Changes

{{Infobox officeholder​

{{Infobox officeholder​

| name=John Sparks Patton, Sr.​

| name=John Sparks Patton, Sr.​

|nationality=[[United States|American]]​

| nationality=[[United States|American]]​

| office= [[Louisiana]] Public Service Commissioner​

| office=[[Louisiana]] Public Service Commissioner​

| party=[[Democratic Party|Democrat]] ​

| party=[[Democratic Party|Democrat]] ​

| term_start=January 1, 1939​

| term_start=January 1, 1939​

| birth_place=Lisbon, Claiborne Parish<br> [[Louisiana]], [[United States|USA]]​

| birth_place=Lisbon, Claiborne Parish<br> [[Louisiana]], [[United States|USA]]​

| death_place=[[Baton Rouge]], Louisiana

| death_place=[[Baton Rouge]], Louisiana

|resting_place=Arlington Cemetery in Homer, Louisiana,​

| resting_place=Arlington Cemetery in Homer, Louisiana,​

| occupation=[[Educator]]<br>​

| occupation=[[Educator]]<br>​

Advocate for taxpayer-funded textbooks​

Advocate for taxpayer-funded textbooks​

​

​

==Background==​

==Background==​

Patton was born in the village of [[Lisbon, Louisiana|Lisbon]] in [[Claiborne Parish, Louisiana|Claiborne Parish]] in northwestern Louisiana.<ref name="LAbio">[http://www.lahistory.org/site33.php "John Sparks Patton"], ''A Dictionary of Louisiana Biography'', Vol. 2, Louisiana Historical Association, 1988, p.&nbsp;635</ref> ​

Patton was born in the village of Lisbon in Claiborne Parish in northwestern Louisiana.<ref name="LAbio">[http://www.lahistory.org/site33.php "John Sparks Patton"], ''A Dictionary of Louisiana Biography'', Vol. 2, Louisiana Historical Association, 1988, p.&nbsp;635</ref> ​

​

​

He married Agnes McCasland (1896–1983). They had two sons together: John Patton, Jr. (1924–1958) became a lieutenant in the [[United States Navy]] and served in both [[World War II]] and the [[Korean War]]. Olen T. Patton (1926–1943) was killed in action in World War II. <ref>Arlington Cemetery records, [[Homer, Louisiana]]</ref> They also had two daughters together: Annette Patton Ward (1923–1998)and Minion Patton Lasater (?). ​

He married Agnes McCasland (1896–1983). They had two sons together: John Patton, Jr. (1924–1958) became a lieutenant in the [[United States Navy]] and served in both [[World War II]] and the [[Korean War]]. Olen T. Patton (1926–1943) was killed in action in World War II. <ref>Arlington Cemetery records, [[Homer, Louisiana]]</ref> They also had two daughters together: Annette Patton Ward (1923–1998)and Minion Patton Lasater (?). ​

In 1938, Patton was elected to the Third District seat on the [[Louisiana Public Service Commission]], but in 1942, he was unseated by [[Jimmie Davis]] of [[Shreveport]].<ref name="LAbio"/> Davis used the position as a stepping stone, serving two years on the PSC, a utility rate regulatory body, before being elected [[governor of Louisiana]] in 1944.​

In 1938, Patton was elected to the Third District seat on the [[Louisiana Public Service Commission]], but in 1942, he was unseated by [[Jimmie Davis]] of [[Shreveport]].<ref name="LAbio"/> Davis used the position as a stepping stone, serving two years on the PSC, a utility rate regulatory body, before being elected [[governor of Louisiana]] in 1944.​

​

​

Patton returned to [[Homer, Louisiana|Homer]], the seat of Claiborne Parish, to resume his career as a school administrator. In 1950, Governor [[Earl Long|Earl Kemp Long]] in his second elected term appointed Patton as superintendent of the [[Louisiana School for the Deaf]], located in the capital.<ref name="gannon">[http://saveourdeafschools.org/Deaf_Heritage_by_Jack_Gannon_page_29.pdf Gannon, Jack. ''Deaf Heritage–A Narrative History of Deaf America'', Silver Spring, MD: National Association of the Deaf, 1981, pp. 29-30 (PDF])</ref> Patton served there until 1961, dying in office.<ref name="LAbio"/>​

Patton returned to Homer, the seat of Claiborne Parish, to resume his career as a school administrator. In 1950, Governor [[Earl Long|Earl Kemp Long]] in his second elected term appointed Patton as superintendent of the [[Louisiana School for the Deaf]], located in the capital.<ref name="gannon">[http://saveourdeafschools.org/Deaf_Heritage_by_Jack_Gannon_page_29.pdf Gannon, Jack. ''Deaf Heritage–A Narrative History of Deaf America'', Silver Spring, MD: National Association of the Deaf, 1981, pp. 29-30 (PDF])</ref> Patton served there until 1961, dying in office.<ref name="LAbio"/>​

​

​

Patton died in Baton Rouge and is interred at Arlington Cemetery in Homer.​

Patton died in Baton Rouge and is interred at Arlington Cemetery in Homer.​