Dave Treen
| Dave Treen | |
|---|---|
David Treen-Congressional Photo Directory, 1977
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| 51st Governor of Louisiana | |
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In office March 10, 1980 – March 12, 1984 |
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| Lieutenant | Bobby Freeman |
| Preceded by | Edwin Edwards |
| Succeeded by | Edwin Edwards |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana's 3rd District |
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In office January 3, 1973 – March 10, 1980 |
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| Preceded by | Patrick T. Caffery |
| Succeeded by | Billy Tauzin |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
David Conner Treen July 16, 1928 Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | October 29, 2009 (aged 81) Metairie, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Resting place | Saint Timothy United Methodist Church Memorial Garden, Mandeville, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Political party |
Republican (1962–2009) Democratic (until 1962) |
| Other political affiliations |
States' Rights (1960) |
| Spouse(s) | Dolores Brisbi "Dodi" Treen (married 1951–2005, her death) |
| Children | Jennifer Treen Neville Dr. David C. Treen, Jr. Cynthia Treen Lunceford |
| Alma mater | Tulane University (BA, JD) |
| Profession | Attorney |
| Religion | United Methodist |
| Website | Official Biography |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Air Force
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| Years of service | 1951–1952 |
| Battles/wars | Korean War |
David Conner "Dave" Treen, Sr. (July 16, 1928 – October 29, 2009), was an American attorney and politician from Mandeville, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. In 1979 he was elected as the first Republican Governor of the U.S. state of Louisiana since Reconstruction. It was a sign of changing party affiliations among white conservatives in the state, who have comprised a majority of the population since at least 1900. In 1972 Treen was the first Republican elected in modern times from this state to the U.S. House of Representatives.
The long absence of Republicans from state positions, from the turn of the century through much of the 1960s, was due to the party having been hollowed out by the Democrats passing a new constitution in 1898 that disenfranchised most African Americans in the state, who made up 47% of the population in 1900. But by 1900, two years after the new constitution, only 5,320 black voters were registered in the state, despite their advances in education and literacy. They had constituted the majority of Republican Party members in the 19th century after gaining the franchise as freedmen and citizens in the post-Civil War years.
Treen served as governor from 1980–84. He lost his bid in 1983 for reelection to his popular long-time rival, Democrat Edwin Edwards, who was returning after two previous terms. Treen had earlier been elected to Congress in 1972, serving from 1973-80. Treen grew up as a Democrat, but joined the Republican Party in 1962. At the time, there were about 10,000 registered Republicans in the state; African Americans, who had previously made up most of the party members, were still mostly disenfranchised. By the time of Treen's death in 2009, only a few other living Louisiana Republicans had exceeded his length of tenure in the Republican Party.
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