23 Facts About Cotton Ivy

Lamarse Howard "Cotton" Ivy was an American author, educator, entertainer, and politician who served in the Tennessee House of Representatives from the 63rd district from 1985 to 1989, as a member of the Democratic Party.

Cotton Ivy briefly worked as a teacher for two years before becoming an entertainer.

Cotton Ivy entered politics in the 1980s with his election to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1984.

Lamarse Howard Cotton Ivy was born in Decaturville, Tennessee, on May 15,1930, to Howard Cotton Ivy.

Cotton Ivy was given the nickname Cotton due to his premature white hair.

Cotton Ivy graduated from Decaturville High School and the University of Tennessee with a degree in agriculture education.

Cotton Ivy married Patricia Lou Joyner, with whom he had four children, on October 26,1949, in Corinth, Mississippi.

Cotton Ivy worked as a teacher for two years in the 1950s.

Cotton Ivy was given the National 4-H Club Alumnus Award in 1986.

Cotton Ivy made four albums with the booking agency Top Billing and was a member of the Country Music Association.

Cotton Ivy announced that he would not seek reelection in the 1988 election and was succeeded by Republican Steve McDaniel.

Cotton Ivy was appointed to serve on the Education and Transportation committees in 1985.

Cotton Ivy sought the position of Speaker of the House following the 1986 elections and wrote to other members of the state house asking for support to become Assistant Majority Leader.

Cotton Ivy was ranked as the eighty-third best member of the 94th General Assembly by the Nashville Banner.

In 1987, Cotton Ivy was appointed to serve on the Finance, Ways and Means, and Agriculture committees.

Cotton Ivy was the fifth person appointed to the cabinet by McWherter.

Cotton Ivy served as Commissioner of Agriculture until Governor Don Sundquist selected Dan Wheeler to succeed him in 1995.

Tommy Hooper, the chair of the Tennessee Republican Party, called for Cotton Ivy to resign after Cotton Ivy insulted Republicans during a forum in Chester County, Tennessee.

In 1985, Cotton Ivy was given a petition containing 1,243 signatures which opposed legislation requiring people to wear a seat belt.

Cotton Ivy opposed legislation requiring seat belts to be worn, despite having been hospitalized after a car crash, stating that he understood "that seat belts are important" and that he wished that the "whole country would wear 'em", but that he had a phobia towards wearing a seat belt.

Cotton Ivy offered an amendment to the legislation which would have excluded pickup trucks from the legislation, but it failed by a vote of forty-five to forty-three.

Cotton Ivy was named Outstanding Legislator of the Year by the Tennessee Forestry Association in 1987.

Cotton Ivy voted against legislation which would have increased the salaries of state legislators.