Changes

|death_place=Gastonia, [[North Carolina]]

|death_place=Gastonia, [[North Carolina]]

|resting_place=Evangeline Memorial Park<br>in Ville Platte

|resting_place=Evangeline Memorial Park<br>in Ville Platte

|spouse=(1) Willa Mae Newman Thompson (1917-1994, divorced)<br>

|spouse=(1) Willa Mae Newman Thompson (1917–1994, divorced)<br>

(2) Leatrice Soileau Thompson<br> (wife at time of death)

(2) Leatrice Soileau Thompson<br> (wife at time of death)

|children=No children

|children=No children

|occupation=[[Accountant]]

|occupation=[[Accountant]]

|alma_mater=[[Louisiana State University]]

|alma_mater=[[Louisiana State University]]

|branch=[[United States Army]] Air Corps

|branch=[[United States Army]] Air Corps

|battles=[[World War II]]

|battles=[[World War II]]

|serviceyears=1942-1946}}

|serviceyears=1942–1946

}}

'''Theo Ashton Thompson''' (March 31, 1916 &ndash; July 1, 1965<ref name=nytimes>[https://www.nytimes.com/1965/07/02/archives/member-of-house-killed-by-a-truck-thompson-of-louisiana-hit-when.html?searchResultPosition=3 MEMBER OF HOUSE KILLED BY A TRUCK; Thompson of Louisiana Hit When Stopped as Speeder]. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved June 11, 2021.</ref>) was a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] from [[Louisiana]] who served from 1953 until his death in office as the state's [[United States Representative]] for  the 7th congressional district, defunct since the 2010 census.

'''Theo Ashton Thompson''' (March 31, 1916 &ndash; July 1, 1965<ref name=nytimes>[https://www.nytimes.com/1965/07/02/archives/member-of-house-killed-by-a-truck-thompson-of-louisiana-hit-when.html?searchResultPosition=3 MEMBER OF HOUSE KILLED BY A TRUCK; Thompson of Louisiana Hit When Stopped as Speeder]. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved June 11, 2021.</ref>) was a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] from [[Louisiana]] who served from 1953 until his death in office as the state's [[United States Representative]] for  the 7th congressional district, defunct since the 2010 census.

==Political life==

==Political life==

 

In 1952, Thompson ran unsuccessfully for state auditor, a post no longer elected, on the Democratic [[Governor|gubernatorial]] intraparty ticket headed by 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>

In 1952, Thompson ran unsuccessfully for state auditor, a post no longer elected, on the Democratic [[Governor|gubernatorial]] intraparty ticket headed by 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]].<ref name=bioguide/>

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]].<ref name=bioguide/>

With Earl Long's encouragement, 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>

With Earl Long's encouragement, Thompson was elected to the U. S. House in the 1952 elections<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 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>

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>

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>

Thompson is interred, along with his second wife, the former Leatrice Soileau (1929-1989), at Evangeline Memorial Park Cemetery in Ville Platte.<ref name=bioguide/>

Thompson is interred, along with his second wife, the former Leatrice Soileau (1929–1989), at Evangeline Memorial Park Cemetery in Ville Platte.<ref name=bioguide/> [[Edwin Edwards]], then a freshman state senator from Crowley in Acadia Parish, won the [[special election]] to succeed Thompson in the U.S. He was subsequently elected in 1972 to the first of his four nonconsecutive terms as governor

[[Edwin Edwards]], then a freshman state senator from Crowley in Acadia Parish, won the [[special election]] to succeed  

Thompson in the U.S. He was subsequently elected in 1972 to the first of his four nonconsecutive terms as governor

==References==

==References==