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{{Short description|American politician (1890–1980)}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2009}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2009}}
{{infobox congressman
{{infobox officeholder
|image = William_M._Colmer.jpg
| image = William_M._Colmer.jpg
|name = William M. Colmer
| caption = Colmer in 1940
⚫
| name = William M. Colmer
⚫
|office = Member of the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]] from [[Mississippi]]
⚫
| office = Chair of the [[United States House Committee on Rules|House Rules Committee]]
⚫
|constituency = [[Mississippi's 6th congressional district|6th district]] (1933–63)<br>[[Mississippi's 5th congressional district|5th district]] (1963–73)
| constituency =
|term_start = March 4, 1933
|term_end = January 3, 1973
| term_start = January 3, 1967
⚫
| term_end = January 3, 1973
|predecessor = [[Robert S. Hall]]
|successor = [[Trent Lott]]
| predecessor = [[Howard W. Smith]]
| successor = [[Ray Madden]]
⚫
|office1 = Chairman of the [[United States House Committee on Rules|House Rules Committee]]
⚫
| office1 = Member of the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]] from [[Mississippi]]
⚫
|term_start1 = January 3, 1967
|term_end1 = January 3, 1973
| term_start1 = March 4, 1933
| term_end1 = January 3, 1973
|predecessor1 = [[Howard W. Smith]]
|successor1 = [[Ray Madden]]
| predecessor1 = [[Robert S. Hall]]
| successor1 = [[Trent Lott]]
⚫
|birth_name = William Meyers Colmer
| birth_name = William Meyers Colmer
|birth_date = {{birth date|1890|2|11}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1890|2|11}}
|birth_place = [[Moss Point, Mississippi]], U.S.
| birth_place = [[Moss Point, Mississippi]], U.S.
|death_date = {{death date and age|1980|9|9|1890|2|11}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1980|9|9|1890|2|11}}
|death_place = [[Pascagoula, Mississippi]], U.S.
| death_place = [[Pascagoula, Mississippi]], U.S.
|alma_mater = [[Millsaps College]]
|party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| alma_mater = [[Millsaps College]]
| party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
⚫
| constituency1 = [[Mississippi's 6th congressional district|6th district]] (1933–1963)<br>[[Mississippi's 5th congressional district|5th district]] (1963–1973)
| 1namedata = [[John W. McCormack]]<br>[[Carl Albert]]
⚫
| 1blankname = [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|Speaker]]
|nationality = American
}}
}}
'''William Meyers Colmer''' (February 11, 1890 – September 9, 1980) was a [[Mississippi]] politician.
'''William Meyers Colmer''' (February 11, 1890 – September 9, 1980) was an American politician from [[Mississippi]].


Colmer was born in [[Moss Point, Mississippi]], and attended [[Millsaps College]]. He served in the military during [[World War I]].
Colmer was born in [[Moss Point, Mississippi]], and attended [[Millsaps College]]. He served in the military during [[World War I]].
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In 1932, Colmer was elected to the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] as a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] from Mississippi's 6th District, located on the Gulf Coast. He was reelected 19 times. His district was renumbered the 5th after the 1960 Census, when Mississippi's declining proportion of the US population due to the [[Great Migration (African American)|Great Migration]] cost it a congressional seat.
In 1932, Colmer was elected to the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] as a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] from Mississippi's 6th District, located on the Gulf Coast. He was reelected 19 times. His district was renumbered the 5th after the 1960 Census, when Mississippi's declining proportion of the US population due to the [[Great Migration (African American)|Great Migration]] cost it a congressional seat.


