Nat Patton (February 26, 1881 – July 27, 1957), also known as "Cousin Nat",
was an American lawyer and politician who served five terms as a
Democratic member of the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, 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 Artic ...
from the
7th District of
Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
from 1935 to 1945.
Early life and career
Patton was born on a farm near tiny Tadmor in
Houston County near
Crockett in east Texas. He attended rural schools and
Sam Houston Normal School in
Huntsville
Huntsville is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Alabama. The population of the city is estimated to be 241,114 in 2024, making it the 100th-most populous city in the U.S. The Huntsville metropolitan area had an estimated 525,465 ...
. He taught in the rural and high schools from 1899 to 1918.
Early political career
He was elected to the
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. There are no Term limits in the United States, term limits. The ...
in 1912, attended law school at the
University of Texas
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 students as of fall 2 ...
at Austin, was admitted to the
bar in 1918, and began his law practice in Crockett.
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 ...
, Patton enlisted in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
but was never sworn in because the
armistice
An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from t ...
was signed.
Patton was elected in 1918 as county judge of Houston County and served until 1922.
He served in the
Texas State Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature, with the Texas House of Representatives functioning as the lower house. Together, they form the state legislature of the state of Texas.
The Senate is made up of 31 members, where eac ...
from 1929 to 1934. He was also a delegate to the Texas Democratic state conventions in 1924 and 1935.
Congress
In 1934, Patton was elected to the Seventy-fourth and then to the four succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1945). Patton was defeated for renomination in 1944 by
Tom Pickett.
Later career and death
He resumed the practice of law in Crockett until his death; he is interred there in Evergreen Memorial Park.
Affiliations
He was a member of the
Miller group in Washington.
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References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Patton, Ned
1881 births
1957 deaths
Democratic Party Texas state senators
Democratic Party members of the Texas House of Representatives
People from Houston County, Texas
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Texas
20th-century members of the Texas Legislature
20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives