Earl Williamson
Encyclopedia
Earl Guyton Williamson, Sr. (November 15, 1903 — December 9, 1992) was a prominent businessman and politician
in northern Caddo Parish, Louisiana
, from the 1930s until the 1970s. He was originally affiliated with the Long
faction within his state's dominant Democratic Party
and was a personal friend of both Huey Pierce Long, Jr.
, and Earl Kemp Long.
in Leake County
in central Mississippi
, near the larger city of Kosciusko
, to John and Mary Bertha Williamson. When his father died, Earl, went to work as a laborer to help support his mother and sibling
s. He was self-educated, even in the field of law. "He was always reading, studying, he was a great speaker and his English diction was perfect," recalled Donald Wayne "Don" Williamson
(born 1927), one of his seven children and the one who established a lengthy political career of his own. For a time, the attorney
Jasper K. Smith (June 20, 1905 - May 18, 1992), a former Vivian
mayor
and member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
, tutored Williamson and others in the law. Though Williamson never became a lawyer himself, his legal studies proved invaluable to him in the three political offices, two elected and one appointed, which he held.
On August 3, 1922, Williamson wed the former Mamie A. Greer (February 28, 1904-July 9, 1948). In addition to Don Williamson, they had three other sons: Earl G. Williamson, Jr. (born 1923), James Whitfield Williamson
(June 12, 1925—November 15, 2008), and David Williamson (born 1930) of Orange, Florida
, and a daughter, Velma Jean Williamson Bright (born 1932) of Longview
, Texas
. Williamson joined the United States Army
Air Corps after World War I
ended, and he learned to be a pilot. Thereafter, he and a brother-in-law, Joe Greer, entered the crop dusting business. After living for a time in Memphis, Tennessee
, Williamson relocated his family to the town of Vivian north of Shreveport in far northwestern Louisiana, where there was a demand for crop dusting. Thereafter, he became the Chevrolet
dealer in Vivian and successfully operated Williamson Motors for several decades.
During World War II
, Williamson worked for a time at the ammunition
plants in Minden
, the seat of Webster Parish, and in Karnack, Texas
. James Williamson recalled that his father drove a nine-passenger Chevrolet
station wagon
to and from the plant to provide transportation for other workers as well as himself. It was in part Williamson's way of supporting the war effort, James Williamson said. Don Williamson also noted that the dealership was losing money during World War II, and Earl Williamson had little choice but to work outside the business. James Williamson also recalled his father as a "humorous person who could tell jokes and draw crowds."
, Williamson was elected mayor and served for twelve nonconsecutive years, 1938—1946 and 1962—1966. During his tenure, the town built its city hall, community center, swimming pool
, and paved its streets. Early in his mayoral career, Williamson carried a gun for self-protection, for he had angered the criminal element by cleaning up rowdy conditions in certain Vivian bars. James Williamson, like his father, also served as Vivian mayor for nonconsecutive terms—between 1972 and 1986 and again for an interim period in 1998. James Williamson, like his father, was also a former alderman prior to his mayoral tenure.
. He was president of the police jury for eight one-year terms and was a staunch champion of rural development. He was also a vice president of the Louisiana Police Jury Association. After retiring in 1972, Williamson served an addiitional year on the jury from 1979-1980 to fill a vacancy. In total, he served forty years. When he finally left the police jury early in 1980, son James Williamson succeeded him for a single term (1980–1984).
Williamson served simultaneously in the parttime positions of Vivian mayor and the Caddo Parish Police Jury. The mayor's office paid a small salary, and the jury paid for per diem service when on official business. A court challenge clarified his right to hold both positions.
In 1962, Earl Williamson, still a police juror, regained the mayor's office for another term, but in 1966, he was defeated by fellow Democrat (later Republican
) James H. "Jimmy" Wilson, a Vivian grocer
and banker. Then when Wilson became state representative in 1972 as the successor to Don Williamson, James Williamson succeeded Wilson as mayor. In the 1975 primary, Don Williamson turned back Wilson's challenge to Williamson's own state Senate seat.
of Shreveport—1982 and 1986.
