W. George Bowdon, Jr.
| William George Bowdon Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Alexandria, Rapides Parish, Louisiana, USA | |
|
In office 1953 – June 1969 |
|
| Preceded by | Carl B. Close |
| Succeeded by | Ed Karst |
| Louisiana State Representative from Rapides Parish | |
|
In office 1948–1952 |
|
| Preceded by |
At-large delegation, including: |
| Succeeded by |
At-large delegation: |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
October 18, 1921 Alexandria, Louisiana |
| Died | November 17, 2005 (aged 84) Alexandria, Louisiana |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) |
| Spouse(s) | Ina Smith "Smitty" Bowdon (married 1947–2005, his death) |
| Children |
W. George "Bill" Bowdon, III |
| Alma mater |
Bolton High School |
| Occupation | Real estate broker |
| Religion | United Methodist Church |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Rank | Captain |
| Battles/wars | Saipan and Tinian in World War II |
| Described by a friend as a "natural politician", Bowdon's career ended in scandal and a prison sentence. He rehabilitated his life in the real estate field. | |
At-large delegation, including:
C. H. "Sammy" Downs
At-large delegation:
Cecil R. Blair
James R. Eubank
Lloyd George Teekell
W. George "Bill" Bowdon, III
Two grandsons
W. George Bowdon, IV
Bolton High School
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
William George Bowdon Jr. (October 18, 1921 – November 17, 2005) was from 1953 to 1969 the Democratic mayor of his native Alexandria, the largest city in Central Louisiana. At thirty-one, he was (and remains) the youngest mayor in his city's history and the first to serve a four-year, instead of the previous two-year term.
Prior to his mayoralty, Bowdon had filled a single term in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1948 to 1952. He succeeded Carl B. Close and C. H. "Sammy" Downs and served alongside Lawrence T. Fuglaar and T. C. Brister, a hardware store owner in Pineville, Louisiana. Bowdon was the youngest person to hold the representative's position in Rapides Parish. One of his immediate House successors, Cecil R. Blair, later served for fourteen years in the Louisiana State Senate from Rapides Parish.
In 1939, Bowdon graduated from Bolton High School in Alexandria; among his classmates were Joe D. Smith Jr., later publisher of the Alexandria Daily Town Talk and the industrialist and philanthropist Roy O. Martin Jr. Bowdon thereafter attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, then known as Southwestern Louisiana Institute. He graduated, however, with a degree in government from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. After graduation, the 6'4", 210-pound Bowdon immediately joined the United States Marine Corps, with training at Parris Island, South Carolina, and served in the Pacific Theater of Operations in World War II, with duties in Saipan and Tinian. He was discharged with the rank of captain.
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