John T. David
Encyclopedia
John Thomas David, Sr. was the Democratic
mayor
of the small city
of Minden
, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana
, from 1946-1955. After scandal forced him from the mayor's office, he remained the chief of the Minden Volunteer Fire Department (1934–1971) and served three terms as well on the Webster Parish Police Jury from 1956-1968 (equivalent to county commission
in other states). As mayor, David sought to increase available housing in the post-World War II
era when military personnel returned home, married, and started families.
, a former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
, did not seek reelection in 1946. David and three other candidates, insurance
agent Castle O. Holland (1895–1981), former Mayor David William Thomas
, and businessman Homer D. Acklen, hence entered the Democratic primary. Holland, who had been a member of the United States Marine Corps
during World War I
, was active in the American Legion
, the Minden Chamber of Commerce
, and the Lions Club. He was later named president of the former People's Bank and Trust Company in Minden. Holland led David in the primary by 19 votes, and the two entered a May 7 runoff election, in which David prevailed, 1,064-844. Once in office, David and the new streets and parks commissioner, Jack Batton
, a future mayor, procured council passage of a plan to blacktop eight miles of dirt streets in the city. The project began with the link from Bayou Avenue to the Minden Cemetery. That initial phase was completed in three months.
In 1950, David narrowly won his third term as mayor in a runoff, again, against banker C.O. Holland, 1,172 to 1,039 votes. A 27-year-old attorney, A. Eugene Frazier, had been eliminated in the first round of primary voting. In 1952, David again was a narrow winner for another two-year- mayoral term. In the primary, David led A. Eugene Frazier, who made a second mayoral bid, this time on a platform calling for flouridation of municipal water, and another young lawyer, Henry G. Hobbs. The tabulations were 1,257 to 1,171 to 296, respectively. In the runoff election on May 13, David defeated Frazier, 1,593 to 1,250.
On July 1, 1954, David was sworn in to his fifth two-year term as mayor. He had defeated by 87 votes business
man and furniture
store owner Paul Wallace (1896–1969), a former member of the Minden City Council
. The tally in the April 6 Democratic primary was, 1,437 (51.6 percent) to 1,350 (48.4 percent). In his last race for mayor, David ran an advertisement in the local newspaper
proclaiming himself as "Fair, Courteous, Impartial, Independent." David advocated a four-year term for the office of mayor, a change approved by the Louisiana State Legislature
.
On February 23, 1955, David resigned as mayor when the Louisiana Supreme Court
upheld his conviction of two misdemeanor
s for illegal liquor sales in his Minden drugstore
, a common practice known as bootlegging
in a prohibition
city. Judge
James E. Bolin, Sr.
, sentenced David to a $600 fine and 120 days at the Webster Parish Penal Farm. His resignation was confirmed in a February 23, 1955, letter to then Governor Robert F. Kennon
, ironically himself a former mayor of Minden. The penal farm is managed by the police jury, the body to which David was elected in 1956, 1960, and 1964. In his first term on the police jury, David served from the former Ward 4 with Leland G. Mims
, W. Nick Love, and Claude R. Huckaby.
David had been allied with pro-Long elements within the Democratic Party but had not been an open enemy of the hometown Governor Kennon, then a leader of the anti-Long faction
of the dominant party. Anti-Long elements in Minden sought to remove David as mayor, and the state police raid which netted David in November 1954 proved fortuitous from their standpoint.
Paul Wallace ran in the special election to complete David's term but was again defeated. Businessman Jasper Goodwill
prevailed over Wallace, 944 (52.4 percent) to 858 (47.6 percent).
On April 7, 1962, David attempted a comeback in the Democratic primary for mayor but lost to incumbent Frank T. Norman
, 1,536 to 578. A third candidate, W.O. Cook, polled 236 votes.
in Minden and was part-owner with Harold Martin Turner (1911–1988) of the former Southern Kitchen Restaurant in Minden. He was a member of the Emmanuel Baptist
Church on the Homer Road in Minden. David and his wife, the former Irma Mizell (February 5, 1903—September 29, 1989), had a son, John T. David, Jr. (November 12, 1922—September 15, 1991), a corporal
during World War II.
John David, Jr., and wife, Yvonne David, had four children, Mayor David's grandchildren: Johnny Ross David (born 1943), Dinah David Garcia (born 1947), Sally Irene David (born 1957), and Joe David, and six great-grandchildren. He also had two brothers, Larkin C. David (February 16, 1902—July 12, 1988) and J.B. David, and five sisters. John David's niece, Leatrice David West, was the daughter-in-law of Minden department store
owner H.O. West. David died in Minden Medical Center and was interred in the family plot at the Minden Cemetery
.
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...
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 the small city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
of 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 in northwestern 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 1946-1955. After scandal forced him from the mayor's office, he remained the chief of the Minden Volunteer Fire Department (1934–1971) and served three terms as well on the Webster Parish Police Jury from 1956-1968 (equivalent to county commission
County commission
A county commission is a group of elected officials charged with administering the county government in local government in some states of the United States. County commissions are usually made up of three or more individuals...
in other states). As mayor, David sought to increase available housing in the post-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...
era when military personnel returned home, married, and started families.
Mayoral races
Mayor J. Frank ColbertJ. Frank Colbert
Jefferson Franklin Colbert, known as J. Frank Colbert , was a Democratic politician who served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1920–1925 and from 1944-1946 as the mayor of the small city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana.-Background:Colbert was born in...
, a former 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...
