Jerry Thomasson
Encyclopedia
Jerry Kreth Thomasson was a Democratic
member of the Arkansas House of Representatives
. He switched to the Republican Party
in 1966, and unsuccessfully sought election as Arkansas attorney general
in 1966 and 1968.
, the seat of staunchly Democratic Clark County
in south central Arkansas, to Joseph Baron Thomasson and the former Gertrude Dean.
He graduated in 1949 from Arkadelphia High School and attended Henderson State Teachers College
there. He was a veteran of the Korean War
. In 1959, he received his Juris Doctor
degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law
at Fayetteville
.
in Hot Spring County and had a son and a daughter.
of the Arkansas Supreme Court
when James Douglas Johnson
of Conway
was an associate justice. Thomasson was also a past chairman for the Legal Aid Committee of the Arkansas Bar Association.
member of the Arkansas House of Representatives
(1962–1966), Thomasson introduced legislation to add the white safety lines to the outside edges of Arkansas highways. He introduced the 1967 bill to change Henderson State Teachers College to Henderson State College, which occurred in 1985. When Thomasson ran for attorney general in 1966, he expected to face the Democratic incumbent, Bruce Bennett
. In the Democratic primary election
, Joe Purcell
of Benton
, the seat of Saline County, had the segregation
ist incumbent, Bruce Bennett of El Dorado
. During the campaign, both Thomasson and Purcell ran as reformers.
Despite running on the Republican ticket with the successful gubernatorial candidate, reformer Winthrop Rockefeller
, Thomasson lost in the general election. Purcell received 287,983 votes (53.9 percent) to Thomasson's 246,133 (46.1 percent). Thomasson carried 12 of the state's 75 counties, having received more than 60 percent of the ballots in Searcy, Baxter
, Sebastian, Benton
, and Washington
counties. He also won in Crawford County, which Rockefeller lost. His strength was concentrated in the northwestern portion of the state.
In 1968, Thomasson again challenged Purcell. He received 240,725 votes (41.4 percent) to Purcell's 341,233 (58.6 percent). Thomasson won nine counties, again all in northwestern Arkansas, three fewer than he had in 1966. In 1971, U.S. President Richard M. Nixon appointed Thomasson as an administrative law judge of the Social Security Administration
, a position that he retained until his retirement in 2000.
Despite his party switch, Thomasson was a friend and supporter of former President Bill Clinton
and is mentioned in Clinton’s autobiography
, My Life (on page 231, in which Clinton refers to Thomasson as "a fair-minded Republican").
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 Arkansas House of Representatives
Arkansas House of Representatives
The Arkansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arkansas General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The House is composed of 100 members elected from an equal amount of constituencies across the state. Each district has an average population of 26,734...
. He switched to the Republican Party
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...
in 1966, and unsuccessfully sought election as Arkansas attorney general
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
in 1966 and 1968.
Early years
Thomasson was born in ArkadelphiaArkadelphia, Arkansas
Arkadelphia is a city in Clark County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 10,548. The city is the county seat of Clark County. The city is situated at the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains. Two universities, Henderson State...
, the seat of staunchly Democratic Clark County
Clark County, Arkansas
Clark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 22,995. The county seat is Arkadelphia.The Arkadelphia Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Clark County.-Geography:...
in south central Arkansas, to Joseph Baron Thomasson and the former Gertrude Dean.
He graduated in 1949 from Arkadelphia High School and attended Henderson State Teachers College
Henderson State University
Henderson State University, founded in 1890 as Arkadelphia Methodist College, is a four-year public liberal arts university located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, United States. It is Arkansas's only member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges...
there. He was a veteran of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. In 1959, he received his Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law
University of Arkansas School of Law
The University of Arkansas School of Law is the law school of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas, a state university. It has around 445 students enrolled in its Juris Doctor and Master of Law programs and is home to the federally-funded National Agricultural Law Center and the...
at Fayetteville
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
.
Family
In 1960, Thomasson married Dortha Juanita Yates (born July 6, 1937). The couple wed in BismarckBismarck, Arkansas
Bismarck is an unincorporated community between Hot Springs and Caddo Valley on State HWY 7 and 84 in Hot Spring County, Arkansas, United States....
in Hot Spring County and had a son and a daughter.
