A. C. Clemons
| A. C. "Ace" Clemons, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Louisiana State Senator for Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, and Jeff Davis parishes | |
| Preceded by | Arsene Stewart |
| Succeeded by | Robert Gambrell "Bob" Jones |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
April 16, 1921 Harris County, Texas |
| Died | October 19, 1992 (aged 71) Houston, Texas |
| Resting place | Greenwood Cemetery in Jennings, Louisiana |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democrat-turned-Republican (1970) |
| Spouse(s) | Mai Patterson Clemons |
| Children | Two daughters |
| Alma mater | Vinton High School in Vinton, Louisiana |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | United States Army Air Forces |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
A. C. "Ace" Clemons, Jr. (April 16, 1921 – October 19, 1992), was the first Republican to serve in the Louisiana State Senate since Reconstruction, after he switched his party affiliation in 1970, during his term. However, he was never elected to office as a Republican.
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. This was part of the Acadiana region, made up of twenty-two parishes.
During and after Reconstruction, African Americans made up most of the membership of the Republican Party in Louisiana, and they were largely disenfranchised by the state at the turn of the 20th century. Following a trend among southern conservative white Democrats after federal civil rights legislation restored the ability of African Americans to vote in the region, Clemons switched his political affiliation in January 1970 to Republican and served under that affiliation during his final two years in the state Senate.
Named after his father, A. C. Clemons was born in 1921 to A.C., Sr., and Ance Clemons in the area known as "Hobby" because of its proximity to the Hobby Airport in Harris County near Houston, Texas. His family moved to Vinton near Lake Charles in Calcasieu (pronounced CAL CAH SHEW) Parish, where Clemons graduated from Vinton High School.
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