William Lorenzo Howard, known as W. L. "Jack" Howard (April 23, 1921 – November 11, 2004), was a five-term
Democratic mayor of
Monroe,
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
, who served from 1956 to 1972 and again from 1976 to 1978. He was a partner in the former
Howard Brothers Discount Stores
Howard Brothers Discount Stores (informally known as Howard Brothers and Howard's) was a chain of discount stores in the Southeastern United States. The chain was founded in 1959 by Alton Hardy Howard and W. L. "Jack" Howard, a five-term mayor of ...
, which at their peak had eighty-seven outlets throughout the
American South
The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...
.
Background
Howard was the fifth of seven children born in the Rocky Branch community near
Farmerville in
Union Parish
Union Parish ( French: ''Paroisse de l'Union'') is a parish located in the north central section of the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,107. The parish seat is Farmerville. The parish was created on Ma ...
in
North Louisiana
North Louisiana (french: Louisiane du Nord), also known locally as Sportsman's Paradise, (a name sometimes attributed to the state as a whole) is a region in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The region has two metropolitan areas: Shreveport-Bossier Ci ...
, to a
Church of Christ Church of Christ may refer to:
Church groups
* When used in the plural, a New Testament designation for local groups of people following the teachings of Jesus Christ: "...all the churches of Christ greet you", Romans 16:16.
* The entire body of Ch ...
couple, Elisha John "Hardy" Howard (1889-1974) and the former Corrine Smith (1888-1971). An older brother,
Verna Elisha Howard, was a
radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...
minister for more than four decades who in
Texarkana,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, founded the ''International Gospel Hour''. A younger brother,
Alton Hardy Howard
Alton Hardy Howard (March 28, 1925 – October 29, 2006) was a businessman, author, and a gospel songwriter from West Monroe in Ouachita Parish in northeastern Louisiana.
Background
Howard was the sixth of seven children born in the Rocky Bra ...
of
West Monroe, was his business partner. Still another younger brother, Kelton Leroy Howard (1928-1994), died exactly two weeks after Howard's own passing.
Howard served in the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Prior to his election as mayor at the age of thirty-five, he had been a president of the
Louisiana Jaycees and a vice-president of the national organization. He and his brother Alton operated Howard Brothers Jewelers in Monroe and in 1959 launched the first Howard Brothers general merchandise outlet in West Monroe. Thereafter, the pair obtained the first Gibson franchise, the forerunner to the Howard Brothers discount
chain store
A chain store or retail chain is a retail outlet in which several locations share a brand, central management and standardized business practices. They have come to dominate the retail and dining markets and many service categories, in many pa ...
s. The brothers also had a Super Saver Wholesale Warehouse Club,
['']Monroe News-Star
Monroe or Monroes may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Monroe (surname)
* Monroe (given name)
* James Monroe, 5th President of the United States
Places United States
* Monroe, Arkansas, an unincorporated community and census-designat ...
'', November 12, 1994 but in time they could not compete with
Sam Walton
Samuel Moore Walton (March 29, 1918 – April 5, 1992)
was an American business magnate best known for founding the retailers Walmart and Sam's Club, which he started in 1962 and 1983 respectively. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. grew to be the world's l ...
's much larger
Wal-Mart
Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
and
Sam's Club
Sam's West, Inc. (doing business as Sam's Club) is an American chain of membership-only retail warehouse clubs owned and operated by Walmart Inc., founded in 1983 and named after Walmart founder Sam Walton as Sam’s Wholesale Club. , Sam's Cl ...
, which opened stores in much smaller cities.
Howard was heavily involved in activities of the Forsythe Avenue Church of Christ in Monroe. He was the chairman of the board of the Church of Christ-affiliated
Harding University
Harding University is a private university with its main campus in Searcy, Arkansas. It is the largest private university in Arkansas. Established in 1924, the institution offers undergraduate, graduate, and pre-professional programs. The uni ...
