PATMAN, WILLIAM NEFF (1927 ~ 2008). The following is an Associated Press article published after the death of former Texas Senator and U.S. Congressman William Neff Patman. The article was written by AP writer Suzanne Gamboa and it was published in a variety of formats.
"WASHINGTON — Bill Patman, a former Texas congressman and state senator who championed low-interest loan rates, has died. He was 81.
Patman died in Houston on Tuesday of stomach cancer, his daughter said.
Born in Texarkana March 26, 1927, Patman served in Congress as a Democrat for two terms from 1981 to 1985, but failed to win re-election to a third term. He also served in the Texas Senate from 1961 to 1980. In all, he won 19 elections, The Dallas Morning News reported on its Web site Wednesday.
'One of the things he was known for was his championing of low interest rates for home mortgages and there was always pressure in each Legislature to raise the limit and he always fought it,' said his daughter Carrin Patman, who lives in Houston.
The family said he once waged a 17-hour filibuster to keep Texas from raising its ceiling on mortgage rates.
'His gentle manner and ready smile veiled a will of steel when he felt his constituents were threatened by loan sharks, wasteful government, or other unacceptable legislation,' his family said in a statement.
His daughter said he had always been someone concerned about the lending practices of big banks and had long predicted that they would one day end up needing government bailouts.
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, called Patman a man of fierce independence and unquestioned integrity.
'Much of his legacy — fighting predatory lenders and warning of banks deemed 'too big to fail' — testifies to his foresight,' Doggett said. Congress this year approved a $700 billion financial sector bailout.
His family's statement also said Patman was a 'perennial victim' of the Texas Legislature's redistricting, with the boundaries of his district constantly shifting. He represented 30 different counties over the course of his career as a legislator and congressman.
He was the son of John Wright Patman, who served in Congress for 47 years, became the head of the House Banking Committee and helped write the Robinson-Patman Act, an antitrust law.
His wife, also named Carrin, said she and her husband were always politically active and Patman got the chance to vote in this year's elections. He remained a Democrat all his life and after first supporting Hillary Clinton, he backed President-elect Barack Obama, she said.
Patman is survived by his wife, who lives in Austin and his daughter. Memorial and burial plans are pending."
Further information is available through the Texas State Cemetery research department. |