Al Ater
Encyclopedia
Alan Ray Ater known as Al Ater, is a farmer
and business
man from Ferriday
, Louisiana
, who served from 1984-1992 as a Democratic
member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
from District 21 in the eastern portion of his state.
in Catahoula Parish
, who in the same election unseated then Democratic State Senator
Dan Richey
of Ferriday, who years later switched to Republican
affiliation. Ater was unopposed for a second term in 1987 but did not run in the primary held in October 1991. He was succeeded by fellow Democrat Bryant Hammett
, an engineer
, also from Ferriday in Concordia Parish
. In 2001, Ater became the first assistant in the office of his friend since their legislative days, Louisiana Secretary of State Fox McKeithen, a Republican. There, Ater was influential in the merging of the former elections department into the secretary of state’s office.
Ironically, the elections department had existed within the secretary of state’s office prior to 1957, when then Governor Earl Kemp Long made elections a separate department headed by the "custodian of voting machines", later renamed the "elections commissioner". Long appointed Drayton Boucher
of Springhill
to the post, and after a year, Boucher resigned and was replaced by Douglas Fowler
of Coushatta
in Red River Parish
, who was elected to the post for the following twenty years.
In 2004, Ater joined the Department of Insurance under commissioner Robert Wooley, a Democrat. In March 2005, he returned to McKeithen's office as first assistant. Four months later, upon McKeithen's untimely death from complications of a household fall earlier in the year, Ater became the interim secretary of state.
held some eight months after Hurricane Katrina
. The primary election was to have been conducted on February 4, 2006. Newspaperman Sam Hanna, Jr., of the Ouachita Citizen said that Ater "oversaw probably the cleanest mayor's election in modern times in New Orleans' long, fabled history. . . . He mowed down the political establishment on both sides of the aisle, which tried in vain to manipulate the election process in the Crescent City for its own selfish reasons. Yes, Ater stood out as a leader with a backbone among a host of local and state officials, who, quite frankly, have appeared spineless throughout the catastrophe caused by Katrina." Former Secretary of State James H. "Jim" Brown, also a Ferriday native, said he believed the elections could have been held on February 4 and that the delays sought by Ater were unnecessary. Brown said polling locations could be moved as needed and that voting machines can be located elsewhere as required. Out-of-town voters can still file for absentee ballots,Brown said.
Ater, as secretary of state, questioned a provision of Louisiana law which had required a voter who registered by mail to cast his ballot in person at least once before he could file an absentee ballot
. "I could see the headlines across America right now, They'll say it's another thing that Louisiana can't handle on its own," Ater said. The law had been intended to protect against voter fraud, but Ater said the hurricane had temporarily changed the dynamics of voting. Ater's handling of the election was honored by the Louisiana chapter of the interest group, Common Cause
, which held a ceremony in his honor. Also feted was then State Senator
Walter Boasso
of St. Bernard Parish
, who consolidated the actions of the affected levee
boards following the hurricane.
Ater served until November 2006, when he was succeeded by the current secretary, Republican Jay Dardenne
, the winner of the special election to fill the vacancy left by McKeithen. Ater did not run in the special election in which Dardenne defeated then State Senator Francis C. Heitmier of New Orleans and former Louisiana state Republican chairman Mike Francis
of Crowley
for the right to fill the remainder of McKeithen's last term.
, Illinois
, Ater was a son of Donald Edward Ater (1923–1974) and the former Ruth LaVonne Chapman (December 16, 1920–October 28, 2004), both Illinois natives. Ruth Chapman attended Lindenwood College for Women in St. Charles, Missouri
. The Aters married, farmed in the area about Cisco
, Illinois, and owned International Harvester
dealerships in Kankanee
and Oreana
, Illinois. In 1957, the Aters purchased the Coola Coosa Plantation near Tallulah
on Lake St. John, an oxbow lake
on the Mississippi River
. They were thereafter the founders and operators of Ater Warehouse, Inc., and the Don Ater Chevrolet
dealership in Ferriday. While the Aters resided in Tallulah, the seat of Madison Parish
, Mrs. Ater became involved in the American National Cattlewomen's Organization, formerly the CowBelles. She was both Madison Parish and the statewide president of the organization. In 1975, as the national CowBelles president, she organized and chartered groups in thirteen states and spoke at state conventions in thirty-nine states. She headed the committee that wrote the history of the organization. Mrs. Ater was one of three women inducted into the Louisiana Spur Club for contributions to the cattle industry. After the death of first husband Donald Ater, Ruth married Fred Joseph Wedam (1916–1991) of Klamath Falls
, Oregon
, where she lived until after his death. She then returned to Ferriday for her final years.
