Al Ater
| Alan Ray Ater | |
|---|---|
| Louisiana State Representative from District 21 (now Concordia, East Carroll, Madison, and Tensas parishes) | |
|
In office 1984–1992 |
|
| Preceded by | William B. Atkins |
| Succeeded by | Bryant Hammett |
| Acting Louisiana Secretary of State | |
|
In office July 2005 – November 2006 |
|
| Preceded by | Fox McKeithen |
| Succeeded by | Jay Dardenne |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
December 15, 1953 Decatur, Illinois |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) |
|
| Children |
Whitney Lauren Ater |
| Parents | Donald Edward and Ruth LaVonne Chapman Ater |
| Residence | Ferriday, Concordia Parish, Louisiana, USA |
| Alma mater |
Huntington High School |
| Occupation | Farmer; Businessman |
| Religion | United Methodist |
Whitney Lauren Ater
Thomas Alan Ater
Huntington High School
Alan Ray Ater (born December 15, 1953), known as Al Ater, is a farmer and businessman from Ferriday, Louisiana, who served from 1984-1992 as a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 21 in the eastern portion of his state. He served as interim secretary of state from 2005 through November 2006, and was praised for his handling of the New Orleans mayoral primary in early 2006, when the city was still disrupted from the effects of Hurricane Katrina.
A native of Decatur, Illinois, Ater was the youngest of five children of Donald Edward Ater (1923–1974) and the former Ruth LaVonne Chapman (December 16, 1920–October 28, 2004), both Illinois natives. His four older siblings are Marcia Kay, Donald Willard, Lynette, and Edward William Ater.
Their mother Ruth Chapman attended Lindenwood College for Women in St. Charles, Missouri. The Aters married, farmed in the area about Cisco, Illinois, and owned International Harvester dealerships in Kankanee and Oreana, Illinois.
In 1957, the Aters purchased the Coola Coosa Plantation near Tallulah on Lake St. John, an oxbow lake on the Mississippi River and moved to Louisiana. They founded and operated Ater Warehouse, Inc., and the Don Ater Chevrolet dealership in Ferriday. While the Aters resided in Tallulah, the seat of Madison Parish, Mrs. Ater became involved in the American National Cattlewomen's Organization, formerly the CowBelles. She was both Madison Parish and the statewide president of the organization. In 1975, as the national CowBelles president, she organized and chartered groups in thirteen states and spoke at state conventions in thirty-nine states. She headed the committee that wrote the history of the organization. Mrs. Ater was one of three women inducted into the Louisiana Spur Club for contributions to the cattle industry. After the death of her first husband Donald Ater, Ruth married Fred Joseph Wedam (1916–1991) of Klamath Falls, Oregon. She lived with him there until after his death. She returned to Ferriday for her final years.
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Wikipedia