Lester Bates
Influential Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina
About Lester Bates
Lived 1904 – 1988 (aged 83). Lester Bates was an insurance broker.
Lester Lee Bates Sr. (September 7, 1904 – February 24, 1988) was an insurance agent who served as the mayor of Columbia, South Carolina. He served three terms as Columbia's mayor. Before that he served on the city council.
He was born in the Hell Hole Swamp area to Alfred G. Bates and Ella Cumbee. He helped establish the Columbia Metropolitan Airport in 1962, Lester Bates Park is named for him. A section of Freeway is named for him.
He married Julia Burk and they had two children.
Lester Bates Jr. was a lawyer, judge, and historian.
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Important facts
People in Lester Bates's life
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Lester Bates?
influential Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina
When was Lester Bates born?
Lester Bates was born on 7 September 1904.
When did Lester Bates die?
Lester Bates died on 24 February 1988.
What was Lester Bates's occupation?
Lester Bates was an insurance broker.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Lester Bates. https://biography.guide/lester-bates/
MLA: "Lester Bates." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/lester-bates/.
Chicago: "Lester Bates." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/lester-bates/.
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