, then Harding College in
Searcy in
White County,
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
. He worked to develop the
Ouachita Christian High School
Ouachita Christian School is a private K–12 Christian school in Monroe, Louisiana.
Athletics
Ouachita Christian High athletics competes in the LHSAA.
State championships
*Football (8) State Championships: 1985, 1997, 2000, 2011, 2012, 201 ...
located at 7065
U.S. Highway 165
U.S. Route 165 is a north–south United States highway spur of U.S. Highway 65. It currently runs for 412 miles (663 km) from U.S. Route 90 in Iowa, Louisiana north to U.S. Highway 70 in North Little Rock, Arkansas. The route passes throu ...
North in Monroe.
[
]
Political career
City of Monroe
As mayor, Howard threw himself into the tasks of municipal management. He pushed for development of the downtown Monroe Civic Center complex, easily accessible from Interstate 20
Interstate 20 (I‑20) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I-20 runs beginning at an interchange with Interstate 10, I-10 in Scroggins Draw, Texas, and ending at an interchange with Interstate 95, I-95 in Flo ...
. The complex includes the 2,200-seat W. L. Jack Howard Theatre, renamed in his honor in 2004. Among many events, the theater hosts the annual Miss Louisiana
The Miss Louisiana competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Louisiana in the Miss America pageant. Although no delegate from Louisiana has ever won the Miss America title, four have placed 1st runner-up. As of ...
pageant the last week of June. Howard was the driving force for a new City Hall and the expansion of the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo into a major statewide attraction. Howard pushed for construction of Malone Stadium
Malone Stadium is a stadium in Monroe, Louisiana, United States, on the campus of the University of Louisiana at Monroe. It is primarily used for football and is the home field of the ULM Warhawks. The stadium, named for former coach James L. Ma ...
, home of the Warhawks football team at the University of Louisiana at Monroe
The University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) is a public university in Monroe, Louisiana. It is part of the University of Louisiana System.
History
ULM opened in 1931 as Ouachita Parish Junior College. Three years later it became the Northeast Cen ...
. The previous stadium could hold just over 8,000; Malone, with subsequent expansion, nearly 31,000. Attendance at the games by those from rural areas and small towns served too as an economic boost to Monroe-area merchants and promoted regional unity. Howard enacted massive street-paving and flood-prevention programs and expanded the fire and police departments. The city also purchased a riverboat during his tenure.[
Howard was an original opponent of ]school desegregation
School integration in the United States is the process (also known as desegregation) of ending race-based segregation within American public and private schools. Racial segregation in schools existed throughout most of American history and rema ...
compelled by the federal courts. Howard became an informal advisor to his sister mayor, Bert Hatten of West Monroe, a newspaper managing editor and publisher. Howard and Hatten complemented the strengths of each of their cities.
In 1972, Howard was unseated in the then closed primary
Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the c ...
by fellow Democrat Ralph T. Troy, a mortgage banker. In 1975, while out of office, Howard was convicted of having used municipal employees for personal benefit; Howard pleaded guilty to one felony count and one misdemeanor count and was then pardon
A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the ju ...
ed by Governor Edwin Edwards
Edwin Washington Edwards (August 7, 1927 – July 12, 2021) was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served as the U.S. representative for from 1965 to 1972 and as the 50th governor of Louisiana for four terms (1972– ...
.
Troy did not seek a second term as mayor, and Howard returned to office in 1976. Unable to work with the two other city commissioners, Howard resigned as mayor in October 1978.[ He was succeeded by the interim mayor, ]William Derwood Cann Jr.
William Derwood Cann Jr. (September 12, 1919 – July 12, 2010), was a World War II lieutenant colonel who subsequently became a college professor, manufacturing executive, and the interim mayor of Monroe in Ouachita Parish in northeastern Lou ...
, a businessman and a highly decorated lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
in World War II.
Beset with flooding and a police strike, Conn did not seek the office in the special election which followed, and in April 1979, Democrat Robert E. "Bob" Powell was elected mayor and served for seventeen years until 1996.
