Fats Everett

{{about|the U.S. Congressman from Tennessee|the U.S. Congressman from Alabama|Terry Everett| other people of the same name|Robert Everett (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Robert Ashton "Fats" Everett

| image = Robert Ashton Everett.jpg

| state = Tennessee

| district = 8th

| term_start = February 1, 1958

| term_end = January 26, 1969

| preceded = Jere Cooper

| succeeded = Ed Jones

| birth_date = {{birth date text|February 24, 1915}}

| death_date = {{death-date and age|January 26, 1969|February 24, 1915}}

| birth_place = Obion County, Tennessee, U.S.

| death_place = Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.

| spouse =

| profession = Attorney

| party = Democratic

| alma_mater = Murray State University

| nickname =

| allegiance = {{flagicon|United States|1912}} United States

| branch = United States Army

| serviceyears = 1942–1945

| rank =

| unit =

| commands =

| battles = World War II

| awards =

}}

Robert Ashton "Fats" Everett (February 24, 1915 – January 26, 1969) was an American Democratic Congressman from Tennessee from February 1, 1958, until his death in 1969.

Biography

Everett was a native of Obion County, Tennessee, being born on a farm near Union City. He was a 1936 graduate of Murray State College (now Murray State University), in Murray, Kentucky.

Career

Elected to the Obion County Court (now called County Commission) in 1936, Everett was then elected, in 1938 as Obion County Circuit Court Clerk. During World War II, he served in the United States Army from 1942 to 1945. After the war he was an administrative assistant to Senator Tom Stewart from 1945 to 1949, and to Governor Gordon Browning from 1950 to 1952. Afterwards, he became executive secretary of the Tennessee County Services Association.{{cite web|title=Fats Everett|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=E000266|publisher=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress|access-date=15 May 2013}}

In 1958, Everett entered the contest for the Eighth Congressional District seat of Jere Cooper, who had died in office. He won the special election and served the balance of Cooper's term and five subsequent terms, serving from February 1, 1958, until his death in the first month of his seventh term.{{cite web|title=Fats Everett|url=http://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/robert_everett/403946|publisher=Govtrack US Congress|access-date=15 May 2013}} Like the voters of his district, he was predominantly a conservative, largely reflecting the views of his party's Southern wing.

Death

Everett died of pneumonia and flu complications at Veterans Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee on January 26, 1969.Rep. Everett Dies after Flu Attack; Kingsport Times; Kingsport, Tennessee; Page 1; January 27, 1969 He is interred at East View Cemetery in Union City.{{cite web|title=Fats Everett|url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/everett.html|publisher=The Political Graveyard|access-date=15 May 2013}} There is a statue of him at the Obion County Courthouse in Union City, Tennessee.{{cite web|title=Fats Everett|date=30 January 2012 |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/bamaboy1941/6871285893/in/photostream/|publisher=flickr.com|access-date=15 May 2013}}