Ater's four older siblings are Marcia Kay Ater Goeggle, who was married to William Jack Goeggle; Donald Willard Ater (born 1945) and his wife, Fran; Lynette Ater Tanner, and her husband, George or "Buddy", and Edward William Ater (born 1952) and his wife, Mignonne. Ater farms corn
, cotton, and soybean
s through his Lakeland Planting Company. He serves on the board of the Concordia Parish Farm Bureau and Catalyst Energy in Vidalia
, the Concordia Parish seat of government. He has also farmed about Waterproof
in southern Tensas Parish
. Ater also recently purchased Johnston Cotton Company in Sicily Island
, Louisiana.
Ater and his second wife, the former Susie Beard (born 1958), a pharmacist originally from Vidalia, live on Lake St. John near Ferriday. Ater graduated in 1971 from the private
Huntington High School in Ferriday and then attended Northwestern State University
in Natchitoches
. He has three children, Whitney Lauren Ater (born 1978) of California
from a first marriage, and Thomas Alan Ater (born 1987), and Elliott Andrew Ater (born 1989), from the second marriage, both of Ferriday. Thomas and Elliott both attend Mississippi State University
in Starkville
, Mississippi
.
, questioned why Ater walked away from "a promising political career more than 20 years in the making [to] head home to Concordia Parish--to Ferriday--to farm some 6,000 acres of land and tend to his other business interests? Well, Ater's no fool, and he recognized a dead-end job when he saw it in serving as secretary of state, especially on the heels of his performance during one of Louisiana's darkest moments. It's always best to leave while you're on top."
Ater remains an active Democratic donor, having contributed a total of $8,900 in 2008 to U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu
, the congressional campaign of Paul Carmouche
of Shreveport
, for senatorial candidate Ronnie Musgrove
of Mississippi
, and for the defeated Democrat Don Cazayoux
in the Baton Rouge
-based U.S. House district.
In 2009, Ater was among inductees into the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame
in Winnfield
.
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
and business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
man from Ferriday
Ferriday, Louisiana
Ferriday is a town in Concordia Parish in northeastern Louisiana, United States. The population, which is three-fourths African American, was 3,723 at the 2000 census....
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, who served from 1984-1992 as a Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
from District 21 in the eastern portion of his state.
Public office
First elected at the age of twenty-nine in the 1983 nonpartisan blanket primary, Ater filled the House seat vacated by William B. Atkins, a Democrat from JonesvilleJonesville, Louisiana
Jonesville is a town in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana, at the confluence of the Ouachita, Tensas, and Little rivers. The three rivers become the Black River at Jonesville though the "Black" is primarily the continuation of the Ouachita River. A new bridge has been built over the Black River...
in Catahoula Parish
Catahoula Parish, Louisiana
Catahoula Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Its seat is Harrisonburg, located on the Ouachita River, which forms the eastern boundary of the parish. In 2000, the population of the parish was 10,920.-Prehistory:...
, who in the same election unseated then Democratic State Senator
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
Dan Richey
Dan Richey
Daniel Wesley "Dan" Richey is a Baton Rouge-based political consultant for "pro-family" candidates and organizations, including Louisiana Family Forum. From 1997 to 2004, Richey served under appointment of Republican Governor Murphy J...
of Ferriday, who years later switched to Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
affiliation. Ater was unopposed for a second term in 1987 but did not run in the primary held in October 1991. He was succeeded by fellow Democrat Bryant Hammett
Bryant Hammett
Bryant O'Dare Hammett, Jr. , is a civil engineer and land surveyor from Ferriday in Concordia Parish in eastern Louisiana, who served as a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1992-2006....
, an engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
, also from Ferriday in Concordia Parish
Concordia Parish, Louisiana
Concordia Parish borders the Mississippi River in eastern Louisiana. The parish seat is Vidalia. As of 2000, the population was 20,247. It is part of the Natchez, MS–LA Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Prehistory:...
. In 2001, Ater became the first assistant in the office of his friend since their legislative days, Louisiana Secretary of State Fox McKeithen, a Republican. There, Ater was influential in the merging of the former elections department into the secretary of state’s office.
