Lera Millard Thomas

Infobox_Congressman
name = Lera Millard Thomas|

date of birth = birth date|1900|08|03
place of birth = Nacogdoches, Texas
date of death = death date and age|1993|07|23|1900|08|03
place of death = Nacogdoches, Texas
state = Texas
district = 8th
term = 1966
preceded = Albert Thomas
succeeded = Bob Eckhardt
party = Democratic
spouse = Albert Thomas
religion = Methodist

Lera Millard Thomas (August 3, 1900—July 23, 1993) was the wife of Congressman Albert Thomas and briefly succeeded her husband as the Representative in Congress representing the Eighth District of Texas from 1966 to 1967. She also founded Millard's Crossing Historic Village.

Early life

Born Lera Millard August 3, 1900, in Nacogdoches, Texas, she attended Brenau College in Gainesville, Georgia, and the University of Alabama. She married Albert Thomas in 1922. Albert Thomas was elected to Congress in 1936, and they lived in Washington, DC after that. Mrs. Thomas was a member of the Houston League of Women Voters. The Thomases had two daughters, Ann Thomas Lasater and Lera Thomas. [ Transcript, Mrs. Albert (Lera) Thomas Oral History Interview I, 10/11/69, by David G. McComb, Internet Copy, LBJ Library. [http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/archives.hom/oralhistory.hom/ThomasL/Thomas-L.PDF] ]

Elected to Congress

On February 15, 1966, her husband died and a special election was called for March 26, 1966 to elect another Representative. Lera Millard Thomas was the first woman elected to Congress from the State of Texas, when she was elected as a Democrat in the special election to succeed her deceased husband. [ "Women in Congress, 1917–1990", Washington: Government Printing Office, 1991.] She received over 74% of the vote against Republican Louis Leman who urged voters to vote for the Widow Thomas. [Michael J. Dubin et al., "United States Congressional Elections, 1788–1997"(McFarland & Company, Publishing, Inc., 1998) p. 647] She served on the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee where she supported funds to expand the Houston Ship Channel. ["Women in Congress:1917–2006", House of Representatives, Committee on House Administration, Office of the Clerk, 2007, p.319] Because he died after filing for office in 1966, Albert Thomas's name remained on the Democrat Primary ballot for the 8th District and his widow determined that she would not seek a full term for 1967. State Representative Bob Eckhardt won the primary for a full term. After serving the remainder of her husband's term, Thomas left Congress on January 3, 1967. After her term in Congress, Mrs. Thomas served as special liaison for the "Houston Chronicle" to members of the armed services in Vietnam

Later years

When she returned from Vietnam, Thomas founded Millard's Crossing Historic Village in Nacogdoches. She resided in Nacogdoches until her death there on July 23, 1993. She was interred in Oak Grove Cemetery. [Congressional Biography]

References

ources

*CongBio|T000178
*Transcript, Mrs. Albert (Lera) Thomas Oral History Interview I, 10/11/69, by David G. McComb, Internet Copy, LBJ Library. [http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/archives.hom/oralhistory.hom/ThomasL/Thomas-L.PDF]
*"Women in Congress, 1917–1990", Washington: Government Printing Office, 1991.
*"Women in Congress:1917–2006", House of Representatives, Committee on House Administration, Office of the Clerk, 2007