Jerry Litton

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jerry Lon Litton (May 12, 1937 – August 3, 1976) was a Democratic U.S. Representative from Missouri who died with his entire family while flying to the victory party after winning the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.

Litton was born near Lock Springs, Daviess County, Missouri in a house without electricity. He was national secretary of the Future Farmers of America (1956-1957). He graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1961 with a B.S. in Journalism. Litton president of the University of Missouri Young Democrats and chair of the National Youth for Symington during Stuart Symington's unsuccessful 1960 run for U.S. President.

Litton made his fortune raising cattle at the Litton Charolais Cattle Ranch in Chillicothe, Missouri.

Litton was elected to the U.S. House as a Democrat in 1972. He was considered a rising star in the Democratic Party and had a television show broadcast across the state.

In 1976 Litton entered into a three-way primary for the seat of retiring Stuart Symington. The other contestants were Symington's son James Symington and Missouri Governor Warren Hearnes. Litton won the primary but died with his entire family (wife Sharon and two children Linda and Scott) along with pilot Paul Rupp Jr. and the pilot's son, Paul Rupp III en route to a victory party in Kansas City, Missouri when their plane crashed on take off at the Chillicothe airport. Hearnes was appointed to run but lost to John Danforth.

Several other noted politicians have died during U.S. Senate campaigns: Virginia Republican nominee Richard D. Obenshain in 1978, Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan in 2000 (who actually won his election posthumously) and Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone in 2002.