Ironically, the elections department had existed within the secretary of state’s office prior to 1957, when then Governor Earl Kemp Long made elections a separate department headed by the "custodian of voting machines", later renamed the "elections commissioner". Long appointed Drayton Boucher
Drayton Boucher
Drayton Rogers Boucher was a Louisiana state legislator from Springhill in northern Webster Parish, Louisiana, affiliated with the Long faction of state Democratic politics. Boucher represented Webster Parish for a single four-year term in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1936 to 1940...
of Springhill
Springhill, Louisiana
Springhill is a city in northern Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,439 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Minden Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
to the post, and after a year, Boucher resigned and was replaced by Douglas Fowler
Douglas Fowler
Wiley Douglas Fowler, Sr. , was a local politician from rural Red River Parish in north Louisiana, a loyal supporter of Governor Earl Kemp Long, and his state's chief elections officer from 1959, until declining health forced his retirement, effective December 31, 1979...
of Coushatta
Coushatta, Louisiana
Coushatta is a town in and the parish seat of rural Red River Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is situated on the east bank of the Red River. The community is approximately forty-five miles south of Shreveport on U.S. Highway 71...
in Red River Parish
Red River Parish, Louisiana
Red River Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Its seat is Coushatta. It was one of the newer parishes created in 1871 by the state legislature under Reconstruction...
, who was elected to the post for the following twenty years.
In 2004, Ater joined the Department of Insurance under commissioner Robert Wooley, a Democrat. In March 2005, he returned to McKeithen's office as first assistant. Four months later, upon McKeithen's untimely death from complications of a household fall earlier in the year, Ater became the interim secretary of state.
Impact of Hurricane Katrina
As secretary of state, Ater was called upon to monitor the municipal elections in New OrleansNew Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
held some eight months after Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
. The primary election was to have been conducted on February 4, 2006. Newspaperman Sam Hanna, Jr., of the Ouachita Citizen said that Ater "oversaw probably the cleanest mayor's election in modern times in New Orleans' long, fabled history. . . . He mowed down the political establishment on both sides of the aisle, which tried in vain to manipulate the election process in the Crescent City for its own selfish reasons. Yes, Ater stood out as a leader with a backbone among a host of local and state officials, who, quite frankly, have appeared spineless throughout the catastrophe caused by Katrina." Former Secretary of State James H. "Jim" Brown, also a Ferriday native, said he believed the elections could have been held on February 4 and that the delays sought by Ater were unnecessary. Brown said polling locations could be moved as needed and that voting machines can be located elsewhere as required. Out-of-town voters can still file for absentee ballots,Brown said.
Ater, as secretary of state, questioned a provision of Louisiana law which had required a voter who registered by mail to cast his ballot in person at least once before he could file an absentee ballot
Absentee ballot
An absentee ballot is a vote cast by someone who is unable or unwilling to attend the official polling station. Numerous methods have been devised to facilitate this...
. "I could see the headlines across America right now, They'll say it's another thing that Louisiana can't handle on its own," Ater said. The law had been intended to protect against voter fraud, but Ater said the hurricane had temporarily changed the dynamics of voting. Ater's handling of the election was honored by the Louisiana chapter of the interest group, Common Cause
Common Cause
Common Cause is a self-described nonpartisan, nonprofit lobby and advocacy organization. It was founded in 1970 by John W. Gardner, a Republican former cabinet secretary under Lyndon Johnson, as a "citizens' lobby" with a mission focused on making U.S. political institutions more open and...
, which held a ceremony in his honor. Also feted was then State Senator
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
Walter Boasso
Walter Boasso
Walter Joseph Boasso is a wealthy businessman and former Democratic state senator from Chalmette, the seat of St. Bernard Parish in south Louisiana. He was defeated in a bid for governor in the October 20, 2007, jungle primary. Boasso won 47 percent in his own St. Bernard Parish, his sole...
of St. Bernard Parish
St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana
St. Bernard Parish is a parish located southeast of New Orleans in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Chalmette, the largest city in the parish. As of 2000, its population was 67,229. It has been ranked the fastest-growing county in the United States from 2007 to 2008 by the U.S....
, who consolidated the actions of the affected levee
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
boards following the hurricane.
Ater served until November 2006, when he was succeeded by the current secretary, Republican Jay Dardenne
Jay Dardenne
John Leigh "Jay" Dardenne, Jr. , has been Louisiana's Republican lieutenant governor since November 22, 2010. He won a special election to the position held in conjunction with the regular November 2 general election. At the time, Dardenne was Louisiana secretary of state...