, did not seek reelection in 1946. David and three other candidates, 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...
agent Castle O. Holland (1895–1981), former Mayor David William Thomas
David William Thomas
David William Thomas, Sr. , was a Welsh-American "Renaissance man", journalist, university professor and attorney who served from 1936—1940]] as mayor of the small city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana.-Early years and education:A native of Cardiff, Wales,...
, and businessman Homer D. Acklen, hence entered the Democratic primary. Holland, who had been a member of the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
during 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...
, was active in the American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
, the Minden Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
, and the Lions Club. He was later named president of the former People's Bank and Trust Company in Minden. Holland led David in the primary by 19 votes, and the two entered a May 7 runoff election, in which David prevailed, 1,064-844. Once in office, David and the new streets and parks commissioner, Jack Batton
Jack Batton
Jack Batton was a small businessman who served as the Democratic mayor of the small city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana, for a single term from 1978–1982.-Early years:...
, a future mayor, procured council passage of a plan to blacktop eight miles of dirt streets in the city. The project began with the link from Bayou Avenue to the Minden Cemetery. That initial phase was completed in three months.
In 1950, David narrowly won his third term as mayor in a runoff, again, against banker C.O. Holland, 1,172 to 1,039 votes. A 27-year-old attorney, A. Eugene Frazier, had been eliminated in the first round of primary voting. In 1952, David again was a narrow winner for another two-year- mayoral term. In the primary, David led A. Eugene Frazier, who made a second mayoral bid, this time on a platform calling for flouridation of municipal water, and another young lawyer, Henry G. Hobbs. The tabulations were 1,257 to 1,171 to 296, respectively. In the runoff election on May 13, David defeated Frazier, 1,593 to 1,250.
On July 1, 1954, David was sworn in to his fifth two-year term as mayor. He had defeated by 87 votes business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
man and furniture
Furniture
Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
store owner Paul Wallace (1896–1969), a former member of the Minden City Council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
. The tally in the April 6 Democratic primary was, 1,437 (51.6 percent) to 1,350 (48.4 percent). In his last race for mayor, David ran an advertisement in the local newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
proclaiming himself as "Fair, Courteous, Impartial, Independent." David advocated a four-year term for the office of mayor, a change approved by the Louisiana State Legislature
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...
.
On February 23, 1955, David resigned as mayor when the Louisiana Supreme Court
Louisiana Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Louisiana is the highest court and court of last resort in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The modern Supreme Court, composed of seven justices, meets in the French Quarter of New Orleans....
upheld his conviction of two misdemeanor
Misdemeanor
A misdemeanor is a "lesser" criminal act in many common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished much less severely than felonies, but theoretically more so than administrative infractions and regulatory offences...
s for illegal liquor sales in his Minden drugstore
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
, a common practice known as bootlegging
Rum-running
Rum-running, also known as bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law...
in a prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
city. Judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
James E. Bolin, Sr.
James E. Bolin
James Edwin Bolin, Sr. was an American jurist and politician who served as a judge of the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal and Louisiana Supreme Court as well as a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in the northwestern part...
, sentenced David to a $600 fine and 120 days at the Webster Parish Penal Farm. His resignation was confirmed in a February 23, 1955, letter to then Governor 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....
, ironically himself a former mayor of Minden. The penal farm is managed by the police jury, the body to which David was elected in 1956, 1960, and 1964. In his first term on the police jury, David served from the former Ward 4 with Leland G. Mims
Leland G. Mims
Leland Garland Mims was a Minden, Louisiana, businessman and civic leader who served as a member of the Webster Parish Police Jury from 1953–1976 and as president of the body from 1956-1973...
, W. Nick Love, and Claude R. Huckaby.
David had been allied with pro-Long elements within the Democratic Party but had not been an open enemy of the hometown Governor Kennon, then a leader of the anti-Long faction
Political faction
A political faction is a grouping of individuals, such as a political party, a trade union, or other group with a political purpose. A faction or political party may include fragmented sub-factions, “parties within a party," which may be referred to as power blocs, or voting blocs. The individuals...
of the dominant party. Anti-Long elements in Minden sought to remove David as mayor, and the state police raid which netted David in November 1954 proved fortuitous from their standpoint.
Paul Wallace ran in the special election to complete David's term but was again defeated. Businessman Jasper Goodwill
Jasper Goodwill
Jasper Goodwill served from 1955 to 1958 as the Democratic mayor of the small city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana...
prevailed over Wallace, 944 (52.4 percent) to 858 (47.6 percent).
On April 7, 1962, David attempted a comeback in the Democratic primary for mayor but lost to incumbent Frank T. Norman
Frank T. Norman
Francis Toadvin Norman, known as Frank T. Norman , was a Democratic mayor of the small city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana, from 1958-1966. From 1952-1958, Norman had served on the Minden City Council as the then public safety commissioner under the since disbanded...
, 1,536 to 578. A third candidate, W.O. Cook, polled 236 votes.
Personal life
In addition to his David Drugs, he operated David FurnitureFurniture
Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
in Minden and was part-owner with Harold Martin Turner (1911–1988) of the former Southern Kitchen Restaurant in Minden. He was a member of the Emmanuel Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Church on the Homer Road in Minden. David and his wife, the former Irma Mizell (February 5, 1903—September 29, 1989), had a son, John T. David, Jr. (November 12, 1922—September 15, 1991), a corporal
Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
during World War II.
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
owner H.O. West. David died in Minden Medical Center and was interred in the family plot at the Minden Cemetery
Minden Cemetery
The Minden Cemetery, located in Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana, United States, has graves dating from 1843, seven years after the founding of the city in 1836...
.