J. Percy Priest

Percy Priest
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 5th district
In office January 3, 1953 – October 12, 1956
Preceded by	Joe L. Evins
Succeeded by	J. Carlton Loser
In office January 3, 1941 – January 3, 1943
Preceded by	Jo Byrns Jr.
Succeeded by	Jim Nance McCord
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 6th district
In office January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1953
Preceded by	W. Wirt Courtney
Succeeded by	James Patrick Sutton
Personal details
Born	(1900-04-01)April 1, 1900 Maury County, Tennessee
Died	October 12, 1956(1956-10-12) (aged 56) Nashville, Tennessee
Political party	Independent Democrat Democratic

James Percy Priest (April 1, 1900 – October 12, 1956) was an American teacher, journalist and politician who represented Tennessee in the United States House of Representatives from 1941 until his death.

Priest was born in Maury County, Tennessee. He attended Central High School in Columbia, and afterward continued his education at State Teachers' College in Murfreesboro (now Middle Tennessee State University), and the former Peabody College in Nashville. He taught school in Culleoka, in his native Maury County, from 1920 until 1926, when he joined the editorial staff of the Nashville Tennessean.

In 1940, Priest was encouraged to run for the United States House of Representatives as an independent in Tennessee's 5th congressional district, which was, then as now, based in Nashville. He won in an upset, defeating the incumbent, one-term Democratic Congressman Jo Byrns, Jr. Upon swearing-in, he immediately joined the Democratic caucus, and was reelected seven times. The district was renumbered the 6th District in 1943 and became the 5th once again in 1953. He served as the House majority whip between 1949 and 1953. Priest was one of three Democrats in the Tennessee House delegation who did not sign the Southern Manifesto, the others being Joe Evins and Ross Bass.

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