Don Williamson recalled his father's friendship with both Huey and Earl Long. Williamson, then no more than six years of age, said that he can recall Huey Long, with his entourage, driving into Vivian, picking up Don's father, Earl Williamson, and heading to the racetrack in Hot Springs
, Arkansas
. He remembers his father going with Earl Long to Long's "pea-patch farm" home in Winnfield
. Earl Williamson always stayed in the (former) governor's mansion during the Long administrations whenever he visited Baton Rouge. After the shooting of Huey Long in 1935, Earl Williamson rushed to Baton Rouge to be a part of what turned out to have been the death vigil of his fallen friend and political ally. Williamson said that some of these recollections were refreshed by family political stories.
Don Williamson said that he did not share his father's commitment to Longism, that he was more independent and reform-minded than his father and tried to look at issues and candidates on their merits without regard to overreaching factional or partisan concerns. Still, Don Williamson said that he understood how his father and others of that generation were attracted to Longism with its promise of homestead exemption
s and populist
programs.
Earl Williamson supported the States' Rights Party presidential nominee, then South Carolina
Governor Strom Thurmond
, in 1948. Turmond was actually the official Democratic nominee in Louisiana. Don Williamson said that he believes his father voted for Barry M. Goldwater in the 1964 presidential election over the successful Democrat, Lyndon B. Johnson
, but unlike other Caddo Parish Democrats , such as state Senator Jackson B. Davis
, who served from 1956–1980, and Sheriff J. Howell Flournoy
, who openly endorsed Goldwater, Wiliamson remained officially silent. And in 1992, Earl Williamson wore a button and carried a placard while in his wheelchair for the independent presidential candidate Ross Perot
. Don Williamson also recalled that his father, unlike most Democrats, strongly opposed U.S. President Harry Truman's dismissal of General Douglas MacArthur
from the U.S. Army command in the Korean War
.
, Williamson was named the director of highways for the Fourth Congressional District. He was actually offered the state highway directorship, which would have required relocation to Baton Rouge, but instead accepted the Shreveport-based position because of Mrs. Williamson's declining health at the time. Williamson hence simultaneoulsy promoted state highway development through his appointed position as he did parish road building and grading through his parttime police jury duties. In 1952, when Earl Long was succeeded as governor by the anti-Long Robert F. Kennon
of Minden, Williamson tendered his resignation as highway director to allow the new governor to choose his own appointee.
. He polled enough votes to enter the Democratic runoff primary but withdrew because he believed that he was too far behind the frontrunner, Shreveport attorney Harvey Broyles, to close the gap. Broyles was a nephew of former Longite Governor Oscar Kelly Allen of Winnfield. This particular north Louisiana-based PSC seat would be taken in 1954 by the Long-backed John Julian McKeithen
, a young attorney from Columbia
, the seat of Caldwell Parish, and the future governor (1964–1972). In 1963, Mayor and Police Juror Earl Williamson would work actively for McKeithen election as governor. Coincidentally, one of Don Williamson's Shreveport neighbors is a relative of Harvey Broyles.
(born 1957), is a businessman and a former city council member in Round Rock, Texas
, coincidentally located in populous Williamson County
north of Austin
. Clayton Lamar Williamson (born 1952) of Montgomery, Texas
, in the Houston
metro area, is a counselor and a former city manager
of three small Texas communities. Both Tedford and Clayton Williamson share the interests of their father and half-brothers in government and politics.