In 1992, two years before his death, Howard, still a Democrat, sought to unseat Powell; when he fell short with 36 percent of the vote in the first round of the nonpartisan blanket primary
A nonpartisan blanket primary is a primary election in which all candidates for the same elected office run against each other at once, regardless of the political party. Partisan elections are, on the other hand, segregated by political party. ...
, Howard withdrew from the runoff election
The two-round system (TRS), also known as runoff voting, second ballot, or ballotage, is a voting method used to elect a single candidate, where voters cast a single vote for their preferred candidate. It generally ensures a majoritarian resul ...
to which he was entitled, and Powell won his last term in the position.
Presidential politics
In the 1960s, Howard was a statewide figure in presidential politics. In 1964
Events January
* January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved.
* January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...
, he strayed from his Democratic Party to support the Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
presidential nominee
A candidate, or nominee, is the prospective recipient of an award or honor, or a person seeking or being considered for some kind of position; for example:
* to be elected to an office — in this case a candidate selection procedure occurs.
* t ...
, U.S. Senator
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
Barry M. Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and United States Air Force officer who was a five-term U.S. Senator from Arizona (1953–1965, 1969–1987) and the Republican Party nominee for presiden ...
of Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
, who won the state's ten electoral votes but carried only six states nationally. Howard was among the Democratic defectors, which also included Lieutenant Governor C. C. "Taddy" Aycock and Louisiana Secretary of State
The secretary of state of Louisiana (french: Secrétaire d'État de la Louisiane) is one of the elected constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Louisiana and serves as the head of the Louisiana Department of State. The position was created ...
Wade O. Martin Jr., who attended a Goldwater rally at Tulane University
Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private university, private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into ...
Stadium in . There Goldwater appeared with his senatorial ally, Democrat-turned-Republican Senator Strom Thurmond
James Strom Thurmond Sr. (December 5, 1902June 26, 2003) was an American politician who represented South Carolina in the United States Senate from 1954 to 2003. Prior to his 48 years as a senator, he served as the 103rd governor of South Caro ...
, who had won Louisiana's then ten electoral votes in 1948
Events January
* January 1
** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated.
** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect.
** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...
. Republican congressional candidate David C. Treen
David Conner Treen Sr. (July 16, 1928 – October 29, 2009) was an American politician and attorney at law (United States), attorney from Louisiana. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Treen served as United State ...
, later his state's first ever GOP
The Republican Party, also referred to as the GOP ("Grand Old Party"), is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States. The GOP was founded in 1854 by anti-slavery activists who opposed the Kansas–Nebraska Act, ...
congressman and governor, was the master of ceremonies.
In mid-December 1966, Howard sought the chairmanship of the Louisiana Democratic Party
The Louisiana Democratic Party (french: Parti démocrate de Louisiane) is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the state of Louisiana.
Dominated by the conservative planter elite through much of the 19th century, the party was historically pr ...
after the resignation of C. H. "Sammy" Downs, a former state legislator from Alexandria and an aide to Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
John McKeithen
John Julian McKeithen (May 28, 1918 – June 4, 1999) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 49th governor of Louisiana from 1964 to 1972.
Early life
McKeithen was born in Grayson, Louisiana on May 28, 1918. His father was a ...
. Despite the support of both Downs and political boss Leander Perez
Leander Henry Perez Sr. (July 16, 1891 – March 19, 1969) was the Democratic political boss of Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes in southeastern Louisiana during the middle third of the 20th century. Officially, he served as a district ...
of Plaquemines Parish
Plaquemines Parish (; French: ''Paroisse de Plaquemine'', Louisiana French: ''Paroisse des Plaquemines'', es, Parroquia de Caquis) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 23,515 at the 2020 census, the parish ...
, Howard lost the race by a vote of fifty-four to thirty-eight, to Edward M. Carmouche
Edward Moss Carmouche Sr. (June 21, 1921 – April 6, 1990), was an Lawyer, attorney in his native Lake Charles, