Congress.wiki Beta

This is not an official government website. It is built by citizens, for citizens.

Copyright © 2025 PLEJ LC. All rights reserved.

AboutRoadmapPrivacy PolicyTerms of Service

Thomas Gerstle Abernethy

Democrat Representative of Mississippi's 1st district

  • Representative

    Mississippi, district 4

    January 6, 1943 - January 3, 1945

  • Representative

    Mississippi, district 4

    January 3, 1945 - January 3, 1947

  • Representative

    Mississippi, district 4

    January 3, 1947 - January 3, 1949

  • Representative

    Mississippi, district 4

    January 3, 1949 - January 3, 1951

  • Representative

    Mississippi, district 4

    January 3, 1951 - January 3, 1953

  • Representative

    Mississippi, district 1

    January 3, 1953 - January 3, 1955

  • Representative

    Mississippi, district 1

    January 5, 1955 - January 3, 1957

  • Representative

    Mississippi, district 1

    January 3, 1957 - January 3, 1959

  • Representative

    Mississippi, district 1

    January 7, 1959 - January 3, 1961

  • Representative

    Mississippi, district 1

    January 3, 1961 - January 3, 1963

  • Representative

    Mississippi, district 1

    January 9, 1963 - January 3, 1965

  • Representative

    Mississippi, district 1

    January 4, 1965 - January 3, 1967

  • Representative

    Mississippi, district 1

    January 10, 1967 - January 3, 1969

  • Representative

    Mississippi, district 1

    January 3, 1969 - January 3, 1971

  • Representative

    Mississippi, district 1

    January 21, 1971 - January 3, 1973

15

Congresses Served

15

House Terms

May 16, 1903 (95 years old)

Birthday

June 11, 1998

Death

  • Served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for 15 terms from 1943 to 1973.
  • Practiced law in Mississippi after graduating from Cumberland School of Law in 1924.
  • Held the position of district attorney for the third judicial district of Mississippi from 1936 to 1942.
  • Was a signatory of the 1956 Southern Manifesto, opposing the desegregation of public schools.
  • Voted against multiple Civil Rights Acts and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
  • Cited an anti-Semitic hoax during a congressional debate, claiming it as evidence of a foreign communist plot against the Civil Rights movement.
  • Expressed strong outrage over the 1967 USS Liberty incident, calling for accountability and investigation.
  • Proposed constitutional amendments related to school prayer and the election of the President and Vice President.
  • Retired to live in Mississippi after his congressional career and passed away in 1998.