Originally elected as a supporter of President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]'s [[New Deal]], Colmer became increasingly conservative as the years passed. He became disenchanted as the national Democratic Party began to support the [[Civil Rights Movement]]. After the ''[[Brown v. Board of Education]]'' (1954) decision by the [[United States Supreme Court]], ruling that public school segregation was unconstitutional, Colmer helped to get Southern Democratic congressmen to sign the "[[The Southern Manifesto|Southern Manifesto]]" declaring their resistance.
Originally elected as a supporter of President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]'s [[New Deal]], Colmer became increasingly conservative as the years passed. He became disenchanted as the national Democratic Party began to support the [[Civil Rights Movement]]. After the ''[[Brown v. Board of Education]]'' (1954) decision by the [[United States Supreme Court]], ruling that public school segregation was unconstitutional, Colmer helped to get Southern Democratic congressmen to sign the "[[The Southern Manifesto|Southern Manifesto]]"<ref>{{cite journal |title=Southern Manifesto |url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-CRECB-1956-pt4/pdf/GPO-CRECB-1956-pt4-3-1.pdf |journal=Congressional Record - Senate |pages=4459-4461}}</ref> declaring their resistance. Colmer voted against the [[Civil Rights Act of 1957|Civil Rights Acts of 1957]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=HR 6127. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957. -- House Vote #42 -- Jun 18, 1957 |url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/85-1957/h42 |access-date=2024-01-12 |website=GovTrack.us |language=en}}</ref> [[Civil Rights Act of 1960|1960]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=HR 8601. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1960. APPROVAL BY THE … -- House Vote #106 -- Apr 21, 1960 |url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/86-1960/h106 |access-date=2024-01-12 |website=GovTrack.us |language=en}}</ref> [[Civil Rights Act of 1964|1964]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=H.R. 7152. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964. ADOPTION OF A … -- House Vote #182 -- Jul 2, 1964 |url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/88-1964/h182 |access-date=2024-01-12 |website=GovTrack.us |language=en}}</ref> and [[Civil Rights Act of 1968|1968]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=TO PASS H.R. 2516, A BILL TO ESTABLISH PENALTIES FOR … -- House Vote #113 -- Aug 16, 1967 |url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/90-1967/h113 |access-date=2024-01-12 |website=GovTrack.us |language=en}}</ref> as well as the [[Twenty-fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution|24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=S.J. RES. 29. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO BAN THE USE OF … -- House Vote #193 -- Aug 27, 1962 |url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/87-1962/h193 |access-date=2024-01-12 |website=GovTrack.us |language=en}}</ref> and the [[Voting Rights Act of 1965]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=TO AGREE TO CONFERENCE REPORT ON S. 1564, THE VOTING … -- House Vote #107 -- Aug 3, 1965 |url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/89-1965/h107 |access-date=2024-01-12 |website=GovTrack.us |language=en}}</ref>


Colmer endorsed the unpledged electors slate in 1960, [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] [[President of the United States|presidential]] candidates [[Barry Goldwater]] in 1964, and [[Richard Nixon]] in 1972. Because of his seniority, he advanced to the position as chairman of the [[U.S. House Committee on Rules|Rules Committee]], serving from 1967 to 1973.
Colmer endorsed the unpledged electors slate in 1960, [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] [[President of the United States|presidential]] candidates [[Barry Goldwater]] in 1964, and [[Richard Nixon]] in 1972. Because of his seniority, he advanced to the position as chairman of the [[U.S. House Committee on Rules|Rules Committee]], serving from 1967 to 1973.
Colmer did not run for reelection in 1972. He endorsed his administrative assistant, [[Trent Lott]], as his successor, although Lott ran as a Republican. Colmer served longer in either house of [[United States Congress|Congress]] than anyone in Mississippi's history except [[Jamie Whitten]], who served 54 years in Congress.
Colmer did not run for reelection in 1972. He endorsed his administrative assistant, [[Trent Lott]], as his successor, although Lott ran as a Republican. Colmer served longer in the U.S. House of Representatives than anyone in Mississippi's history except [[Jamie Whitten]], who served 54 years in Congress from 1941 to 1995. (Fellow Mississippian [[John C. Stennis|John Stennis]] would serve over 41 years in the U.S. Senate from late 1947 until early 1989.)

== Note ==
* Colmer Middle School in [[Pascagoula, Mississippi]] is named after William Colmer.<ref>{{cite web|title=Choctaw Traits|date=3 March 2018 |url=http://www.wlox.com/story/37634467/colmer-middle-school-celebrates-50th-anniversary-by-inviting-former-teachers-back/|access-date=17 February 2019}}</ref>


== See also ==
== See also ==
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==References==
==References==
<references />
{{CongBio|C000645}}
{{CongBio|C000645}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|William M. Colmer}}
* [https://specialcollections.usm.edu/repositories/3/resources/151 William M. Colmer Papers], Special Collections at the University of Southern Mississippi (Historical Manuscripts)


{{S-start}}
{{S-start}}
{{S-par|us-hs}}
{{S-par|us-hs}}
{{USRepSuccessionBox|state=Mississippi|district=6|before=[[Robert S. Hall]]|reason=District eliminated after [[United States Census, 1960|Census 1960]]|years=1933-1963}}
{{US House succession box|state=Mississippi|district=6|before=[[Robert S. Hall]]|reason=District eliminated after [[United States Census, 1960|Census 1960]]|years=1933–1963}}
{{USRepSuccessionBox|state=Mississippi|district=5|before=[[W. Arthur Winstead]]|after=[[Trent Lott]]|years=1963-1973}}
{{US House succession box|state=Mississippi|district=5|before=[[W. Arthur Winstead]]|after=[[Trent Lott]]|years=1963–1973}}
{{S-end}}
{{S-end}}
{{US House Rules chairs}}
{{US House Rules chairs}}
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[[Category:1890 births]]
[[Category:1890 births]]
[[Category:1980 deaths]]
[[Category:1980 deaths]]
[[Category:Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Mississippi]]
[[Category:District attorneys in Mississippi]]
[[Category:District attorneys in Mississippi]]
⚫
[[Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from Mississippi]]
[[Category:People from Moss Point, Mississippi]]
[[Category:People from Moss Point, Mississippi]]
[[Category:Mississippi Democrats]]
[[Category:Signatories of the Southern Manifesto]]
[[Category:Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives]]
[[Category:20th-century American politicians]]