With his second marriage, Earl Williamson switched membership from the Baptist Church to her preferred Methodist denomination. In addition to her homemaking duties, the second Mrs. Williamson was a school secretary and a McKeithen-appointed member of the Caddo Parish Levee
Board.
nursing home
. Some nine months after Mrs. Williamson died, Earl Williamson expired in North Caddo Memorial Hospital after a long illness. Services were held in the McGuire Funeral Home Chapel in Vivian, with the Reverend Richard Beeman, associate pastor at First Baptist Church in Vivian, officiating. Burial was in Pine Park Cemetery in Vivian, with Masonic rites. Pallbearers were grandsons: Steve Williamson, Stan Williamson, Mark Bright, Guy Williamson, Randy Williamson, and Sol Hook. "Mr. Earl", as many affectionately knew him, is buried between his two wives in the Vivian Cemetery. His epitaph
reads "A servant of the people." A park in nearby Oil City
honors his memory.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in northern Caddo Parish, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, from the 1930s until the 1970s. He was originally affiliated with the Long
Huey Long
Huey Pierce Long, Jr. , nicknamed The Kingfish, served as the 40th Governor of Louisiana from 1928–1932 and as a U.S. Senator from 1932 to 1935. A Democrat, he was noted for his radical populist policies. Though a backer of Franklin D...
faction within his state's dominant Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
and was a personal friend of both Huey Pierce Long, Jr.
Huey Long
Huey Pierce Long, Jr. , nicknamed The Kingfish, served as the 40th Governor of Louisiana from 1928–1932 and as a U.S. Senator from 1932 to 1935. A Democrat, he was noted for his radical populist policies. Though a backer of Franklin D...
, and Earl Kemp Long.
Early years, self-education, family
Earl Williamson was born in tiny CarthageCarthage, Mississippi
Carthage is a city in Leake County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 4,637 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Leake County....
in Leake County
Leake County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 20,940 people, 7,611 households, and 5,563 families residing in the county. The population density was 36 people per square mile . There were 8,585 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile...
in central Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, near the larger city of Kosciusko
Kosciusko, Mississippi
Kosciusko is a city in Attala County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 7,372 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Attala County....
, to John and Mary Bertha Williamson. When his father died, Earl, went to work as a laborer to help support his mother and sibling
Sibling
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is called a brother; and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood socializing with one another...
s. He was self-educated, even in the field of law. "He was always reading, studying, he was a great speaker and his English diction was perfect," recalled Donald Wayne "Don" Williamson
Don W. Williamson
Donald Wayne Williamson, usually known as Don Williamson , is a semiretired American businessman in Shreveport, the seat of Caddo Parish and the largest city in north Louisiana, who served in both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature between 1968 and 1980...
(born 1927), one of his seven children and the one who established a lengthy political career of his own. For a time, the attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
Jasper K. Smith (June 20, 1905 - May 18, 1992), a former Vivian
Vivian, Louisiana
Vivian, is a town in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, United States and is home to the Red Bud Festival. The population was 4,031 at the 2000 census...
mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
and member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
, tutored Williamson and others in the law. Though Williamson never became a lawyer himself, his legal studies proved invaluable to him in the three political offices, two elected and one appointed, which he held.
On August 3, 1922, Williamson wed the former Mamie A. Greer (February 28, 1904-July 9, 1948). In addition to Don Williamson, they had three other sons: Earl G. Williamson, Jr. (born 1923), James Whitfield Williamson
James Whitfield Williamson
James Whitfield Williamson was a businessman and politician from north Caddo Parish in northwestern Louisiana, the scion of a prominent political family...
(June 12, 1925—November 15, 2008), and David Williamson (born 1930) of Orange, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, and a daughter, Velma Jean Williamson Bright (born 1932) of Longview
Longview, Texas
Longview is a city in Gregg and Harrison Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 80,455. Most of the city is located in Gregg County, of which it is the county seat; only a small part extends into the western part of neighboring Harrison County. It is...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Williamson joined the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
Air Corps after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
ended, and he learned to be a pilot. Thereafter, he and a brother-in-law, Joe Greer, entered the crop dusting business. After living for a time in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Williamson relocated his family to the town of Vivian north of Shreveport in far northwestern Louisiana, where there was a demand for crop dusting. Thereafter, he became the Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
dealer in Vivian and successfully operated Williamson Motors for several decades.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Williamson worked for a time at the ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
plants in Minden
Minden, Louisiana
Minden is a city in the American state of Louisiana. It serves as the parish seat of Webster Parish and is located twenty-eight miles east of Shreveport, the seat of Caddo Parish. The population, which has been stable since 1960, was 13,027 at the 2000 census...
