Lester Lee Bates Sr. (September 7, 1904 – February 24, 1988) was an insurance agent who served as the mayor of
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is List of municipalities in South Carolina, the second-mo ...
. He served three terms as Columbia's mayor. Before that he served on the city council.
He was born in the
Hell Hole Swamp area to Alfred G. Bates and Ella Cumbee.
He helped establish the
Columbia Metropolitan Airport
Columbia Metropolitan Airport is the main commercial airport for Columbia and the Midlands region of South Carolina, United States. The airport is located in Lexington County, southwest of Columbia. Although it has a street address listing ...
in 1962,
He helped advocate for incorporate the U.S. Army to incorporate
Fort Jackson into Columbia's city limits. He was also involved in establishing the
Carolina Coloseum. He established committees to work toward peaceful desegregation. He received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of South Carolina. He died in Columbia on February 24, 1988. He was buried Eccles United Methodist Churchyard in
Moncks Corner.
[
He lived at 2408 Marion Street. Lester Bates Park is named for him. A section of Freeway is named for him.
He married Julia Burk and they had two children.][ His son Leater L. Bates Jr. was interviewed in 2005 about his father.
Lester Bates Jr. was a lawyer, judge, and historian.]
References
{{Reflist
External links
Findagrave entry
Mayors of Columbia, South Carolina
1904 births
1988 deaths
People from Berkeley County, South Carolina
Insurance agents