E.D. Gleason
Encyclopedia
Ernest Dewey Gleason, known as E. D. Gleason (September 9, 1899—July 25, 1959), was a Democratic
member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
from the Evergreen Community near Minden
in Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana
. Gleason served from 1952 until his death at the end of his second term. He was briefly succeeded in office by his widow, Mary Smith Gleason
(1899–1967), who was appointed for the remaining eight months by then Governor Earl Kemp Long.
Gleason was born in Shongaloo
in central Webster Parish to William Thomas Gleason (February 18, 1868—September 14, 1947) and the former Annie Craton (April 15, 1877—February 18, 1952). He graduated in 1918 from Cotton Valley High School in nearby Cotton Valley
, north of Minden. He worked in Caddo Parish from 1919–1935, when he began to manage his own farm in Evergreen. He was subsequently named vice president of the Webster Parish Farm Bureau.
He ran unsuccessfully in 1944 for the Webster Parish Police Jury, having been defeated by a 20-vote margin by the incumbent
J.L. Munn, who served from 1936-1952. After the police jury candidacy, the Gleasons lost one of their three sons, Thomas D. Gleason (August 7, 1924—November 17, 1944), to hostile action in the United States Army Air Corps
during World War II
.
In 1947, Gleason joined Minden accountant Larkin L. Greer (1902–1991) and attorney Floyd D. Culbertson, Jr.
, who had been the mayor of Minden from 1940–1942, as co-chairmen of the Webster Parish "Kennon Club" to support Robert F. Kennon
for governor of Louisiana. Kennon, also a former mayor of Minden, however, was eliminated in the Democratic primary. Former Governor Earl Long defeated another former governor, Sam Houston Jones, to return to office in 1948.
Gleason was elected to succeed interim Representative Lizzie P. Thompson
of Doyline
, who also had been appointed by Governor Long when her husband, Representative C.W. Thompson
, died in office in 1951. In his successful legislative race, Gleason ran newspaper advertising on the theme "Better Highways". As a lawmaker, Gleason worked alongside the Bossier-Webster state senators, John J. Doles, Sr.
, a banker from Plain Dealing
, and Herman "Wimpy" Jones
, a business
man from Bossier City
and Minden. As representative, Gleason worked for an extra judgeship for the 26th Judicial District, the construction of a new National Guard armory on Constable Street in Minden, expansion of the Cotton Valley oil field, and several highway projects. In 1956, Gleason won reelection by defeating Dr. Paul M. Campbell, who resigned from the Minden City Council in order to challenge the representative. Two other candidates, including B.C. Eeds of Cullen
and the Minden barber
Homer D. Acklen (1907–1981), also contested the election.
Gleason introduced a bill for a new one-cent state sales tax
earmarked for teacher salaries. Governor Earl Long voiced opposition to the tax, but Gleason said that he believed Long would reverse himself if sufficient public support for the tax increase developed among the electorate. He also supported segregation
, as did most Louisiana lawmakers at the time of the civil rights movement
. Gleason also supported a bill to make liability insurance
compulsory. Gleason supported right-to-work legislation, his view having been that workers should not be forced into union membership. He also favored old-age pensions and expanded farm-to-market roads.
Gleason filed for a third term in 1959 but died of a heart attack
in the Minden Sanitarium three months later. Services were held at the Evergreen Baptist
Church. Interment was at Minden Cemetery
. In addition to his wife, he was survived by two other sons, William Ernest "Cotton" Gleason (born ca. 1919), an educator who taught at Minden High School
, relocated to Plaquemine
, and later returned to Evergreen, and Charles E. Gleason of Shreveport
; a brother, Raleigh R. Gleason of Minden, and a sister, Gladys G. McGritinsey of Shreveport
Mrs. Gleason did not contest the seat in the primary held in December 1959. Instead, son William Gleason filed for the position. He ran moderately well in the Democratic primary but finished in fourth place, thirty-one votes behind Minden businessman Frank B. Treat, Jr. (1923–1994), the third-place candidate. The coveted runoff berths went to Parey P. Branton, a former president of the Webster Parish School Board, and the Minden attorney and businessman Henry G. Hobbs. Hobbs led Branton in the primary, 1,634-1504, but in the runoff, Branton, a Shongaloo businessman, prevailed by 16 ballots: 4,300 votes (50.01 percent) to 4,284 (49.99 percent). Branton carried only two of the five wards in the parish to take the seat. Branton was then elected without Republican
opposition in the April 19, 1960, general election
and held the seat until 1972, though Hobbs, longtime president of the Webster Parish Library Board, ran unsuccessfully for the position several more times.