, the seat of Webster Parish, and in Karnack, Texas
Karnack, Texas
Karnack is a rural unincorporated community in northeastern Harrison County near Caddo Lake in the eastern region of the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 775 at the 2000 census....
. James Williamson recalled that his father drove a nine-passenger Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
station wagon
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
to and from the plant to provide transportation for other workers as well as himself. It was in part Williamson's way of supporting the war effort, James Williamson said. Don Williamson also noted that the dealership was losing money during World War II, and Earl Williamson had little choice but to work outside the business. James Williamson also recalled his father as a "humorous person who could tell jokes and draw crowds."
Revitalizing Vivian, Louisiana
After service on the Vivian Town CouncilTown council
A town council is a democratically elected form of government for small municipalities or civil parishes. A council may serve as both the representative and executive branch....
, Williamson was elected mayor and served for twelve nonconsecutive years, 1938—1946 and 1962—1966. During his tenure, the town built its city hall, community center, swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
, and paved its streets. Early in his mayoral career, Williamson carried a gun for self-protection, for he had angered the criminal element by cleaning up rowdy conditions in certain Vivian bars. James Williamson, like his father, also served as Vivian mayor for nonconsecutive terms—between 1972 and 1986 and again for an interim period in 1998. James Williamson, like his father, was also a former alderman prior to his mayoral tenure.
Forty years on the Caddo Parish Police Jury
Earl Williamson was elected in 1933 to the Caddo Parish Police Jury (later the Caddo Parish Commission, the governing board of the parish). He served for thirty-nine years. At the time, there was no salary for police jury service but per diem pay when on official business. He did not seek a ninth four-year term in the 1971 Democratic primaryPrimary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
. He was president of the police jury for eight one-year terms and was a staunch champion of rural development. He was also a vice president of the Louisiana Police Jury Association. After retiring in 1972, Williamson served an addiitional year on the jury from 1979-1980 to fill a vacancy. In total, he served forty years. When he finally left the police jury early in 1980, son James Williamson succeeded him for a single term (1980–1984).
Williamson served simultaneously in the parttime positions of Vivian mayor and the Caddo Parish Police Jury. The mayor's office paid a small salary, and the jury paid for per diem service when on official business. A court challenge clarified his right to hold both positions.
In 1962, Earl Williamson, still a police juror, regained the mayor's office for another term, but in 1966, he was defeated by fellow Democrat (later Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
) James H. "Jimmy" Wilson, a Vivian grocer
Grocer
A grocer is a bulk seller of food. Beginning as early as the 14th century, a grocer was a dealer in comestible dry goods such as spices, pepper, sugar, and cocoa, tea and coffee...
and banker. Then when Wilson became state representative in 1972 as the successor to Don Williamson, James Williamson succeeded Wilson as mayor. In the 1975 primary, Don Williamson turned back Wilson's challenge to Williamson's own state Senate seat.
Williamson's ties to the Longs
Don Williamson served on the Caddo Parish School Board (1958–1968) and was a Louisiana state representative (1968–1972) and a state senator (1972–1980). He was an unsuccessful candidate for Louisiana insurance commissioner in 1979 and twice for mayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Shreveport—1982 and 1986.
Don Williamson recalled his father's friendship with both Huey and Earl Long. Williamson, then no more than six years of age, said that he can recall Huey Long, with his entourage, driving into Vivian, picking up Don's father, Earl Williamson, and heading to the racetrack in Hot Springs
Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs is the 10th most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Garland County, and the principal city of the Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area encompassing all of Garland County...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. He remembers his father going with Earl Long to Long's "pea-patch farm" home in Winnfield
Winnfield, Louisiana
Winnfield is a city in and the parish seat of Winn Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,749 at the 2000 census. It has long been associated with the Long faction of the Louisiana Democratic Party and was home to three governors of Louisiana.-Geography:Winnfield is located at ...
