David I. Patten
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
David Ivy Patten (December 11, 1920 - June 24, 1998) was a retired contractor and a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Catahoula Parish in the northeastern portion of his state. He served from 1964-1972.
In his first legislative term, Patten represented only Catahoula Parish. He was reelected to a second term in 1968 from a revised district which combined Catahoula and neighboring Concordia parishes. His interest focused on rural development. In 1972, in the newly-numbered District 21, Patten was unseated by State Senator J.C. "Sonny" Gilbert of Sicily Island, who ran that year for the House, rather than the Senate. Patten attempted a comeback in the Catahoula-Concordia district in 1975 in the first-ever jungle primary held in Louisiana and had the support of the Catahoula Parish sheriff. Gilbert did not seek reelection to the House. Patten lost in the official general election, 57-43 percent, to Democrat Dan Richey, then of Ferriday in Concordia Parish. Another candidate was the Democrat Troyce Guice, then of Ferriday, who had run unsuccessfully for the United States Senate in 1966 and again in 1996. Both Gilbert and Richey switched their affiliation to Republican after their legislative tenure.
Patten was one of ten children born to Ivy Edward Patten (1896-1961) and the former Mattie Harrell (1900-1979). He was married to the former Carolyn McCauley. He was a member of Meyers Bend Pentecostal Church in Jonesville in Catahoula Parish.
Services were held at the Sandy Lake Pentecostal Church in Jonesville. Burial was in Oak Grove Cemetery near Rhinehart, an unincorporated community also in Catahoula Parish.
| Preceded by William Smith Peck, Jr. |
Louisiana State Representative from District 21 (Cathoula and Concordia parishes)
David Ivy Patten |
Succeeded by J.C. "Sonny" Gilbert |
[edit] References
Noble Ellington, Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 17, Regular Session, Louisiana Legislature, 1999, Tribute to late Representative David Patten
Obituary of Louise Patten Wright (1925-2008) of Harrisonburg, the seat of Catahoula Parish. She was a sister of David Patten, and family information is contained therein through Young's Funeral Home of Ferriday, February 18, 2008.
Funeral notice of David I. Patten, Monroe News-Star, Monroe, Louisiana, June 26, 1998