Thereafter, William E. "Cotton" Gleason was arrested in 1961 for having given barbiturate
s known as "Yellow Jackets" to at least two female students at Minden High School
. On February 2, 1962, he received a $1,000 fine and a two-year sentence, both suspended. Four months later he was pardon
ed by Governor Jimmie Davis
. After his arrest, Gleason resigned from Minden High School. He then hired Shreveport attorney Whitfield Jack, brother of his late father's House colleague, Wellborn Jack, to procure reinstatement, having claimed that his resignation was under emotional duress. However, Gleason was not reemployed by the Webster Parish School Board.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
from the Evergreen Community near Minden
Minden, Louisiana
Minden is a city in the American state of Louisiana. It serves as the parish seat of Webster Parish and is located twenty-eight miles east of Shreveport, the seat of Caddo Parish. The population, which has been stable since 1960, was 13,027 at the 2000 census...
in Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. Gleason served from 1952 until his death at the end of his second term. He was briefly succeeded in office by his widow, Mary Smith Gleason
Mary Smith Gleason
Mary Smith Gleason was an interim Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Webster Parish, who served from 1959–1960, after the death in office of her husband, E.D. Gleason.Mrs...
(1899–1967), who was appointed for the remaining eight months by then Governor Earl Kemp Long.
Gleason was born in Shongaloo
Shongaloo, Louisiana
Shongaloo is a village in Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States.West of Shongaloo on Louisiana Highway 2 is Munn Hill, a homestead of Daniel and Rebecca Munn, established on July 26, 1900....
in central Webster Parish to William Thomas Gleason (February 18, 1868—September 14, 1947) and the former Annie Craton (April 15, 1877—February 18, 1952). He graduated in 1918 from Cotton Valley High School in nearby Cotton Valley
Cotton Valley, Louisiana
Cotton Valley is a town in central Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,189 at the 2000 census. It is located some twenty miles northwest of the parish seat of Minden.-Overview:-Municipal matters:...
, north of Minden. He worked in Caddo Parish from 1919–1935, when he began to manage his own farm in Evergreen. He was subsequently named vice president of the Webster Parish Farm Bureau.
He ran unsuccessfully in 1944 for the Webster Parish Police Jury, having been defeated by a 20-vote margin by the incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
J.L. Munn, who served from 1936-1952. After the police jury candidacy, the Gleasons lost one of their three sons, Thomas D. Gleason (August 7, 1924—November 17, 1944), to hostile action in the United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
In 1947, Gleason joined Minden accountant Larkin L. Greer (1902–1991) and attorney Floyd D. Culbertson, Jr.
Floyd D. Culbertson, Jr.
Floyd Douglas Culbertson, Jr. served from 1940-1942 as the mayor of Minden, a small city in Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana.-Biography:Culbertson graduated at the age of nineteen in 1927 from Minden High School...
, who had been the mayor of Minden from 1940–1942, as co-chairmen of the Webster Parish "Kennon Club" to support Robert F. Kennon
Robert F. Kennon
Robert Floyd Kennon, Sr., known as Bob Kennon , was the 48th Governor of Louisiana, serving from 1952-1956. He failed to win a second non-consecutive term in the 1963 Democratic primary....
for governor of Louisiana. Kennon, also a former mayor of Minden, however, was eliminated in the Democratic primary. Former Governor Earl Long defeated another former governor, Sam Houston Jones, to return to office in 1948.
Gleason was elected to succeed interim Representative Lizzie P. Thompson
Lizzie P. Thompson
Lizzie Price Thompson completed the term of her husband, C.W. Thompson, in the Louisiana House of Representatives, having served as the Webster Parish lawmaker from 1951-1952. Thompson died in the seventh year of his legislative service, and Governor Earl K. Long appointed Mrs. Thompson to finish...
of Doyline
Doyline, Louisiana
Doyline is a village in southwestern Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 841 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Minden Micropolitan Statistical Area....
, who also had been appointed by Governor Long when her husband, Representative C.W. Thompson
C.W. Thompson
Clyde W. Thompson, known as C.W. Thompson , was a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives who served from 1944 until his death in office. He was briefly succeeded as representative by his widow, Lizzie P...
, died in office in 1951. In his successful legislative race, Gleason ran newspaper advertising on the theme "Better Highways". As a lawmaker, Gleason worked alongside the Bossier-Webster state senators, John J. Doles, Sr.
John J. Doles
John Jones Doles, Sr. , was a banker in Plain Dealing in northern Bossier Parish who served in the Louisiana State Senate from 1952 to 1956, the tenure corresponding with the administration of Governor Robert F. Kennon...
, a banker from Plain Dealing
Plain Dealing, Louisiana
Plain Dealing is a town in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, United States best known as the birthplace of former U.S. Representative Joe D. Waggonner, Jr. The population was 1,071 at the 2000 census...
, and Herman "Wimpy" Jones
Herman "Wimpy" Jones
Herman "Wimpy" Jones was a businessman who served as a Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate from Bossier and Webster parishes for a single term from 1956 to 1960...
