James H. "Jimmy" Wilson
| James H. "Jimmy" Wilson | |
|---|---|
| Louisiana State Representative from northern Caddo and Bossier parishes (District 1) | |
|
In office 1972–1976 |
|
| Preceded by | At-large delegation: Don W. Williamson |
| Succeeded by | Bruce Newton Lynn, I |
| Mayor of Vivian, Louisiana | |
|
In office 1966–1972 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
January 31, 1931 Carlsbad, Eddy County New Mexico, USA |
| Died | November 19, 1986 (aged 55) |
| Political party | Democratic-turned-Republican (1978) |
| Spouse(s) |
Divorced from: |
| Children |
All from first marriage: |
| Alma mater |
Vivian High School |
| Occupation | Businessman; Banker |
Divorced from:
(1) Joan Quinby Wilson
All from first marriage:
Hamilton Paul Wilson, II
James Michael Wilson
Amanda Wilson Murry
Vivian High School
James H. Wilson (January 31, 1931 – November 19, 1986), known as Jimmy Wilson, was a pro-business Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1972 to 1976, who is most remembered in politics for having switched affiliation to the Republican Party in 1978 and then coming within 266 disputed votes of winning a historically Democratic seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Wilson was born in Carlsbad, the seat of Eddy County in southeastern New Mexico, to Louisianans Hamilton Paul and Lola C. Wilson. He was reared in Vivian in northern Caddo Parish and graduated in 1949 from Vivian High School, now North Caddo High School. Thereafter, he entered the U.S. Army, attained the rank of sergeant, and served during the Korean War. After military service, he obtained a bachelor's degree in 1954, from Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, where he was a member of Kappa Sigma.
A successful businessman, Wilson owned two supermarkets, including the Big Star in Vivian, and he was chairman of the board of the state-chartered Citizens Bank and Trust Company of Vivian, which also has a Shreveport branch. Wilson helped to form the Peoples Bank & Trust Company of Blanchard in Caddo Parish in 1972. While a conflict of interest by virtue of his activities with the bank in Vivian prevented him from serving on the board in Blanchard as well, he did own stock in the Blanchard bank, and as a legislator he was able to get the state charter approved. Wilson was a Shriner.
...
Wikipedia