Thomas Marvin Williams Sr. (February 15, 1890 – April 30, 1967) was a politician who served in the

Mississippi Senate The Mississippi State Senate is the upper house of the Mississippi Legislature, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The Senate, along with the Lower house, lower Mississippi House of Represen ...

, representing Holmes County, between 1952–1968. Official records indicate that he was born in

Mena, Arkansas Mena ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Polk County, Arkansas, Polk County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 5,558 as of the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census. Mena is included in the Ark-La-Tex socio-economic region. Surro ...

, but in his handwritten, unpublished memoir, he states that he was actually born in

Indian Territory Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United States, ...

, a fact that, until late in life, he kept a secret. He was president of the State Extension Workers Association. During his final Senate term, Williams was the chairman of the Senate's Agriculture Committee.

Early life

Born in

to John David Williams and Mollie Elizabeth Campbell, Williams spent most of his childhood and youth moving from place to place in southwestern

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 ...

and southeastern

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

as his father worked various jobs such as railroad construction, coal mining, and farming. Williams graduated from Third District Agricultural School in

Magnolia, Arkansas Magnolia is a city in Columbia County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 11,577. The city is the county seat of Columbia County. Magnolia is home to the World's Largest Charcoal Grill and the World Championship ...

. He later attended

Kansas State Agricultural College Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public insti ...

earning a bachelor's degree in

Agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

Adult Life

In 1926 he moved to

Lexington, Mississippi Lexington is a city in and the county seat of Holmes County, Mississippi, United States. The county was organized in 1833 and the city in 1836. The population was 1,731 at the 2010 census, down from 2,025 at the 2000 census. The estimated popul ...

, where he worked as the

Holmes County, Mississippi Holmes County is a county in the U.S. state of Mississippi; its western border is formed by the Yazoo River and the eastern border by the Big Black River. The western part of the county is within the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta. As of the 2020 c ...

Agricultural Extension Agricultural extension is the application of scientific research and new knowledge to agricultural practices through farmer education. The field of 'extension' now encompasses a wider range of communication and learning activities organized for r ...

Agent. In the 1930s he opened T. M. Williams & Sons Feed and Seed store in Lexington.

Death

Williams died April 30, 1967 at Rush Foundation Hospital in

Meridian, Mississippi Meridian is the List of municipalities in Mississippi, eighth most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, with a population of 35,052 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Mississippi, ...

, of

prostate cancer Prostate cancer is the neoplasm, uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system below the bladder. Abnormal growth of the prostate tissue is usually detected through Screening (medicine), screening tests, ...

which had metastasized to his lungs and other organs and was buried in Magnolia Cemetery in Meridian.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Thomas Marvin Democratic Party Mississippi state senators 1890 births 1967 deaths Date of death missing People from Mena, Arkansas People from Holmes County, Mississippi 20th-century members of the Mississippi Legislature