Thomas Abernethy (politician)

Thomas Gerstle Abernethy (May 16, 1903 – June 11, 1998) was a member of the United States House of Representatives.[1] He is notable for being the first to publicly cite, and draw attention to, the anti-semitic hoax A Racial Program for the Twentieth Century in support of his opposition to the Civil Rights Movement.

Thomas Abernethy
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Mississippi
In office January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1973
Preceded by	Aaron L. Ford
Succeeded by	David R. Bowen (Redistricting)
Constituency	4th District (1943-1953) 1st District (1953-1973)
Personal details
Born	Thomas Gerstle Abernethy (1903-05-16)May 16, 1903 Eupora, Mississippi
Died	June 11, 1998(1998-06-11) (aged 95) Jackson, Mississippi
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Alice Lamb Abernethy
Children	Margaret Gail A. Doty, Thomas G. Abernethy Jr., and Alice Kay A. Martin.

Biography

Early life

Thomas Gerstle Abertheny was born on May 16, 1903 in Eupora, Mississippi. He attended the local public schools. He studied at the University of Alabama, and the University of Mississippi, and graduated from Cumberland School of Law in 1924.

Career

He was admitted to the bar and started practicing in his hometown through 1929, when he moved to Okolona, Mississippi. He served as the district attorney for the third judicial district of Mississippi from 1936 through 1942.

In 1942, he was elected as a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives, where he served through 1973. He retired to live in Okolona, Mississippi, and Jackson, Mississippi, until he died in 1998.

Having been a signatory to the 1956 Southern Manifesto that opposed the desegregation of public schools ordered by the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education, in 1964 he voted against the passage of the Civil Rights Act.[2]

He is also notable for having made the first public citation of the anti-semitic hoax A Racial Program for the Twentieth Century, on June 7, 1957, during a debate on the Civil Rights Act of 1957, when he read a quotation from it into the congressional record and as claimed proof that the Civil Rights Movement was a foreign Communist plot.[3]

During his career, he proposed a number of constitutional amendments relating to school prayer and elections of the President and Vice President.[4]

Death

He died on June 11, 1998.

References

1. Boller, Paul F.; George, John (1990). They Never Said It: A Book of Fake Quotes, Misquotes, and Misleading Attributions. Oxford University Press. pp. 14–16. ISBN 978-0-19-506469-8.
2. "Final House vote on the Civil Rights Act of 1964".
3. United States Congressional Record - House June 7, 1957, p. 8559 paragraph 3
4. "Amending America: Proposed Amendments to the United States Constitution, 1787 to 2014 - Data.gov". catalog.data.gov. Retrieved 2016-07-29.

External links

• United States Congress. "Thomas Abernethy (id: A000016)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• The Thomas Abernethy Collection (MUM00001) owned by the University of Mississippi

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Aaron L. Ford	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Mississippi's 4th congressional district 1943-1953	Succeeded by John B. Williams
Preceded by John E. Rankin	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Mississippi's 1st congressional district 1953-1973	Succeeded by Jamie L. Whitten