| James Peter "J. P." Kent | |
| In office 1899–1903 | |
| Preceded by | Hugh M. Barnes |
|---|---|
| Succeeded by | A. M. Leary |
Louisiana State Representative
for Webster Parish | |
| In office 1916–1920 | |
| Preceded by | W. Burch Lee |
| Succeeded by | J. Frank Colbert |
| Born | January 1866 City missing, Alabama, USA |
| Died | April 27, 1937 (aged 71) Minden, Louisiana |
| Resting place | Minden Cemetery |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democrat |
| Spouse(s) | Ana Head Kent |
| Children | George Beverly Kent (1893-1927) James Kent, Jr. (1895-1936) |
| Occupation | Newspaperman |
James Peter Kent, Sr., known as J. P. Kent (January 1866 – April 27, 1937),[1] was a newspaper publisher and a Democratic politician in his adopted city of Minden in [Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana.
Kent biographical sketch
An Alabama native,[1] Kent was from 1894 to 1917 the editor and publisher of the long since defunct Minden Signal-Democrat,[2] a four-page weekly issued in Minden on Fridays. Kent purchased the paper from Thomas Wafer Fuller, a later state senator who then bought it back after Kent entered the Louisiana House of Representatives.[3] During a portion of Kent's tenure with The Signal-Democrat, the publication was in competition with T. J. Tabor's former Banner of Liberty newspaper, a four-page weekly released each Thursday.[4]
John Agan, the former Webster Parish historian, described Kent in a 2002 article as almost a "walking conflict of interest" because Kent held public printing contracts for the municipality of Minden, the Webster Parish School Board, and the Webster Parish Police Jury, the parish governing board akin to county commissions in other states. Kent was also at times an elected member of both the Minden City Council and the school board.[5] From 1916 to 1920, Kent served for one term as state representative during the administration of Governor Ruffin Golson Pleasant (1871-1937).[6] Earlier from 1899 to 1903, he was the mayor of Minden.
Kent and his successor, Mayor Alexander McIntyre Leary, both died in 1937, five months apart. Kent is interred at Minden Cemetery;[1] Leary, at Greenwood Cemetery in Shreveport.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 James Peter "J. P" Kent, Sr.. findagrave. Retrieved on February 11, 2021.
- ↑ About the Signal-Democrat. chroniclingamerica.loc.gov. Retrieved on February 11, 2021.
- ↑ "Signal Was Founded in Year 1864: Parish Owes Much to the Recording of This Paper," Minden Signal-Tribune and Springhill Journal, Historical Edition, April 30, 1971.
- ↑ (1897) American Newspaper Directory: Minden. New York City: George P. Rowell. Retrieved on February 11, 2021.
- ↑ Webster superintendent of schools: Part II of those who have held the post in the past. Minden Press-Herald. Retrieved on October 26, 2014; website no longer exists.
- ↑ Membership in the Louisiana House of Representatives, 1812-2024: Webster Parish. Louisiana House of Representatives. Retrieved on February 11, 2021.