T. C. Brister
| Tennesee Chesmond "T. C." Brister | |
Louisiana State Representative
for Rapides Parish | |
| In office 1940–1944 | |
| Preceded by | At-large members: W. T. Bradford |
|---|---|
| Succeeded by | At-large members: Carl B. Close |
| In office 1948–1952 | |
| Preceded by | At-large members: Carl B. Close |
| Succeeded by | At-large members: Cecil R. Blair |
Louisiana State Representative
for Rapides and Grant parishes | |
| In office 1968–1972 | |
| Preceded by | At-large delegation: Robert Munson |
| Succeeded by | Single-member district: |
| Born | May 28, 1906 Grant Parish, Louisiana |
| Died | November 26, 1976 (aged 70) |
| Resting place | Greenwood Memorial Park in Pineville, Louisiana |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democrat |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Louise Blum Brister |
| Children | Margaret Brister Allen Marlene Marie Brister Gough |
| Residence | Pineville, Louisiana |
| Alma mater | Completed third year of high school |
| Occupation | Woodcutter; |
| Religion | Southern Baptist |
Tennesse Chesmond Brister (April 11, 1896 – November 26, 1976) was a businessman from Pineville, Louisiana, who served as a state representative, a a Democrat for three non-consecutive terms during the administrations of Governors Sam Houston Jones, Earl Kemp Long, and John J. McKeithen, respectively.[1]
Career and family
The son of Allen Cicero Briste (1872-1956) and the former Mary Algerina Adams (1869-1944), Brister was a former woodcutter and the owner of a hardware and sporting goods store in Pineville,[2] Brister (The T C stood for nothing.) represented Rapides Parish, Louisiana from 1940 to 1944 and 1948 to 1952, when he served alongside Lawrence T. Fuglaar and W. George Bowdon, Jr., later the mayor of Alexandria from 1953 to 1969.[1]
In 1942, Brister, new to the House, was one of only five representatives to vote against Governor Sam Jones' proposal for a volunteer state guard. The bill was introduced by freshman legislator Chep Morrison, later the mayor of New Orleans and a three-time unsuccessful candidate for governor in 1956, 1960, and 1964. The bill carried the support of Bill Dodd of Allen Parish, later the one-term lieutenant governor from 1948 to 1952 and the two-term state education superintendent from 1964 to 1972. Brister explained that he opposed the measure not because of opposition to the Jones administration but because he believed the Federal Bureau of Investigation was better suited for handling wartime security issues.[3]
In his final term from 1968 to 1972, by which time he had retired from his business, Brister represented both Rapides and Grant parishes. A native of Grant Parish, Brister served along with W. K. Brown and R. W. "Buzzy" Graham,[1] an unsuccessful candidate for mayor of Alexandria in 1973 against John K. Snyder.[1]
Brister and his wife, the former Mary Louise Blum (1906-1996), had three daughters, Margaret Brister Allen and the twins, Marleen Brister Gough and Kathleen Brister Martin (1939-2000), a former bridal consultant in Mississippi who started her own crafts store, Designs from the Heart.[4]
Brister died the day after Thanksgiving Day in 1976. He and Mrs. Brister are interred at Greenwood Memorial Park in Pineville.[5]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Membership in the Louisiana House of Representatives, 1812–2024: Rapides Parish. house.Louisiana.gov. Retrieved on November 7, 2020.
- ↑ Former solon from Pineville to seek office. Lake Charles American-Press (June 14, 1967). Retrieved on November 7, 2020.
- ↑ Jerry Purvis Sanson (1999). Louisiana During World War II: Politics and Society, 1939–1945. Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Louisiana State University Press, 87–88. ISBN 0-8071-2308-0. Retrieved on November 8, 2020.
- ↑ Kathleen Ann Brister Martin. findagrave.com. Retrieved on November 7, 2020.
- ↑ Tennessee C. Brister. findagrave.com. Retrieved on November 7, 2020.