, a business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
man from Bossier City
Bossier City, Louisiana
Bossier City is a city in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, United States.As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of 61,315. Bossier City is closely tied to its larger sister city Shreveport, located on the western bank of the Red River. The Shreveport-Bossier City metropolitan area is the...
and Minden. As representative, Gleason worked for an extra judgeship for the 26th Judicial District, the construction of a new National Guard armory on Constable Street in Minden, expansion of the Cotton Valley oil field, and several highway projects. In 1956, Gleason won reelection by defeating Dr. Paul M. Campbell, who resigned from the Minden City Council in order to challenge the representative. Two other candidates, including B.C. Eeds of Cullen
Cullen, Louisiana
Cullen is a town just south of Springhill in northern Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,296 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Minden Micropolitan Statistical Area....
and the Minden barber
Barber
A barber is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, and to shave or trim the beards of men. The place of work of a barber is generally called a barbershop....
Homer D. Acklen (1907–1981), also contested the election.
Gleason introduced a bill for a new one-cent state sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
earmarked for teacher salaries. Governor Earl Long voiced opposition to the tax, but Gleason said that he believed Long would reverse himself if sufficient public support for the tax increase developed among the electorate. He also supported segregation
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
, as did most Louisiana lawmakers at the time of the civil rights movement
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
. Gleason also supported a bill to make liability insurance
Liability insurance
Liability insurance is a part of the general insurance system of risk financing to protect the purchaser from the risks of liabilities imposed by lawsuits and similar claims. It protects the insured in the event he or she is sued for claims that come within the coverage of the insurance policy...
compulsory. Gleason supported right-to-work legislation, his view having been that workers should not be forced into union membership. He also favored old-age pensions and expanded farm-to-market roads.
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in the Minden Sanitarium three months later. Services were held at the Evergreen Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Church. Interment was at Minden Cemetery
Minden Cemetery
The Minden Cemetery, located in Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana, United States, has graves dating from 1843, seven years after the founding of the city in 1836...
. In addition to his wife, he was survived by two other sons, William Ernest "Cotton" Gleason (born ca. 1919), an educator who taught at Minden High School
Minden High School (Minden, Louisiana)
Minden High School is the public secondary educational institution in Minden, a small city of 13,000 and the seat of Webster Parish located twenty-eight miles east of Shreveport in northwestern Louisiana...
, relocated to Plaquemine
Plaquemine, Louisiana
Plaquemine is a city in and the parish seat of Iberville Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 7,064 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, and later returned to Evergreen, and Charles E. Gleason of Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
; a brother, Raleigh R. Gleason of Minden, and a sister, Gladys G. McGritinsey of Shreveport
Mrs. Gleason did not contest the seat in the primary held in December 1959. Instead, son William Gleason filed for the position. He ran moderately well in the Democratic primary but finished in fourth place, thirty-one votes behind Minden businessman Frank B. Treat, Jr. (1923–1994), the third-place candidate. The coveted runoff berths went to Parey P. Branton, a former president of the Webster Parish School Board, and the Minden attorney and businessman Henry G. Hobbs. Hobbs led Branton in the primary, 1,634-1504, but in the runoff, Branton, a Shongaloo businessman, prevailed by 16 ballots: 4,300 votes (50.01 percent) to 4,284 (49.99 percent). Branton carried only two of the five wards in the parish to take the seat. Branton was then elected without Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
opposition in the April 19, 1960, general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
and held the seat until 1972, though Hobbs, longtime president of the Webster Parish Library Board, ran unsuccessfully for the position several more times.
Thereafter, William E. "Cotton" Gleason was arrested in 1961 for having given barbiturate
Barbiturate
Barbiturates are drugs that act as central nervous system depressants, and can therefore produce a wide spectrum of effects, from mild sedation to total anesthesia. They are also effective as anxiolytics, as hypnotics, and as anticonvulsants...
s known as "Yellow Jackets" to at least two female students at Minden High School
Minden High School (Minden, Louisiana)
Minden High School is the public secondary educational institution in Minden, a small city of 13,000 and the seat of Webster Parish located twenty-eight miles east of Shreveport in northwestern Louisiana...
. On February 2, 1962, he received a $1,000 fine and a two-year sentence, both suspended. Four months later he was pardon
Pardon
Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
ed by Governor Jimmie Davis
Jimmie Davis
James Houston Davis , better known as Jimmie Davis, was a noted singer of both sacred and popular songs who served two nonconsecutive terms as the 47th Governor of Louisiana...
. After his arrest, Gleason resigned from Minden High School. He then hired Shreveport attorney Whitfield Jack, brother of his late father's House colleague, Wellborn Jack, to procure reinstatement, having claimed that his resignation was under emotional duress. However, Gleason was not reemployed by the Webster Parish School Board.