Mark T. Carleton
Encyclopedia
Mark Thomas Carleton was an historian
who specialized in political studies of his native Louisiana
. From 1964 until his death at the age of sixty, he was a professor at Louisiana State University
in his native Baton Rouge
.
Carleton received his Bachelor of Arts
degree in 1957 from Yale University
in New Haven
, Connecticut
. He served thereafter in the United States Marine Corps
from 1957-1960. He earned a Master of Arts
in 1964 and a Ph.D.
in 1970, both from Stanford University
in Palo Alto
, California
.
Carleton served from 1973-1978 on the "good government" group, the Public Affairs Research Council. He left LSU in the 1976-1977 academic year to be the PAR director but returned to the history department in 1978.
In 1971, Carleton published his Politics and Punishment: The History of the Louisiana State Penal System (1971), with emphasis on the large prison farm at Angola
, bordered on three sides by the Mississippi River
. Carleton reports that nearly "overnight" in Louisiana and several other southern prisons, the inmate population became predominantly African American
. The prison was populated at first mostly by young men from farming backgrounds. Carleton claims that agriculture became key to southern prisons in the era after the American Civil War
. Convict labor and farm work became "synonymous terms in the public and political mind."
In 1975, Carleton co-edited with sociologist Perry H. Howard
and Joseph B. Parker the anthology
Readings in Louisiana Politics. His contribution includes a study of the three failed gubernatorial campaigns in 1956, 1960, and 1964 of the late New Orleans Mayor
deLesseps Story Morrison.
Carleton's other publications include:
He was active in the establishment at LSU of the T. Harry Williams Center for Oral History, named for T. Harry Williams
, the Midwestern-born historian known particularly for his studies of the American Civil War
and Huey Pierce Long, Jr. In 1992, he was elected president of the Louisiana Historical Association
.
In 1963, Carleton married the former Maureen O'Hearn, and they had three sons: Roderick Lewis, Michael Owen, and Mark Albert. The Carletons divorce
d in 1982.
Carleton's papers, consisting mainly of printed material, typescripts, and correspondence, were deposited with LSU. The materials include his career as a professor as well as his association with PAR.
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
who specialized in political studies of his native 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 1964 until his death at the age of sixty, he was a professor at Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
in his native Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
.
Carleton received his Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in 1957 from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in New Haven
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. He served thereafter in 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...
from 1957-1960. He earned a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in 1964 and a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in 1970, both from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in Palo Alto
Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Carleton served from 1973-1978 on the "good government" group, the Public Affairs Research Council. He left LSU in the 1976-1977 academic year to be the PAR director but returned to the history department in 1978.
In 1971, Carleton published his Politics and Punishment: The History of the Louisiana State Penal System (1971), with emphasis on the large prison farm at Angola
Louisiana State Penitentiary
The Louisiana State Penitentiary is a prison farm in Louisiana operated by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections. It is the largest maximum security prison in the United States with 5,000 offenders and 1,800 staff...
, bordered on three sides by the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. Carleton reports that nearly "overnight" in Louisiana and several other southern prisons, the inmate population became predominantly African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
. The prison was populated at first mostly by young men from farming backgrounds. Carleton claims that agriculture became key to southern prisons in the era after the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Convict labor and farm work became "synonymous terms in the public and political mind."
In 1975, Carleton co-edited with sociologist Perry H. Howard
Perry H. Howard
Perry Holbrook Howard was a sociologist known for his research in the field of Louisiana politics. He was a long-term professor at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, from which he received his Ph.D. in 1954. A native of Maine, Howard served for three years in the United States Navy in the...
and Joseph B. Parker the anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
Readings in Louisiana Politics. His contribution includes a study of the three failed gubernatorial campaigns in 1956, 1960, and 1964 of the late New Orleans Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
deLesseps Story Morrison.
Carleton's other publications include:
- River Capital: An Illustrated History of Baton Rouge (1981)
- Louisiana Politics: Festival in a Labyrinth (1982)
- Louisiana: A History (co-author, 1984)
He was active in the establishment at LSU of the T. Harry Williams Center for Oral History, named for T. Harry Williams
T. Harry Williams
Thomas Harry Williams was an award-winning historian at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge whose career began in 1941 and extended for thirty-eight years until his death at the age of seventy...
, the Midwestern-born historian known particularly for his studies of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and Huey Pierce Long, Jr. In 1992, he was elected president of the Louisiana Historical Association
Louisiana Historical Association
The Louisiana Historical Association is an organization of professional historians and interested laypersons dedicated to the preservation, publication, and dissemination of the history of the U.S. state of Louisiana, with particular emphasis at the inception on territorial, statehood, and the...
.
In 1963, Carleton married the former Maureen O'Hearn, and they had three sons: Roderick Lewis, Michael Owen, and Mark Albert. The Carletons divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
d in 1982.
Carleton's papers, consisting mainly of printed material, typescripts, and correspondence, were deposited with LSU. The materials include his career as a professor as well as his association with PAR.