, the winner of the special election to fill the vacancy left by McKeithen. Ater did not run in the special election in which Dardenne defeated then State Senator Francis C. Heitmier of New Orleans and former Louisiana state Republican chairman Mike Francis
Mike Francis
Michael Gordon Francis, known as Mike Francis , is a prominent Crowley businessman who was the chairman of the Republican Party in Louisiana from 1994–2000. A staunch fiscal and social conservative, Francis was an unsuccessful candidate for Secretary of State of Louisiana in a special election held...
of Crowley
Crowley, Louisiana
Crowley is a city in and the parish seat of Acadia Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 14,225 at the 2000 census. The city is noted for its annual International Rice Festival. Crowley has the nickname of "Rice Capital of America", because at one time it was a major center for...
for the right to fill the remainder of McKeithen's last term.
Family background
A native of DecaturDecatur, Illinois
Decatur is the largest city and the county seat of Macon County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The city, sometimes called "the Soybean Capital of the World", was founded in 1823 and is located along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Central Illinois. In 2000 the city population was 81,500,...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Ater was a son of Donald Edward Ater (1923–1974) and the former Ruth LaVonne Chapman (December 16, 1920–October 28, 2004), both Illinois natives. Ruth Chapman attended Lindenwood College for Women in St. Charles, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. The Aters married, farmed in the area about Cisco
Cisco, Illinois
Cisco is a village in Piatt County, Illinois, United States. The population was 264 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Cisco is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....
, Illinois, and owned International Harvester
International Harvester
International Harvester Company was a United States agricultural machinery, construction equipment, vehicle, commercial truck, and household and commercial products manufacturer. In 1902, J.P...
dealerships in Kankanee
Kankakee, Illinois
Kankakee is a city in Kankakee County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 25,561, and 26,840 as of a 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Kankakee County...
and Oreana
Oreana, Illinois
Oreana is a village in Macon County, Illinois, United States whose population was 892 at the 2000 census.It is included in the Decatur, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Oreana is located at ....
, Illinois. In 1957, the Aters purchased the Coola Coosa Plantation near Tallulah
Tallulah, Louisiana
Tallulah is a city in and the parish seat of Madison Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 9,189 at the 2000 census...
on Lake St. John, an oxbow lake
Oxbow lake
An oxbow lake is a U-shaped body of water formed when a wide meander from the main stem of a river is cut off to create a lake. This landform is called an oxbow lake for the distinctive curved shape, named after part of a yoke for oxen. In Australia, an oxbow lake is called a billabong, derived...
on the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. They were thereafter the founders and operators of Ater Warehouse, Inc., and the Don Ater Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
dealership in Ferriday. While the Aters resided in Tallulah, the seat of Madison Parish
Madison Parish, Louisiana
-National protected areas:* Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge * Vicksburg National Military Park -Demographics:-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S...
, Mrs. Ater became involved in the American National Cattlewomen's Organization, formerly the CowBelles. She was both Madison Parish and the statewide president of the organization. In 1975, as the national CowBelles president, she organized and chartered groups in thirteen states and spoke at state conventions in thirty-nine states. She headed the committee that wrote the history of the organization. Mrs. Ater was one of three women inducted into the Louisiana Spur Club for contributions to the cattle industry. After the death of first husband Donald Ater, Ruth married Fred Joseph Wedam (1916–1991) of Klamath Falls
Klamath Falls, Oregon
Klamath Falls is a city in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. Originally called Linkville when George Nurse founded the town in 1867, after the Link River on whose falls this city sat, although no falls currently exist; the name was changed to Klamath Falls in 1892...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, where she lived until after his death. She then returned to Ferriday for her final years.
Ater's four older siblings are Marcia Kay Ater Goeggle, who was married to William Jack Goeggle; Donald Willard Ater (born 1945) and his wife, Fran; Lynette Ater Tanner, and her husband, George or "Buddy", and Edward William Ater (born 1952) and his wife, Mignonne. Ater farms corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, cotton, and soybean
Soybean
The soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean which has numerous uses...
s through his Lakeland Planting Company. He serves on the board of the Concordia Parish Farm Bureau and Catalyst Energy in Vidalia
Vidalia, Louisiana
Vidalia is a city in and the parish seat of Concordia Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 4,543 at the 2000 census.- Geography :Vidalia is located at and has an elevation of ....