Legal Career
Thomasson was in private law practice for eight years with Huie, Huie & Thomasson in Arkadelphia. He was a referee for the Arkansas Workmen’s Compensation Commission from 1960–1961. From 1959–1960, Thomasson was the librarianLibrarian
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...
of the Arkansas Supreme Court
Arkansas Supreme Court
The Arkansas Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Arkansas. Since 1925, it has consisted of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices, and at times Special Justices are called upon in the absence of a regular justice...
when James Douglas Johnson
James D. Johnson
James Douglas Johnson, known as Justice Jim Johnson , was a former associate justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court, a two-time candidate for governor of Arkansas in 1956 and 1966, and in 1968 an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S...
of Conway
Conway, Arkansas
Conway is the county seat of Faulkner County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 58,908 at the 2010 census, making Conway the seventh most populous city in Arkansas. It is a principal city of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area which had...
was an associate justice. Thomasson was also a past chairman for the Legal Aid Committee of the Arkansas Bar Association.
Public service career
As a DemocraticDemocratic 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 Arkansas House of Representatives
Arkansas House of Representatives
The Arkansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arkansas General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The House is composed of 100 members elected from an equal amount of constituencies across the state. Each district has an average population of 26,734...
(1962–1966), Thomasson introduced legislation to add the white safety lines to the outside edges of Arkansas highways. He introduced the 1967 bill to change Henderson State Teachers College to Henderson State College, which occurred in 1985. When Thomasson ran for attorney general in 1966, he expected to face the Democratic incumbent, Bruce Bennett
Bruce Bennett (Arkansas politician)
Bruce Bennett was a Democratic politician from El Dorado, Arkansas, who served as his state's attorney general from 1957–1960 and from 1963–1966...
. In the Democratic primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
, Joe Purcell
Joe Purcell
Joseph Gregory Purcell -References:...
of Benton
Benton, Arkansas
Benton is a city in and the county seat of Saline County, Arkansas, United States and a suburb of Little Rock. It was established in 1837. According to a 2006 Special Census conducted at the request of the city government, the population of the city is 27,717, ranking it as the state's 16th largest...
, the seat of Saline County, had the segregation
Racial segregation in the United States
Racial segregation in the United States, as a general term, included the racial segregation or hypersegregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines...
ist incumbent, Bruce Bennett of El Dorado
El Dorado, Arkansas
El Dorado , a multi-cultural arts center: South Arkansas Arts Center , an award-winning renovated downtown, and numerous sporting, shopping, and dining opportunities. El Dorado is the population, cultural, and business center of the 7,300 mi² regional area...
. During the campaign, both Thomasson and Purcell ran as reformers.
Despite running on the Republican ticket with the successful gubernatorial candidate, reformer Winthrop Rockefeller
Winthrop Rockefeller
Winthrop Rockefeller was a politician and philanthropist who served as the first Republican Governor of Arkansas since Reconstruction. He was a third-generation member of the Rockefeller family.-Early life:...
, Thomasson lost in the general election. Purcell received 287,983 votes (53.9 percent) to Thomasson's 246,133 (46.1 percent). Thomasson carried 12 of the state's 75 counties, having received more than 60 percent of the ballots in Searcy, Baxter
Baxter County, Arkansas
Baxter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. It is in the northern part of the state, and shares a border with Missouri. It is commonly referred to as the Twin Lakes Area because it is bordered by two of Arkansas' largest lakes, Bull Shoals Lake and Norfork Lake...
, Sebastian, Benton
Benton County, Arkansas
Benton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2000 census, the population was 153,406. The U.S. Census Bureau 2010 population is 221,339. The county seat is Bentonville. Benton County was formed on 30 September 1836 and was named after Thomas Hart Benton, a U.S...
, and Washington
Washington County, Arkansas
Washington County is a county located in the northwest part of the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 203,065. The county seat is Fayetteville. Washington County is Arkansas's 17th county, formed on October 17, 1828, and named for George Washington, the first President of the...
counties. He also won in Crawford County, which Rockefeller lost. His strength was concentrated in the northwestern portion of the state.
In 1968, Thomasson again challenged Purcell. He received 240,725 votes (41.4 percent) to Purcell's 341,233 (58.6 percent). Thomasson won nine counties, again all in northwestern Arkansas, three fewer than he had in 1966. In 1971, U.S. President Richard M. Nixon appointed Thomasson as an administrative law judge of the Social Security Administration
Social Security Administration
The United States Social Security Administration is an independent agency of the United States federal government that administers Social Security, a social insurance program consisting of retirement, disability, and survivors' benefits...
, a position that he retained until his retirement in 2000.
Despite his party switch, Thomasson was a friend and supporter of former President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
and is mentioned in Clinton’s autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, My Life (on page 231, in which Clinton refers to Thomasson as "a fair-minded Republican").
External links
- Herald Obituary
- Ruggles Obituary
- Arkansas Court Library history
- Arkansas Outlook, August 1966
- Election Statistics, 1966, 1968 (Little Rock: Arkansas Secretary of State)
- Cash family genealogy.