Jesse Bankston
| Jesse Homer Bankston Sr. | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Member, secretary, and chairman of the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education from Louisiana's 6th congressional district | |
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In office 1968–1996 |
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| Member and former chairman of the Louisiana State Democratic Central Committee | |
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In office 1960–2010 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
October 7, 1907 Mount Hermon, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | November 25, 2010 (aged 103) Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Ruth Paine Bankston (marriede ca. 1938–1997, her death) |
| Children | Dale Leon Bankston Larry S. Bankston Jesse Bankston, Jr. Shirley Bankston Newsham |
| Alma mater | University of North Carolina |
| Occupation |
Hospital consultant |
Hospital consultant
Jesse Homer Bankston Sr. (October 7, 1907 – November 25, 2010) was a politician within the Democratic Party of Louisiana, a businessman, and, at his death at the age of 103, a member of the board of Louisiana Public Broadcasting.
Bankston became involved in a dispute in 1959 with Governor Earl Kemp Long which led to Bankston's dismissal as the director of the State Department of Hospitals. Long's estranged wife, Blanche Revere Long, had committed him to the Southeast Louisiana (Mental) Hospital in Mandeville.
Long ordered Bankston, an otherwise loyal supporter, to discharge him, but Bankston refused because he believed that Long needed treatment; his recent behavior had been erratic. With the affirmation of Lieutenant Governor Lether Frazar, Attorney General Jack P.F. Gremillion, and the Senate President Pro Tempore, Long fired Bankston and replaced him with a pliable supporter, who immediately took steps to release the governor from the hospital. During this confrontation, Bankston was also at odds with his political ally, State Senator Sixty Rayburn of Bogalusa in Washington Parish, who remained steadfast to Long.
In June 2007, the Louisiana State Legislature in a joint resolution congratulated Bankston on his upcoming 100th birthday. The legislators described Bankston as a "political icon" and a "mover and shaker with nearly seventy years of experience in the public arena."
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Wikipedia