W. Pat Jennings

William Pat Jennings ( born August 20, 1919 in Camp, Smyth County, Virginia; † 2 August 1994 in Marion, Virginia ) was an American politician. He represented the state of Virginia as a delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Career

Pat Jennings was born on August 20, 1919 on a farm in Smyth County, where he attended public school. Then he made in 1941 his Bachelor of Science at Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg. During the Second World War he undertook in July 1941 in the U.S. Army. He served first two years in the United States, followed by two more years in Europe and eventually a half years in the 29th Infantry as platoon leader, company commander and operations officer. After that, he was instructor of the Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Illinois. He was then discharged at the rank of Major in May 1946. After that, he was an automotive and farm equipment dealer in Marion from 1946 until his death. He was also active in the livestock.

Jennings was a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions of 1952, 1956, 1960 and 1968. Moreover, he was elected in 1947 to the sheriff of Smyth County and in 1951 re-election. He practiced this activity until 1954. Thereafter, he was elected as a Democrat to the 84th and the five subsequent Congresses. His term as the representative of the ninth constituency of Virginia amounted January 3, 1955 to January 3, 1967. He stood as a candidate in 1966 for the 90th Congress, but failed. From 10 January 1967 until his resignation on 15 November 1975, he held in succession to Ralph R. Roberts administrative post of Clerk in Repräsententantenhaus. After Jennings was still president of the slurry Transport Association.

In his tenure in Congress as a delegate, he participated at the 1956 Constitution of the Southern Manifesto, which spoke out against racial integration in public institutions.