John H. Overton

John Holmes Overton ( born September 17, 1875 in Marksville, Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, † May 14, 1948 in Bethesda, Maryland ) was an American politician (Democratic Party), who represented the state of Louisiana in both chambers of Congress.

Legal profession

John Overton was the youngest son of a judge. He took his degree in 1895 at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, and in 1897 began to Tulane University in New Orleans, after which he was admitted to the bar of Louisiana in 1898 and to practice with four partners in a common law firm in Alexandria. He also served as a trial lawyer of this city. He also served on the Board of Directors (Board of Supervisors ) of the Louisiana State University. With his wife, Ada, whom he married in 1905, he had three daughters and a son.

1918 Overton applied himself to his first political office, but lost the Democratic primary for the election to the U.S. Senate against Edward James Gay. As a result, he became a follower of Huey Long, the leading Democratic politicians of Louisiana at this time. Overton was Governor Long in 1929 as legal adviser to the side, as this threatened impeachment.

Congressman and Senator

After the death of Mr James Benjamin Aswell on March 16, 1931 Overton won the election due in the eighth congressional district of Louisiana and moved on 12 May of the same year, a House of Representatives of the United States. This he left on March 3, 1933, after he had decided the election for U.S. Senator for themselves. He sat down in the primaries of his party against incumbent Edwin S. Broussard by, the accused Overton electoral fraud. Although the Senate convened a committee of inquiry; But Overton won to take his seat on March 4, 1933. He had won because of that weakness of the Republicans in the South unopposed The actual choice.

In the years 1938 and 1944 he was re-elected each, with only 1938 with the Independent Maurice Clark took another candidate, but does not make it past a vote share of 0.17 per cent. Before the elections of 1944 Overton thought about a waiver, but was urged by his Co - Senator Allen J. Ellender in a letter to a renewed bid. This letter was signed by the entire Senate Democratic faction. Overton's political interest in the Senate was mainly questions of flood protection and the development of rivers and harbors. He was also a supporter of racial segregation. So he sat down in 1940 against an amendment to the Selective Service Act one, according to which it would have been minorities allowed to voluntarily join the military; he wanted to prevent multiracial units.

John Overton was not able to finish his fourth term in the Senate. He died on May 14, 1948 Bethesda Naval Hospital and was buried in Pineville. In 1998 he was inducted posthumously into the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame in Winnfield. His house in Alexandria since 1985 is on the National Register of Historic Places.

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