. Earl Williamson always stayed in the (former) governor's mansion during the Long administrations whenever he visited Baton Rouge. After the shooting of Huey Long in 1935, Earl Williamson rushed to Baton Rouge to be a part of what turned out to have been the death vigil of his fallen friend and political ally. Williamson said that some of these recollections were refreshed by family political stories.
Don Williamson said that he did not share his father's commitment to Longism, that he was more independent and reform-minded than his father and tried to look at issues and candidates on their merits without regard to overreaching factional or partisan concerns. Still, Don Williamson said that he understood how his father and others of that generation were attracted to Longism with its promise of homestead exemption
Homestead exemption
Homestead exemption is a legal regime designed to protect the value of the homes of residents from property taxes, creditors, and circumstances arising from the death of the homeowner spouse...
s and populist
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
programs.
Earl Williamson supported the States' Rights Party presidential nominee, then South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
Governor Strom Thurmond
Strom Thurmond
James Strom Thurmond was an American politician who served as a United States Senator. He also ran for the Presidency of the United States in 1948 as the segregationist States Rights Democratic Party candidate, receiving 2.4% of the popular vote and 39 electoral votes...
, in 1948. Turmond was actually the official Democratic nominee in Louisiana. Don Williamson said that he believes his father voted for Barry M. Goldwater in the 1964 presidential election over the successful Democrat, Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
, but unlike other Caddo Parish Democrats , such as state Senator Jackson B. Davis
Jackson B. Davis
Jackson Beauregard Davis is an American attorney based in Shreveport, Louisiana, who served as a Democrat in the Louisiana State Senate from 1956 to 1980. Now in his nineties, Davis still practices law and is active in community affairs, often addressing public gatherings...
, who served from 1956–1980, and Sheriff J. Howell Flournoy
J. Howell Flournoy
Joseph Howell Flournoy was the sheriff of Caddo Parish based in Shreveport, Louisiana, from 1940 until his death in office...
, who openly endorsed Goldwater, Wiliamson remained officially silent. And in 1992, Earl Williamson wore a button and carried a placard while in his wheelchair for the independent presidential candidate Ross Perot
Ross Perot
Henry Ross Perot is a U.S. businessman best known for running for President of the United States in 1992 and 1996. Perot founded Electronic Data Systems in 1962, sold the company to General Motors in 1984, and founded Perot Systems in 1988...
. Don Williamson also recalled that his father, unlike most Democrats, strongly opposed U.S. President Harry Truman's dismissal of General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
from the U.S. Army command in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.
As regional highway director
In 1948, when Earl Long returned to the governorship after having decisively defeated former anti-Long Governor Sam Houston Jones of Lake CharlesLake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...
, Williamson was named the director of highways for the Fourth Congressional District. He was actually offered the state highway directorship, which would have required relocation to Baton Rouge, but instead accepted the Shreveport-based position because of Mrs. Williamson's declining health at the time. Williamson hence simultaneoulsy promoted state highway development through his appointed position as he did parish road building and grading through his parttime police jury duties. In 1952, when Earl Long was succeeded as governor by the anti-Long Robert F. Kennon
Robert F. Kennon
Robert Floyd Kennon, Sr., known as Bob Kennon , was the 48th Governor of Louisiana, serving from 1952-1956. He failed to win a second non-consecutive term in the 1963 Democratic primary....
of Minden, Williamson tendered his resignation as highway director to allow the new governor to choose his own appointee.
Running for Louisiana Public Service Commission
Also in 1948, Earl Williamson waged an unsuccessful race for the Louisiana Public Service CommissionLouisiana Public Service Commission
Louisiana Public Service Commission is an independent regulatory agency which manages public utilities and motor carriers in Louisiana. The commission has five elected members chosen in single-member districts for staggered six-year terms...
