Jerry Litton

Litton was born near Lock Springs, Daviess County, Missouri, in a house without electricity. He was national secretary of the Future Farmers of America (1956–1957), and graduated from the University of Missouri in 1961 with a B.S. in Journalism. He was president of the University of Missouri Young Democrats and chair of the National Youth for Stuart Symington during Symington's unsuccessful 1960 run for U.S. President. Litton served as President of the Theta chapter of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity.[http://www.mizzouagr.com/page.php?parent_id=&page_id=2772 Mizzouag.com]{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

He made his fortune raising cattle at the Litton Charolais Cattle Ranch in Chillicothe, Missouri. This ranch was maintained as a beautiful showplace where he entertained both the well-connected and constituents. Litton made a point to bring schoolchildren and low-level local leaders to his home. Before he began his political career, he was active in promoting youth involvement in leadership in agriculture and rural communities. His family (including his parents, Mildred and Charley Litton) was very prominent in the Charolais cattle business.

Litton was elected to the U.S. House as a Democrat in 1972. He was considered a rising star in the Democratic Party, and his television show Dialogue with Litton was broadcast statewide. Among the guests were Jimmy Carter, former Vice President Hubert Humphrey, Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz, Congressman Tip O'Neill, and House Speaker Carl Albert.{{Cite web |url=http://shs.umsystem.edu/manuscripts/invent/3730.pdf |title=SHSMO-Columbia-Jerry L. Litton, Papers, 1960-1976 (C3730)-INVENTORY |access-date=June 21, 2013 |archive-date=February 28, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130228040145/http://shs.umsystem.edu/manuscripts/invent/3730.pdf |url-status=dead }}

Green bumper stickers (like those used in his prior Congressional campaigns) circulated in the state, saying "Litton for President".[http://leighannlittle.com/ The World According to Leigh Ann Little] Jimmy Carter said that he thought Litton would be president one day.[http://www.chillicotheschools.org/Litton/lhistory.htm History of the Litton Agri-Science Learning Center] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071008215814/http://www.chillicotheschools.org/Litton/lhistory.htm |date=2007-10-08}}

{{main|1976 United States Senate election in Missouri}}

In 1976, after only two terms in the House of Representatives, Litton entered into what amounted to a three-way Democratic Party primary race for the U.S. Senate seat of retiring Senator Stuart Symington. The other major contestants were Symington's son James W. Symington and former Missouri Governor Warren Hearnes. Final election results showed Congressman Litton winning with 45.39%, former Governor Warren Hearnes second at 26.38%, and Congressman James Symington finishing third with 25.16% of the statewide vote.{{cite web |title=1976 Senatorial Democratic Primary Election Results – Missouri |url=http://www.uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?fips=29&year=1976&f=0&off=3&elect=1 |publisher=Uselectionatlas.org |date=2007-04-20 |access-date=2010-03-16}} Seven other candidates, including Kansas City, Missouri Mayor Charles Wheeler, split the remaining 4 percent of the vote.{{cite web |title=MO US Senate – D Primary Race – Aug 03, 1976 |url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=230003 |publisher=Our Campaigns |access-date=2010-03-16}}

Litton won the primary but died on August 3, 1976,[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LYhQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=f10DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5420,3008508&dq=jerry+litton+dies&hl=en Rep. Litton dies in plane crash, as he wins voting] St. Petersburg Times - August 5, 1976 along with his entire family (wife Sharon and their two children, Linda and Scott), pilot Paul Rupp Jr., and the pilot's son, Paul Rupp III, as they departed the airport for a victory party in Kansas City. Their plane, a Beechcraft Model 58 Baron, crashed on take-off from the Chillicothe airport shortly after 9 p.m. on election night. The investigation into the crash determined the twin-engine plane broke a crankshaft in the left engine. The plane was about {{convert|100|to|150|feet}} above the airport's only hard-surfaced runway when the engine failed. The plane veered to the left and crashed rapidly into a soybean field, where it exploded on impact, burning all victims beyond recognition. The NTSB reported that the pilot did not retract the wheels when the engine cut off and that this contributed to the sudden loss of control. The report said the plane had been airborne for only 19 seconds before striking the ground. The plane was owned by Rupp Automotive, which was the car parts store owned by Rupp.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=MI1jAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uHkNAAAAIBAJ&pg=5279,1657208&dq=litton+crankshaft&hl=en Engine failure during takeoff killed Litton] The Telegraph - August 11, 1976[http://planecrashinfo.com/famous1970s.htm planecrashinfo.com Famous People Who Died in Aviation Accidents: 1970s]

The State Democratic Committee held a vote on a new nominee on August 21, and Hearnes defeated Missouri State Treasurer Jim Spainhower, garnering 63.3% of the vote. Hearnes lost the general election to Missouri Attorney General John Danforth, who garnered 56.93% of the vote.{{cite web |title=MO US Senate Race – Nov 02, 1976 |url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=6284 |publisher=Our Campaigns |access-date=2010-03-16}}

A museum of Litton memorabilia was opened in the Jerry L. Litton Visitor Center near the dam at Smithville Lake in Smithville, Missouri.[https://web.archive.org/web/20040101174741/http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/smithville/visitorc.htm Jerry L. Litton Visitor Center] (archived from [https://web.archive.org/web/20001210173000/http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/Smithville/visitorc.htm the original], October 2002)

• List of United States Congress members who died in office (1950–99)

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.nytimes.com/1976/08/05/archives/death-of-missouri-winner-roils-democratic-politics-death-of-winner.html Death of Missouri Winner Roils Democratic Politics]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20041221195800/http://www.umsystem.edu/whmc/Mohist/aug3.html More on Congressman Litton]
• [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=L000360 Congressional biography]
• {{Find a Grave|22940}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070627012505/http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/smithville/visitorc.htm Litton Center, Smithville, MO]

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{{s-ttl|title=Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Missouri's 6th congressional district|years=1973–1976}}

{{s-aft|after=Tom Coleman}}

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{{s-bef|before=Stuart Symington}}

{{s-ttl|title=Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from Missouri
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{{s-aft|after=Warren E. Hearnes}}

{{s-end}}

{{USCongRep-start|congresses= 93rd–94th United States Congress |state=Missouri}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Litton, Jerry}}

Category:1937 births

Category:1976 deaths

Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1976

Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in the United States

Category:University of Missouri alumni

Category:Ranchers from Missouri

Category:People from Daviess County, Missouri

Category:Accidental deaths in Missouri

Category:Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri

Category:People from Chillicothe, Missouri

Category:20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives