H. M. Fowler
Encyclopedia
Hendrix Marion "Mutt" Fowler, Sr. (born February 13, 1918), is a retired Louisiana
politician
and businessman who served as mayor
of his small town of Coushatta
in Red River Parish, as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
, and later as the executive director of the Sabine River (port) Authority. Fowler's career ended in indictment
and a plea bargain
for the circumvention of state bid laws and dissatisfaction over his having allocated scarce public monies on low-priority projects. He eventually served forty-five days in the Sabine Parish jail
. Fowler was the third member of a family political dynasty
that also included two Louisiana elections commissioners, the second of whom was indicted, convicted, and imprisoned for bribery
and income tax evasion.
) located forty miles south of Shreveport
, to a family of two brothers and two sisters. His older brother, Wiley Douglas Fowler, Sr.
(1906–1980), was elected three times as the Red River Parish clerk of court (1940–1952) and later served two years as Coushatta's mayor (1952–1954). Douglas Fowler was elected as "custodian of voting machines" in the 1959-1960 Louisiana state election cycle and served until December 31, 1979, when ill health forced him to retire. His title had been changed to "elections commissioner" effective with his last term, which began in 1976.
Douglas Fowler was succeeded in the office by his younger son, Jerry Marston Fowler
(1940–2009), who, like his father, was elected five times. Jerry Fowler lost the jungle primary
in November 1999, amid allegations of impropriety which surfaced in the campaign. He was thereafter indicted, convicted, and imprisoned for bribery
and income tax evasion in connection with his official duties. Nevertheless, both Fowlers served in the elections position for a combination of just over four decades.
"Mutt" Fowler, the younger of three Fowler brothers, was in the insurance
business while his older brother Douglas staked out a political career. In the 1960s, "Mutt" was elected more than a decade after his brother had won the mayor's position. In the 1971-1972 election cycle, "Mutt" was elected to the legislature. He served until April 1, 1986, when he resigned in the middle of his fourth term to become executive director of the Sabine River Authority, a port commission on the Louisiana-Texas
border governed by an 11-member board based in Many
, the seat of Sabine Parish in western Louisiana.
instructor. Fowler's salary continued through March 31, when his three-year contract lapsed. Robert Gentry, then chairman of the Sabine River Authority's committee which screened the applications for general manager, said that Fowler had lost the confidence of the board. Katherine Fowler became irate over the developments and declared the allegations against her husband "all lies."
Months passed, and an intensive investigation began. In late 1990, the State of Louisiana announced that it would seek indictments against Fowler, his son "Buddy", and Ottis Lewing (born 1935), a Many contractor. Lewing later admitted to bid rigging. "Mutt" Fowler was accused of two counts of forgery and one count of splitting profits, fees, and commissions. "Buddy" Fowler was similarly charged with a single violation of splitting profits, fees, and commissions.
In March 1991, Fowler pleaded not guilty to the charges. In mid-October 1992, he made a plea bargain with the state in exchange for the dropping of the single charge against his son. He faced a maximum $1,000 fine, six months imprisonment, and $5,000 in reimbursement to the Sabine River Authority. Ultimately, Fowler served 90 days, with two years probation, $2,500 in restitution, and 1,000 hours of community service. The 90 days was cut in half because of labor performed while incarcerated.
accident. A graduate of Northwestern State University
in Natchitoches
. H.M., III, was at the time of his death the chief of Central Fire and Rescue in Coushatta.
Fowler was married for more than sixty years to the former Katherine Posey (March 25, 1917—September 30, 2007). Their daughter was Katherine Ann "Kathy" Fowler (March 29, 1946—April 24, 2006) Both Katherine Fowlers are interred in the family plot at Springville Cemetery just off U.S. Highway 71 in Coushatta.
Fowler is Methodist.
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...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and businessman who served as mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of his small town of Coushatta
Coushatta, Louisiana
Coushatta is a town in and the parish seat of rural Red River Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is situated on the east bank of the Red River. The community is approximately forty-five miles south of Shreveport on U.S. Highway 71...
in Red River Parish, as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
Louisiana House of Representatives
The Louisiana House of Representatives is the lower house in the Louisiana State Legislature, the state legislature of the US state of Louisiana. The House is composed of 105 Representatives, each of whom represents approximately 42,500 people . Members serve four-year terms with a term limit of...
, and later as the executive director of the Sabine River (port) Authority. Fowler's career ended in indictment
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
and a plea bargain
Plea bargain
A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case whereby the prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or to the original criminal charge with a recommendation of a lighter than the maximum sentence.A plea bargain allows criminal defendants to...
for the circumvention of state bid laws and dissatisfaction over his having allocated scarce public monies on low-priority projects. He eventually served forty-five days in the Sabine Parish jail
Jail
A jail is a short-term detention facility in the United States and Canada.Jail may also refer to:In entertainment:*Jail , a 1966 Malayalam movie*Jail , a 2009 Bollywood movie...
. Fowler was the third member of a family political dynasty
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
that also included two Louisiana elections commissioners, the second of whom was indicted, convicted, and imprisoned for bribery
Bribery
Bribery, a form of corruption, is an act implying money or gift giving that alters the behavior of the recipient. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined by Black's Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or...
and income tax evasion.
The Fowler political dynasty
Fowler was born in Coushatta, a rural community of some 2,200 residents (2000 censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
) located forty miles south of Shreveport
Shreveport, 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....
, to a family of two brothers and two sisters. His older brother, Wiley Douglas Fowler, Sr.
Douglas Fowler
Wiley Douglas Fowler, Sr. , was a local politician from rural Red River Parish in north Louisiana, a loyal supporter of Governor Earl Kemp Long, and his state's chief elections officer from 1959, until declining health forced his retirement, effective December 31, 1979...
(1906–1980), was elected three times as the Red River Parish clerk of court (1940–1952) and later served two years as Coushatta's mayor (1952–1954). Douglas Fowler was elected as "custodian of voting machines" in the 1959-1960 Louisiana state election cycle and served until December 31, 1979, when ill health forced him to retire. His title had been changed to "elections commissioner" effective with his last term, which began in 1976.
Douglas Fowler was succeeded in the office by his younger son, Jerry Marston Fowler
Jerry Fowler
Jerry Marston Fowler was a Baton Rouge businessman who served as Louisiana's state Elections Commissioner from 1980 until his defeat in the 1999 jungle primary. He was part of the Fowler family Democratic political dynasty...
(1940–2009), who, like his father, was elected five times. Jerry Fowler lost the jungle primary
Jungle primary
A nonpartisan blanket primary is a primary election in which all candidates for elected office run in the same primary regardless of political party. Under this system, the top two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the next round, as in a runoff election...
in November 1999, amid allegations of impropriety which surfaced in the campaign. He was thereafter indicted, convicted, and imprisoned for bribery
Bribery
Bribery, a form of corruption, is an act implying money or gift giving that alters the behavior of the recipient. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined by Black's Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or...
and income tax evasion in connection with his official duties. Nevertheless, both Fowlers served in the elections position for a combination of just over four decades.
"Mutt" Fowler, the younger of three Fowler brothers, was in the insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
business while his older brother Douglas staked out a political career. In the 1960s, "Mutt" was elected more than a decade after his brother had won the mayor's position. In the 1971-1972 election cycle, "Mutt" was elected to the legislature. He served until April 1, 1986, when he resigned in the middle of his fourth term to become executive director of the Sabine River Authority, a port commission on the Louisiana-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...
border governed by an 11-member board based in Many
Many, Louisiana
Many is a town in and the parish seat of Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,889 at the 2000 census. The town was named for John B. Many, the commander of nearby Fort Jesup.-History:...
, the seat of Sabine Parish in western Louisiana.
Fowler's troubles with Sabine Authority
Within two years, the Authority dismissed Fowler from his position amid allegations of hiring friends and relatives, including his son, H.M. "Buddy" Fowler, Jr. (born December 6, 1943), also of Coushatta. Fowler was accused of spending the Authority's limited funds on questionable undertaking, instead of needed access roads and boat lanes. He was also accused of circumventing state bid laws. The Authority announced on March 10, 1989, that Fowler's two-year contract would not be renewed and that he would be replaced by William Kratz, a then 66-year-old university mathematicsMathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
instructor. Fowler's salary continued through March 31, when his three-year contract lapsed. Robert Gentry, then chairman of the Sabine River Authority's committee which screened the applications for general manager, said that Fowler had lost the confidence of the board. Katherine Fowler became irate over the developments and declared the allegations against her husband "all lies."
Months passed, and an intensive investigation began. In late 1990, the State of Louisiana announced that it would seek indictments against Fowler, his son "Buddy", and Ottis Lewing (born 1935), a Many contractor. Lewing later admitted to bid rigging. "Mutt" Fowler was accused of two counts of forgery and one count of splitting profits, fees, and commissions. "Buddy" Fowler was similarly charged with a single violation of splitting profits, fees, and commissions.
In March 1991, Fowler pleaded not guilty to the charges. In mid-October 1992, he made a plea bargain with the state in exchange for the dropping of the single charge against his son. He faced a maximum $1,000 fine, six months imprisonment, and $5,000 in reimbursement to the Sabine River Authority. Ultimately, Fowler served 90 days, with two years probation, $2,500 in restitution, and 1,000 hours of community service. The 90 days was cut in half because of labor performed while incarcerated.
Deaths of family members
In 2005, H.M. Fowler, III (born April 18, 1975), Fowler's grandson and a son of "Buddy" and LaWanna Fowler, was killed in a motorcycleMotorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
accident. A graduate of Northwestern State University
Northwestern State University
Northwestern State University, known as NSU, is a four-year public university primarily situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana, with a nursing campus in Shreveport and general campuses in Leesville/Fort Polk and Alexandria. It is a part of the University of Louisiana System.NSU was founded in 1884 as...
in Natchitoches
Natchitoches, Louisiana
Natchitoches is a city in and the parish seat of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. Established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis as part of French Louisiana, the community was named after the Natchitoches Indian tribe. The City of Natchitoches was first incorporated on February...
. H.M., III, was at the time of his death the chief of Central Fire and Rescue in Coushatta.
Fowler was married for more than sixty years to the former Katherine Posey (March 25, 1917—September 30, 2007). Their daughter was Katherine Ann "Kathy" Fowler (March 29, 1946—April 24, 2006) Both Katherine Fowlers are interred in the family plot at Springville Cemetery just off U.S. Highway 71 in Coushatta.
Fowler is Methodist.