Latest revision as of 22:42, 7 December 2024

William M. Colmer
Colmer in 1940
Chair of the House Rules Committee
In office
January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1973
SpeakerJohn W. McCormack
Carl Albert
Preceded byHoward W. Smith
Succeeded byRay Madden
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Mississippi
In office
March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1973
Preceded byRobert S. Hall
Succeeded byTrent Lott
Constituency6th district (1933–1963)
5th district (1963–1973)
Personal details
Born
William Meyers Colmer

(1890-02-11)February 11, 1890
Moss Point, Mississippi, U.S.
DiedSeptember 9, 1980(1980-09-09) (aged 90)
Pascagoula, Mississippi, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Alma materMillsaps College

William Meyers Colmer (February 11, 1890 – September 9, 1980) was an American politician from Mississippi.

Colmer was born in Moss Point, Mississippi, and attended Millsaps College. He served in the military during World War I.

Colmer was elected Jackson County attorney in 1921, becoming district attorney in 1928.

In 1932, Colmer was elected to the House of Representatives as a Democrat from Mississippi's 6th District, located on the Gulf Coast. He was reelected 19 times. His district was renumbered the 5th after the 1960 Census, when Mississippi's declining proportion of the US population due to the Great Migration cost it a congressional seat.

Originally elected as a supporter of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, Colmer became increasingly conservative as the years passed. He became disenchanted as the national Democratic Party began to support the Civil Rights Movement. After the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) decision by the United States Supreme Court, ruling that public school segregation was unconstitutional, Colmer helped to get Southern Democratic congressmen to sign the "Southern Manifesto"[1] declaring their resistance. Colmer voted against the Civil Rights Acts of 1957,[2] 1960,[3] 1964,[4] and 1968[5] as well as the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution[6] and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.[7]

Colmer endorsed the unpledged electors slate in 1960, Republican Party presidential candidates Barry Goldwater in 1964, and Richard Nixon in 1972. Because of his seniority, he advanced to the position as chairman of the Rules Committee, serving from 1967 to 1973.

Colmer did not run for reelection in 1972. He endorsed his administrative assistant, Trent Lott, as his successor, although Lott ran as a Republican. Colmer served longer in the U.S. House of Representatives than anyone in Mississippi's history except Jamie Whitten, who served 54 years in Congress from 1941 to 1995. (Fellow Mississippian John Stennis would serve over 41 years in the U.S. Senate from late 1947 until early 1989.)

Note

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Southern Manifesto" (PDF). Congressional Record - Senate: 4459–4461.
  2. ^ "HR 6127. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957. -- House Vote #42 -- Jun 18, 1957". GovTrack.us. Retrieved 2024-01-12.
  3. ^ "HR 8601. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1960. APPROVAL BY THE … -- House Vote #106 -- Apr 21, 1960". GovTrack.us. Retrieved 2024-01-12.
  4. ^ "H.R. 7152. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964. ADOPTION OF A … -- House Vote #182 -- Jul 2, 1964". GovTrack.us. Retrieved 2024-01-12.
  5. ^ "TO PASS H.R. 2516, A BILL TO ESTABLISH PENALTIES FOR … -- House Vote #113 -- Aug 16, 1967". GovTrack.us. Retrieved 2024-01-12.
  6. ^ "S.J. RES. 29. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO BAN THE USE OF … -- House Vote #193 -- Aug 27, 1962". GovTrack.us. Retrieved 2024-01-12.
  7. ^ "TO AGREE TO CONFERENCE REPORT ON S. 1564, THE VOTING … -- House Vote #107 -- Aug 3, 1965". GovTrack.us. Retrieved 2024-01-12.
  8. ^ "Choctaw Traits". 3 March 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
[edit]
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Mississippi's 6th congressional district
1933–1963 		District eliminated after Census 1960
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Mississippi's 5th congressional district
1963–1973 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=William_M._Colmer&oldid=1261777646"