Changes

|resting_place=Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery in [[Dallas]], Texas

|resting_place=Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery in [[Dallas]], Texas

|spouse=(1) Joza "Lou" Bullington Tower (married 1952-1976, divorced)<br>

|spouse=(1) Joza "Lou" Bullington Tower (married 1952-1976, divorced)<br>

(2) Lila Burt Cummings Tower (married 1977-1986, divorced)

(2) Lila Burt Cummings Tower (married 1977-1987, divorced)

|religion=[[United Methodist]]

|religion=[[United Methodist]]

|children=Penny (born 1954)<br>

|children=Penny Cook (born 1954)<br>

Marian (1955–1991)<br>

Marian Tower (1955–1991)<br>

Jeanne (born 1956)

Jeanne Cox (born 1956)

|occupation=[[Political science]] [[professor]]<br>

|occupation=[[Political science]] [[professor]]<br>

Political consultant

Political consultant

|party=[[Democratic Party|Democrat]]-turned-[[Republican Party|Republican]] (1951)

|party=[[Democratic Party|Democrat]]-turned-[[Republican Party|Republican]] (1948 or 1951)

|office=[[United States Senator]] from [[Texas]]

|office=[[United States Senator]] from [[Texas]]

|term_start=June 15, 1961  

|term_start=June 15, 1961  

==Surprise death==

==Surprise death==

Tower was first married to the former Joza "Lou" Bullington (1920-2001), a [[California]] native who was five years his senior and a distant cousin of former Texas Republican gubernatorial nominee Orville Bullington of Wichita Falls. The Towers resided in Wichita Falls in the early years of their marriage while she was their church pianist and taught music, and he was a political science professor at Midwestern State University. After he became senator, they relocated to Dallas. The couple had three daughters. Lou campaigned vigorously for her husband in the elections of 1961, 1966, and 1972. In 1977, the year after his divorce from Lou, John Tower wed the former Lila Burt Cummings, from whom he was also divorced in a bitter split in 1987.

Tower was first married to the former Joza "Lou" Bullington (1920-2001), a [[California]] native who was five years his senior and was their church pianist and taught music. Lou was a distant cousin of the 1932 Texas Republican gubernatorial nominee, Orville Bullington, also of Wichita Falls. The Towers resided in Wichita Falls in the early years of their marriage while he was a political science professor at Midwestern State University. After he became senator, they relocated to Dallas. The couple had three daughters. Lou campaigned vigorously for her husband in the elections of 1961, 1966, and 1972 and was warmly received throughout the state. In 1977, the year after his divorce from Lou, John Tower wed the former Lila Burt Cummings, from whom he was also divorced in a bitter split in 1987.

Tower died with his middle daughter, Marian, in the 1991 crash of Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 2311 in Brunswick, Georgia, while the two were on a promotional tour for Tower's ''Consequences: A Personal and Political Memoir'', published a few months before the crash.

Tower died with his middle daughter, Marian, in the 1991 crash of Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 2311 in Brunswick, Georgia, while the two were on a promotional tour for Tower's ''Consequences: A Personal and Political Memoir'', published a few months before the crash.