Samuel Shepherd Caldwell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana | |
| In office 1934–1946 | |
| Preceded by | George W. Hardy, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Clyde Fant |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1892-11-04)November 4, 1892 |
| Died | August 14, 1953(1953-08-14) (aged 60) Shreveport, Louisiana |
| Party | Democratic Party |
| Spouse | Anna Pauline Owen Caldwell (married 1914-1953, his death) |
| Children | Betty Ann Caldwell Morgan Burke |
| Residence(s) | Shreveport, Louisiana |
| Alma mater | Louisiana Tech University |
| Occupation | Oilman |
Samuel Shepherd Caldwell (November 4, 1892 – August 14, 1953), was aLouisianaoilman and politician who served asmayor ofShreveport, Louisiana, from 1934 to 1946.[1]
Caldwell was an unusually staunch segregationist even for the era in theDeep South. In 1943, Caldwell chose to turn down $67,000 in federal funds for a new medical center because it would have required hiring 12 blacks out of every 100 workers.[2] (Shreveport was 37% African American in the 1940 census.)[3] "We are not going to be bribed by federal funds," Caldwell explained, "to accept the negro as our political or social equal"; federal officials would not "cram the negro down our throats."[2]
| Preceded by | Mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana 1934–1946 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Lee Emmett Thomas (1927) No LMA from 1928 to 1936 | President of the Louisiana Municipal Association 1937–1939 | Succeeded by J. Maxim Roy |
