ref name=bioguide/>

In 1952, Thompson ran unsuccessfully for state auditor, a post no longer elected, on the Democratic [[Governor|gubernatorial]]  intraparty ticket headed by Judge Carlos Gustave Spaht of Baton Rouge. Thompson lost to then fellow Democrat, and later [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[Allison Kolb]], also of Baton Rouge. Former Lieutenant Governor [[Bill Dodd]], who also sought the governorship in 1952 against Spaht and the eventual winner, [[Robert F. Kennon]] in turn unseated Kolb in the 1956 primary for auditor.<ref> ''Minden Press,'' October 15, 1951.</ref>

In 1952, Thompson ran unsuccessfully for state auditor, a post no longer elected, on the Democratic [[Governor|gubernatorial]]  intraparty ticket headed by Judge Carlos Gustave Spaht (1906-2001), a [[Missouri]] native who was a state court judge in Baton Rouge. Thompson lost to then fellow Democrat, and later [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[Allison Kolb]], also of Baton Rouge. Former Lieutenant Governor [[Bill Dodd]], who also sought the governorship in 1952 against Spaht and the eventual winner, [[Robert F. Kennon]] in turn unseated Kolb in the 1956 primary for auditor.<ref> ''Minden (Louisiana) Press,'' October 15, 1951.</ref>

From 1947 to 1953, Thompson was the chairman of the board of trustees of the Louisiana State Employees Retirement System. In 1950 and 1951, he was the representative of the [[United States Department of State]] in Louisiana charged with training foreign representatives in principles of [[democracy]].

From 1947 to 1953, Thompson was the chairman of the board of trustees of the Louisiana State Employees Retirement System. In 1950 and 1951, he was the representative of the [[United States Department of State]] in Louisiana charged with training foreign representatives in principles of [[democracy]].

Thompson was elected to the U. S. House in the 1952 mid-terms<ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=404947 LA District 7 Race - Nov 04, 1952]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved June 11, 2021.</ref> and re-elected six times.<ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=36345 Candidate - T. Ashton Thompson]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved June 11, 2021.</ref>

Thompson was elected to the U. S. House in the 1952 mid-terms<ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=404947 LA District 7 Race - Nov 04, 1952]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved June 11, 2021.</ref> and re-elected six times through 1964.<ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=36345 Candidate - T. Ashton Thompson]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved June 11, 2021.</ref>

Along with the rest of the Louisiana congressional delegation in 1956, Thompson signed the [[Southern Manifesto]] in opposition to the [[United States Supreme Court]] ruling in ''[[Brown v. Board of Education]]'' which desegregated public schools.<ref>[https://www.congress.gov/84/crecb/1956/03/12/GPO-CRECB-1956-pt4-3.pdf GPO-CRECB-1956-pt4-3.pdf]. ''Congressional Record''. Retrieved June 11, 2021.</ref> He voted against the [[Civil Rights Act]]s of [[Civil Rights Act of 1957|1957]],<ref>[https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/85-1957/h42 HR 6127. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957.]. ''GovTrack.us''. Retrieved June 11, 2021.</ref> 1960,<ref>[https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/86-1960/h106 HR 8601. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1960. APPROVAL BY THE HOUSE OF THE SENATE'S AMENDMENTS.]. ''GovTrack.us''. Retrieved June 11, 2021.</ref> and [[Civil Rights Act of 1964|1964]]. A [[Segregation|segregationist]], as were nearly all state politicians at that time, Thompson along with [[Felix Edward Hébert]] and [[Hale Boggs]] of [[New Orleans]],  [[Joe Waggonner]] of Bossier Parish, [[Edwin Willis]] of St. Martinville, [[James H. Morrison]] of Baton Rouge, [[Gillis Long]] of [[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]], and [[Otto Passman]] of [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]], voted against the [[Civil Rights Act of 1964]],<ref>[https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/88-1964/h182 H.R. 7152. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964. ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION (H. RES. 789) PROVIDING FOR HOUSE APPROVAL OF THE BILL AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE.]. ''GovTrack.us''. Retrieved June 11, 2021.</ref>Thompson died a week before passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which Boggs, Morrison, and Willis supported.<ref>.TO PASS H.R. 6400, THE 1965 VOTING RIGHTS ACT. -- GovTrack.us, accessed August 24, 2021.</ref>

Along with the rest of the Louisiana congressional delegation in 1956, Thompson signed the [[Southern Manifesto]] in opposition to the [[United States Supreme Court]] ruling in ''[[Brown v. Board of Education]]'' which mandated the desegregation of public schools.<ref>[https://www.congress.gov/84/crecb/1956/03/12/GPO-CRECB-1956-pt4-3.pdf GPO-CRECB-1956-pt4-3.pdf]. ''Congressional Record''. Retrieved June 11, 2021.</ref> He voted against the [[Civil Rights Act]]s of [[Civil Rights Act of 1957|1957]],<ref>[https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/85-1957/h42 HR 6127. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957.]. ''GovTrack.us''. Retrieved June 11, 2021.</ref> 1960,<ref>[https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/86-1960/h106 HR 8601. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1960. APPROVAL BY THE HOUSE OF THE SENATE'S AMENDMENTS.]. ''GovTrack.us''. Retrieved June 11, 2021.</ref> and [[Civil Rights Act of 1964|1964]]. A [[Segregation|segregationist]], as were nearly all state politicians at that time, Thompson along with [[Felix Edward Hébert]] and [[Hale Boggs]] of [[New Orleans]],  [[Joe Waggonner]] of Bossier Parish, [[Edwin Willis]] of St. Martinville, [[James H. Morrison]] of Baton Rouge, [[Gillis Long]] of [[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]], and [[Otto Passman]] of [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]], voted against the [[Civil Rights Act of 1964]],<ref>[https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/88-1964/h182 H.R. 7152. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964. ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION (H. RES. 789) PROVIDING FOR HOUSE APPROVAL OF THE BILL AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE.]. ''GovTrack.us''. Retrieved June 11, 2021.</ref>Thompson died a week before passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which Boggs, Morrison, and Willis supported.<ref>.TO PASS H.R. 6400, THE 1965 VOTING RIGHTS ACT. -- GovTrack.us, accessed August 24, 2021.</ref>

On July 1, 1965, Thompson was killed in an automobile accident in Gastonia, [[North Carolina]].<ref name=nytimes/> The driver of the truck that the representative ran into was cleared of reckless driving and manslaughter charges several months later.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1966/09/03/archives/jersey-man-freed-in-death-of-louisiana-congressman.html Jersey Man Freed in Death Of Louisiana Congressman]. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved June 11, 2021.</ref>

On July 1, 1965, Thompson was killed in an automobile accident in Gastonia, [[North Carolina]].<ref name=nytimes/> The driver of the truck that the representative ran into was cleared of reckless driving and manslaughter charges several months later.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1966/09/03/archives/jersey-man-freed-in-death-of-louisiana-congressman.html Jersey Man Freed in Death Of Louisiana Congressman]. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved June 11, 2021.</ref>