A. C. Clemons
Encyclopedia
A.C. "Ace" Clemons, Jr. (April 16, 1921 – October 19, 1992), was the first Republican
to have served in the Louisiana State Senate
since Reconstruction. Clemons was elected as a Democrat
in 1960, 1964, and 1968 from what is now District 14 in southwestern Louisiana
, which then included portions of five parishes: Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, and Jefferson Davis. He switched his political affiliation in January 1970 in his final two years in the state Senate.
, Houston, Texas
. He moved to Vinton
near Lake Charles
in Calcasieu Parish, where he graduated from Vinton High School
.
During World War II
, Clemons attained the rank of captain in the United States Air Force
.
In 1947, Clemons founded Service Truck Lines in Jennings
, the seat of Jefferson Davis Parish. He was a past president of the Louisiana Motor Transportation Association and a regional vice president of the American Trucking Association. He served on the national advisory council of the Salk
Institute. He was a member of the Masonic lodge
.
James Satterfield, the winner of a special election in New Orleans for a two-year term, were the only Republicans among the 144 members of both legislative chambers.
During his second and third terms, Clemons served with the conservative Democrat Jesse Monroe Knowles
(1919–2006) of Lake Charles
, the seat of Calcasieu Parish. Clemons' successor was Robert Gambrell "Bob" Jones, the son of former Governor
Sam Houston Jones. Knowles and Jones later switched to the GOP
but after they had ended their political careers.
As a senator, Clemons, along with a Louisiana House of Representatives
colleague, William Boyd of Lake Charles, was an early leader in the fight to bring official recognition and licensing for chiropractors in Louisiana. Boyd was himself a chiropractor.
Cemons did not seek reelection in the 1971-1972 cycle, and Satterfield was defeated for a full term in the state House. Clemons considered becoming a gubernatorial candidate but instead deferred to Jefferson Parish attorney
David C. Treen
, the choice of GOP leaders. Treen polled nearly 43 percent of the vote in the 1972 general election
against the successful Democrat, then U.S. Representative Edwin Washington Edwards of Crowley
, the seat of Acadia Parish. Edwards would ultimately serve four nonconsecutive terms as governor, and Treen held the highest position from 1980 to 1984.
Clemons announced late in 1971 that he was considering running for the U.S. House seat being vacated by Edwards, but he did not file for the special election, handily won by Edwards' aide, John Breaux
, also of Crowley.
The first Republican actually elected to the Louisiana State Senate since Reconstruction was Edwards Barham
of Oak Ridge
in Morehouse Parish north of Monroe
in northeastern Louisiana, who served a single term from 1976 to 1980.
. There were two daughters who were then residing in California
. Services were held in the First United Methodist Church of Jennings. Clemons is interred at Greenwood Cemetery
in Jennings.
The next Republican to hold the Clemons Senate seat, with some modification of the district, was Gerald J. Theunissen, a banker from Jennings.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to have served in the Louisiana State Senate
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
since Reconstruction. Clemons was elected as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
in 1960, 1964, and 1968 from what is now District 14 in southwestern Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, which then included portions of five parishes: Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, and Jefferson Davis. He switched his political affiliation in January 1970 in his final two years in the state Senate.
Early years and business
Clemons was born to A.C., Sr., and Ance Clemons in the area known as "Hobby" because of its proximity to the Hobby Airport in Harris CountyHarris County, Texas
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 4,092,459, White Americans made up 56.6% of Harris County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 33.0% of the population. Black Americans made up 18.9% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.7% of Harris County's population...
, Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. He moved to Vinton
Vinton, Louisiana
Vinton is a town in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 3,338 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History of Vinton:...
near Lake Charles
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...
in Calcasieu Parish, where he graduated from Vinton High School
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Clemons attained the rank of captain in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
.
In 1947, Clemons founded Service Truck Lines in Jennings
Jennings, Louisiana
Jennings is a small city in and the parish seat of Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana, United States, near Lake Charles. The population was 10,986 at the 2000 census....
