Lera Millard Thomas
Encyclopedia
Lera Millard Thomas was the wife of Congressman Albert Thomas
and briefly succeeded her husband as the Representative in Congress representing the Eighth District of Texas
from 1966 to 1967. She also founded Millard's Crossing Historic Village.
, she attended Brenau College in Gainesville, Georgia
, and the University of Alabama
. She married Albert Thomas in 1922. Albert Thomas was elected to Congress in 1936, and they lived in Washington, DC after that. Mrs. Thomas was a member of the Houston League of Women Voters. The Thomases had two daughters, Ann Thomas Lasater and Lera Thomas.
in the special election to succeed her deceased husband. She received over 74% of the vote against Republican Louis Leman who urged voters to vote for the Widow Thomas. She served on the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee where she supported funds to expand the Houston Ship Channel
. Because he died after filing for office in 1966, Albert Thomas's name remained on the Democratic Primary ballot for the 8th District and his widow determined that she would not seek a full term for 1967. State Representative Bob Eckhardt won the primary for a full term. After serving the remainder of her husband's term, Thomas left Congress on January 3, 1967. After her term in Congress, Mrs. Thomas served as special liaison for the Houston Chronicle
to members of the armed services in Vietnam
Albert Richard Thomas
This article is about the US Congressman. For the article on the French Socialist and First Director of the International Labour Organisation see Albert Thomas ....
and briefly succeeded her husband as the Representative in Congress representing the Eighth District of Texas
Texas's 8th congressional district
Texas District 8 of the United States House of Representatives is a Congressional district that stretches from Montgomery County and Walker County to the Louisiana border. It includes much of the northern outlying areas of metro Houston and Beaumont. As of the 2000 census, District 8 represents...
from 1966 to 1967. She also founded Millard's Crossing Historic Village.
Early life
Born Lera Millard August 3, 1900, in Nacogdoches, TexasNacogdoches, Texas
Nacogdoches is a city in Nacogdoches County, Texas, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the city's population to be 32,996. It is the county seat of Nacogdoches County and is situated in East Texas. Nacogdoches is a sister city of Natchitoches, Louisiana.Nacogdoches is the home of...
, she attended Brenau College in Gainesville, Georgia
Gainesville, Georgia
-Severe Weather:Gainesville sits on the very fringe of Tornado Alley, a region of the United States where severe weather is common. Supercell thunderstorms can sweep through any time between March and November, but are concentrated most in the spring...
, and the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
. She married Albert Thomas in 1922. Albert Thomas was elected to Congress in 1936, and they lived in Washington, DC after that. Mrs. Thomas was a member of the Houston League of Women Voters. The Thomases had two daughters, Ann Thomas Lasater and Lera Thomas.
Elected to Congress
On February 15, 1966, her husband died and a special election was called for March 26, 1966 to elect another Representative. Lera Millard Thomas was the first woman elected to Congress from the State of Texas, when she was elected as a DemocratDemocratic 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...
in the special election to succeed her deceased husband. She received over 74% of the vote against Republican Louis Leman who urged voters to vote for the Widow Thomas. She served on the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee where she supported funds to expand the Houston Ship Channel
Houston Ship Channel
The Houston Ship Channel, located in Houston, Texas, is part of the Port of Houston—one of the United States's busiest seaports. The channel is the conduit for ocean-going vessels between the Houston-area shipyards and the Gulf of Mexico.-Overview:...
. Because he died after filing for office in 1966, Albert Thomas's name remained on the Democratic Primary ballot for the 8th District and his widow determined that she would not seek a full term for 1967. State Representative Bob Eckhardt won the primary for a full term. After serving the remainder of her husband's term, Thomas left Congress on January 3, 1967. After her term in Congress, Mrs. Thomas served as special liaison for the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
to members of the armed services in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
Later years
When she returned from Vietnam, Thomas founded Millard's Crossing Historic Village in Nacogdoches. She resided in Nacogdoches until her death there on July 23, 1993. She was interred in Oak Grove Cemetery.External links
Sources
- Transcript, Mrs. Albert (Lera) Thomas Oral History Interview I, 10/11/69, by David G. McComb, Internet Copy, LBJ Library. http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/archives.hom/oralhistory.hom/ThomasL/Thomas-L.PDF
- Women in Congress, 1917–1990, Washington: Government Printing Office, 1991.
- Women in Congress:1917–2006, House of Representatives, Committee on House Administration, Office of the Clerk, 2007