. He polled enough votes to enter the Democratic runoff primary but withdrew because he believed that he was too far behind the frontrunner, Shreveport attorney Harvey Broyles, to close the gap. Broyles was a nephew of former Longite Governor Oscar Kelly Allen of Winnfield. This particular north Louisiana-based PSC seat would be taken in 1954 by the Long-backed John Julian McKeithen
John McKeithen
John Julian McKeithen was the 49th Governor of Louisiana, serving from 1964 to 1972. A Democrat from the town of Columbia, he was the first governor of his state in the twentieth century to serve two consecutive terms...
, a young attorney from Columbia
Columbia, Louisiana
Columbia is a town in and the parish seat of Caldwell Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 477 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Columbia is located at ....
, the seat of Caldwell Parish, and the future governor (1964–1972). In 1963, Mayor and Police Juror Earl Williamson would work actively for McKeithen election as governor. Coincidentally, one of Don Williamson's Shreveport neighbors is a relative of Harvey Broyles.
A second family
After the first Mrs. Williamson died, Earl Williamson remarried. The second match to the former Mary Jane Hearne (September 12, 1926—March 26, 1992), also her second marriage, produced Earl Williamson's two younger sons. Tedford Fielden WilliamsonTedford Williamson
Tedford Fielden Williamson, known as Ted Williamson , is a Texas businessman who is the scion of a politically-connected family from North Louisiana and himself a former member of the Round Rock, Texas, City Council. Round Rock is located along Interstate 35 in Williamson County north of the state...
(born 1957), is a businessman and a former city council member in Round Rock, Texas
Round Rock, Texas
Round Rock is a city in Travis and Williamson counties in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the metropolitan area. The 2010 census places the population at 99,887....
, coincidentally located in populous Williamson County
Williamson County, Texas
Williamson County is a county located on both the Edwards Plateau to the west, consisting of rocky terrain and hills, and Blackland Prairies in the east consising of rich, fertile farming land, The two areas are roughly bisected by Interstate 35...
north of Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. Clayton Lamar Williamson (born 1952) of Montgomery, Texas
Montgomery, Texas
Montgomery is a city located in Montgomery County, Texas. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 489. It is the birthplace of the Lone Star Flag of Texas.-History:...
, in the Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
metro area, is a counselor and a former city manager
City manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer or chief administrative officer in some municipalities...
of three small Texas communities. Both Tedford and Clayton Williamson share the interests of their father and half-brothers in government and politics.
With his second marriage, Earl Williamson switched membership from the Baptist Church to her preferred Methodist denomination. In addition to her homemaking duties, the second Mrs. Williamson was a school secretary and a McKeithen-appointed member of the Caddo Parish Levee
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
Board.
Death
Williamson spent his last years in declining health in a ShreveportShreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
nursing home
Nursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
. Some nine months after Mrs. Williamson died, Earl Williamson expired in North Caddo Memorial Hospital after a long illness. Services were held in the McGuire Funeral Home Chapel in Vivian, with the Reverend Richard Beeman, associate pastor at First Baptist Church in Vivian, officiating. Burial was in Pine Park Cemetery in Vivian, with Masonic rites. Pallbearers were grandsons: Steve Williamson, Stan Williamson, Mark Bright, Guy Williamson, Randy Williamson, and Sol Hook. "Mr. Earl", as many affectionately knew him, is buried between his two wives in the Vivian Cemetery. His epitaph
Epitaph
An epitaph is a short text honoring a deceased person, strictly speaking that is inscribed on their tombstone or plaque, but also used figuratively. Some are specified by the dead person beforehand, others chosen by those responsible for the burial...
reads "A servant of the people." A park in nearby Oil City
Oil City, Louisiana
Oil City is a town in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,219 at the 2000 census. Oil City is located on Louisiana Highway 1 north of Caddo Lake...
honors his memory.