David Dickson Terry (January 31, 1881 – October 6, 1963) was an American lawyer and politician who served five terms as a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

from 1933 to 1943. He was the son of William Leake Terry.

Biography

Born in

Little Rock, Arkansas Little Rock is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Arkansas, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The city's population was 202,591 as of the 2020 census. The six-county Central Arkan ...

, Terry attended public schools, along with the

Bethel Military Academy Bethel Military Academy was a school near Warrenton, Virginia in Fauquier County. It operated from 1867 until 1911 and had several prominent alumni. The Virginia General Assembly passed a bill in 1901 incorporating the school. The bill included a ...

Fauquier County, Virginia Fauquier County is a county (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 72,972. The county seat is Warrenton, Virginia, Warrenton. Fa ...

and the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...

Charlottesville Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in Virginia, United States. It is the seat of government of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Quee ...

. He graduated from the law department of the

University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States. It is the Flagship campus, flagship campus of the University of Arkan ...

Fayetteville Fayetteville may refer to: *Fayetteville, Alabama *Fayetteville, Arkansas ** The Fayetteville Formation *Fayetteville, Georgia *Fayetteville, Illinois *Fayetteville, Indiana *Fayetteville, Washington County, Indiana *Fayetteville, Missouri *Fayette ...

in 1903. Later, he also attended the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. After he was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1903, Terry commenced practice in Little Rock.

Military service

During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, Terry enlisted on June 5, 1918 and was later commissioned a second lieutenant of Infantry. He was discharged on December 20, 1918. From 1929 to 1933, Terry served as a member of the Little Rock School Board.

Political career

He was elected to the State House of Representatives in 1933. Terry was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

to the Seventy-third Congress to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of

Heartsill Ragon Hiram Heartsill Ragon (; March 20, 1885 – September 15, 1940) was a United States representative from Arkansas and a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas. Education and career Bo ...

. Terry was reelected to the Seventy-fourth and to the three succeeding Congresses, where he served from December 19, 1933 to January 3, 1943. He did not run for reelection in 1942, in order to run for the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

. His run was unsuccessful, and he returned to the practice of law. He unsuccessfully ran for governor in 1944, and placed third. Terry served as director of the Division of Flood Control Water and Soil Conservation of the Arkansas Resources and Development Commission from 1945 until 1953.

Death

Terry died in Little Rock on October 6, 1963. He was interred in Mount Holly Cemetery. Named in his honor, the

Little Rock School District The Little Rock School District is a school district in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States. It is one of four public school districts in Pulaski County, Arkansas, Pulaski County and encompasses of land nearly coterminous with the state's c ...

opened Terry Ełementary School in 1964.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Terry, David Dickson 1881 births 1963 deaths Politicians from Little Rock, Arkansas United States Army officers Democratic Party members of the Arkansas House of Representatives Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Arkansas School board members in Arkansas Arkansas lawyers University of Arkansas alumni University of Chicago alumni University of Virginia alumni 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 20th-century members of the Arkansas General Assembly