, the seat of Jefferson Davis Parish. He was a past president of the Louisiana Motor Transportation Association and a regional vice president of the American Trucking Association. He served on the national advisory council of the Salk
Jonas Salk
Jonas Edward Salk was an American medical researcher and virologist, best known for his discovery and development of the first safe and effective polio vaccine. He was born in New York City to parents from Ashkenazi Jewish Russian immigrant families...
Institute. He was a member of the Masonic lodge
Masonic Lodge
This article is about the Masonic term for a membership group. For buildings named Masonic Lodge, see Masonic Lodge A Masonic Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge, is the basic organisation of Freemasonry...
.
State senate service
At the time of his defection, Clemons and State RepresentativeLouisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
James Satterfield, the winner of a special election in New Orleans for a two-year term, were the only Republicans among the 144 members of both legislative chambers.
During his second and third terms, Clemons served with the conservative Democrat Jesse Monroe Knowles
Jesse Knowles
Jesse Monroe Knowles was a Lake Charles, businessman, civic leader, former member of both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature from Calcasieu Parish, and a survivor of the Bataan Death March in World War II....
(1919–2006) of Lake Charles
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...
, the seat of Calcasieu Parish. Clemons' successor was Robert Gambrell "Bob" Jones, the son of former Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Sam Houston Jones. Knowles and Jones later switched to the GOP
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
but after they had ended their political careers.
As a senator, Clemons, along with a Louisiana House of Representatives
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
colleague, William Boyd of Lake Charles, was an early leader in the fight to bring official recognition and licensing for chiropractors in Louisiana. Boyd was himself a chiropractor.
Cemons did not seek reelection in the 1971-1972 cycle, and Satterfield was defeated for a full term in the state House. Clemons considered becoming a gubernatorial candidate but instead deferred to Jefferson Parish attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
David C. Treen
David C. Treen
David Conner "Dave" Treen, Sr. , was an American attorney and politician from Mandeville, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana – the first Republican Governor of the U.S. state of Louisiana since Reconstruction. He was the first Republican in modern times to have served in the U.S...
, the choice of GOP leaders. Treen polled nearly 43 percent of the vote in the 1972 general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
against the successful Democrat, then U.S. Representative Edwin Washington Edwards of Crowley
Crowley, Louisiana
Crowley is a city in and the parish seat of Acadia Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 14,225 at the 2000 census. The city is noted for its annual International Rice Festival. Crowley has the nickname of "Rice Capital of America", because at one time it was a major center for...
, the seat of Acadia Parish. Edwards would ultimately serve four nonconsecutive terms as governor, and Treen held the highest position from 1980 to 1984.
Clemons announced late in 1971 that he was considering running for the U.S. House seat being vacated by Edwards, but he did not file for the special election, handily won by Edwards' aide, John Breaux
John Breaux
John Berlinger Breaux is a former United States senator from Louisiana who served from 1987 until 2005. He was also a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1972 to 1987. He was considered one of the more conservative national legislators from the Democratic Party...
, also of Crowley.
The first Republican actually elected to the Louisiana State Senate since Reconstruction was Edwards Barham
Edwards Barham
Erle Edwards Barham is an American farmer and conservationist in Oak Ridge, a village in Morehouse Parish in north Louisiana, best known for having been the first Republican elected—by a 29-vote margin—to the Louisiana State Senate since the era of Reconstruction. Barham represented the...
of Oak Ridge
Oak Ridge, Louisiana
Oak Ridge is a village in Morehouse Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 142 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bastrop Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Oak Ridge is located at ....
in Morehouse Parish north of Monroe
Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 51,208, but 51,636...
in northeastern Louisiana, who served a single term from 1976 to 1980.
Death in Houston
Clemons was a member of the St. Luke United Methodist Church of Houston, where he and his wife, the former Mai Patterson (born 1930), resided at the time of his death. Clemons died in a Houston hospitalHospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
. There were two daughters who were then residing in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Services were held in the First United Methodist Church of Jennings. Clemons is interred at Greenwood Cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
in Jennings.
The next Republican to hold the Clemons Senate seat, with some modification of the district, was Gerald J. Theunissen, a banker from Jennings.