William Jennings "Bill" Cleveland, Sr. | |
---|---|
Louisiana House of Representatives from Acadia Parish | |
In office 1944–1956 |
|
Preceded by |
Angelos Chaisson |
Succeeded by |
E. C. Frémaux |
In office 1956–1964 |
|
Preceded by |
Edward M. Boagni, Jr. |
Succeeded by | Edwin Edwards |
Personal details | |
Born |
Lena Station, Rapides Parish Louisiana, USA |
October 19, 1902
Died | December 16, 1974 New Orleans, Louisiana |
(aged 72)
Resting place | Woodlawn Cemetery in Crowley, Louisiana |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) |
(1) Willie Mae Dean Cleveland (divorced) |
Relations | Pap Dean (nephew by marriage) |
Children |
From first marriage: |
Parents | Thomas E. and Ella Surelle Cleveland |
Residence | Crowley, Louisiana |
Occupation | Real estate developer |
Angelos Chaisson
E. C. Frémaux
Edward M. Boagni, Jr.
(1) Willie Mae Dean Cleveland (divorced)
From first marriage:
Willie Mae "Billie" Cleveland Fulkerson
Ella Florence Cleveland
William Jennings Cleveland, Jr.
Children from second marriage:
Doris Anne Cleveland Stark
Thomas William Cleveland
William Jennings Cleveland, Sr., known as Bill Cleveland (October 19, 1902 – December 16, 1974), was a real estate developer from Crowley, Louisiana, who served as a Democrat from 1944 to 1964 in both houses, consecutively, of the Louisiana State Legislature. Cleveland is best known for having been defeated in his bid for a third term in the Louisiana State Senate by fellow Crowley Democrat Edwin Edwards, a lawyer who subsequently served less than two years in that body but in time became his state's only four-term governor.
From 1944 to 1956, Cleveland represented his adopted Acadia Parish in the Louisiana House of Representatives. From 1956 to 1964, he was a state senator for two terms from Acadia Parish. In the first term, he also represented neighboring St. Landry Parish.
In 1959, Cleveland was acting governor for a day for the observance in Baton Rouge by the Men's Goodwill Tour of the 250th anniversary of the founding of Marksville, the seat of government of Avoyelles Parish.
Cleveland was a delegate to the 1952 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, which assembled the Stevenson-Sparkman ticket, which won the ten electoral votes of Louisiana that year. He was subsequently an alternate delegate to the 1968 Democratic National Convention, which also met in Chicago to nominate the Humphrey-Muskie slate. However, the Louisiana electoral votes in 1968 went to George Wallace of Alabama on the American Independent Party ticket.