, the Concordia Parish seat of government. He has also farmed about Waterproof
Waterproof, Louisiana
Waterproof is a town in Tensas Parish, Louisiana, United States with a population of 834 as of 2000 census. Waterproof is approximately seventeen miles north of Ferriday, one of the two principal communities of Concordia Parish...
in southern Tensas Parish
Tensas Parish, Louisiana
Tensas Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The seat of the parish is St. Joseph. In 2010, the population of Tensas Parish was 5,252; it is the least-populous of all sixty-four parishes....
. Ater also recently purchased Johnston Cotton Company in Sicily Island
Sicily Island, Louisiana
Sicily Island is a village in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 453 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Sicily Island is located at ....
, Louisiana.
Ater and his second wife, the former Susie Beard (born 1958), a pharmacist originally from Vidalia, live on Lake St. John near Ferriday. Ater graduated in 1971 from the private
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
Huntington High School in Ferriday and then attended Northwestern State University
Northwestern State University
Northwestern State University, known as NSU, is a four-year public university primarily situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana, with a nursing campus in Shreveport and general campuses in Leesville/Fort Polk and Alexandria. It is a part of the University of Louisiana System.NSU was founded in 1884 as...
in Natchitoches
Natchitoches, Louisiana
Natchitoches is a city in and the parish seat of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. Established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis as part of French Louisiana, the community was named after the Natchitoches Indian tribe. The City of Natchitoches was first incorporated on February...
. He has three children, Whitney Lauren Ater (born 1978) of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
from a first marriage, and Thomas Alan Ater (born 1987), and Elliott Andrew Ater (born 1989), from the second marriage, both of Ferriday. Thomas and Elliott both attend Mississippi State University
Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
in Starkville
Starkville, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 21,869 people, 9,462 households, and 4,721 families residing in the city. The population density was 851.4 people per square mile . There were 10,191 housing units at an average density of 396.7 per square mile...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
.
Ater's legacy
Sam Hanna, Jr., son of the late publisher Sam Hanna, Sr.Sam Hanna
Samuel Andrew Hanna, Sr., known as Sam Hanna , was a Louisiana journalist who owned and published three newspapers: The Concordia Sentinel in Ferriday, the Franklin Sun in Winnsboro, and The Ouachita Citizen in West Monroe.-Early years and education:Hanna was born in Winnsboro, the seat of Franklin...
, questioned why Ater walked away from "a promising political career more than 20 years in the making [to] head home to Concordia Parish--to Ferriday--to farm some 6,000 acres of land and tend to his other business interests? Well, Ater's no fool, and he recognized a dead-end job when he saw it in serving as secretary of state, especially on the heels of his performance during one of Louisiana's darkest moments. It's always best to leave while you're on top."
Ater remains an active Democratic donor, having contributed a total of $8,900 in 2008 to U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu
Mary Landrieu
Mary Loretta Landrieu is the senior United States Senator from the State of Louisiana and a member of the Democratic Party.Born in Arlington, Virginia, Landrieu was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana...
, the congressional campaign of Paul Carmouche
Paul Carmouche
Paul J. Carmouche is an American Lawyer who served as a five-term District Attorney for Caddo Parish, Louisiana from 1979 to 2009. Before his tenure as District Attorney, Carmouche graduated from Loyola University New Orleans Law School in 1969 and worked as an assistant in the District Attorney's...
of Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, for senatorial candidate Ronnie Musgrove
Ronnie Musgrove
David Ronald "Ronnie" Musgrove is an American politician who was the 29th Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi from January 16, 1996 to January 11, 2000 and the 62nd Governor of Mississippi from January 11, 2000 to January 13, 2004 of the U.S. state of Mississippi. He was recently defeated by...
of Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, and for the defeated Democrat Don Cazayoux
Don Cazayoux
Donald J. 'Don' Cazayoux, Jr. is a former Democratic U.S. Representative from Louisiana's 6th congressional district. He is currently US Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana....
in the Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
-based U.S. House district.
In 2009, Ater was among inductees into the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame
Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame
The Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame in Winnfield, Louisiana, highlights the careers of more than a hundred of the state’s leading politicians and political journalists. Because three governors, Huey P. Long, Jr., Oscar K...
in Winnfield
Winnfield, Louisiana
Winnfield is a city in and the parish seat of Winn Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,749 at the 2000 census. It has long been associated with the Long faction of the Louisiana Democratic Party and was home to three governors of Louisiana.-Geography:Winnfield is located at ...
.