B. R. Patton

Bennie Robert "B. R." Patton
Louisiana State Senator for Lincoln and Union parishes (now District 35)
In office 1956–1964
Preceded by	James P. Hinton
Succeeded by	Charles C. Barham
Personal details
Born	September 15, 1920 Place of birth missing
Died	December 8, 1999 (aged 79) Ruston, Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, USA
Resting place	Corinth Cemetery in Ruston
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Peggy Gantt Patton (married 1946-1999, his death)
Children	Benny Bruce Patton
Parents	Robert Toomes Patton (1887-1968) Mary Odelia Howell Patton (1894-1991)
Residence	Farmerville, Union Parish
Military service
Service/branch	United States Army
Battles/wars	World War II

Bennie Robert Patton, known as B. R. Patton (September 15, 1920 – December 8, 1999),^[1] was a Democrat from Farmerville, Louisiana, who served for two terms from 1956 to 1964 in the Louisiana State Senate from Lincoln and Union parishes.^[2] His tenure corresponded with the last terms of Governors Earl Kemp Long and Jimmie Davis.

In the primary election held in January 1956, Patton was placed into a runoff a month later with the one-term incumbent senator, James P. Hinton.^[3] whom he then subsequently unseated.^[2] Democrat Earl Long won his third nonconsecutive term as governor outright in the primary over a field of candidates, including Mayor deLesseps Story Morrison of New Orleans and businessman and former highway director Fred Preaus of Farmerville.^[4]

Along with Fred Preaus and State Representative T. T. Fields, Patton worked to make Lake D'Arbonne in Farmerville a reality. Popular with fisherman and boaters, the large man-made lake opened in 1963.^[5][6] Shortly thereafter, Patton was unseated for a third term in the primary held on December 7, 1963, by his fellow Democrat, Charles C. Barham of Ruston, the older of two sons of former Lieutenant Governor C. E. "Cap" Barham.

Patton and his parents are interred at Corinth Cemetery in Ruston. In 1946, he married the former Peggy Gantt (born December 25, 1927) of Farmerville.^[1]

References

1. "Bennie Robert Patton". findagrave.com. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
2. "Membership in the Louisiana Senate, 1880 - Present" (PDF). legis.la.gov. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
3. "Long's Lead Builds". Ruston Daily Leader. January 19, 1956. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
4. Milburn E. Calhoun (2006). Louisiana Almanac. Gretna, Louisiana: Pelican Publishing Company. p. 549. ISBN 9781589803060. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
5. "In the Beginning". Lake D'Arbonne Life. January 18, 2013. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
6. Kinny Haddox (November 7, 2013). "Lake D'Arbonne Celebrating 50th Year". Bernice, Louisiana: The Bernice Banner. p. 5. Retrieved February 18, 2015.