W. Peyton Cunningham

William Peyton Cunningham, Sr.
Louisiana State Representative from Natchitoches Parish
In office 1932–1940
Preceded by	Two-member delegation: Cecil B. McClung Edward C. Prudhomme
Succeeded by	Two-member delegation: Arthur C. Watson John O. Williams
Personal details
Born	(1901-10-20)October 20, 1901 Natchitoches Natchitoches Parish Louisiana, USA
Died	January 27, 1971(1971-01-27) (aged 69) Natchitoches, Louisiana
Resting place	Catholic Cemetery in Natchitoches
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Mildred Rosalind Hill Cunningham (married 1927-1971, his death)
Relations	Milton Joseph Cunningham (grandfather) William Tharp Cunningham (uncle) John William Payne (uncle) DeWitt T. Methvin, Jr. (son-in-law) Mildred Methvin (granddaughter)
Children	Lallah Hill Cunningham Methvin Retired Judge William Peyton Cunningham, Jr. John Hill Cunningham Joseph Payne Cunningham, Sr.
Parents	Charles Milton Cunningham Alicia Evelena Payne Cunningham
Occupation	Attorney
Religion	Roman Catholic

William Peyton Cunningham, Sr., known as W. Peyton Cunningham (October 20, 1901 – January 27, 1971) was an attorney from his native Natchitoches, Louisiana, who served as a Democrat from 1932 to 1940 in the Louisiana House of Representatives. He and Leon Friedman together represented Natchitoches Parish in the House for two terms.^[1]

Biography

Born to a prominent family and reared in Natchitoches, Cunningham was the second of eight children of Charles Milton Cunningham and the former Alicia Elevena Payne (1874-1961), popularly known as "Miss Lena".^[2] Peyton Cunningham was named after his great-grandfather, William Washington Peyton.^[3] His grandfather, Milton Joseph Cunningham, was a political figure in Natchitoches and New Orleans, who served from 1884 to 1888 and again from 1892 to 1900 as state attorney general.^[4]

Charles Milton Cunningham, who was born in New Orleans where his parents were then residing, founded the still published newspaper, The Natchitoches Times, which he edited until 1930, six years before his death.^[3] In 1915, following the death of Leopold Caspari, Charles Cunningham was elected to the Louisiana State Senate from Natchitoches Parish. He resigned the seat after seven years in 1922.^[5]

In 1927, W. Peyton Cunningham married Mildred Rosalind Hill (1901-1982), the daughter of Samuel Hyams Hill and the former Marie Atala Prudhomme. Prior to the marriage, she worked for the People's Bank in Natchitoches. Peyton Cunningham's uncle, William Tharp Cunningham, a former state House member and a judge in Natchitoches, helped to put his nephew through law school.^[6]

The Cunninghams had one daughter, Lallah Hill Cunningham Methvin (1929-2012), who was the mother of five children by the Alexandria attorney DeWitt Talmage Methvin, Jr., from whom she was divorced.^[7] Peyton and Mildred Cunningham had three sons, William Peyton Cunningham, Jr., a retired judge, John Hill Cunningham, and Joseph Payne Cunningham, Sr.^[2]

In addition to his legal practice, Cunningham had a great interest in history and the outdoors. He purchased land in the Kisatchie National Forest, cleared the undergrowth and constructed a road to a sandy creek on the property. The family met at Kisatchie for Sunday picnics and holidays.^[2]

A Roman Catholic, Cunningham, his wife, his parents, and daughter are interred at Catholic Cemetery in Natchitoches.^[7]

References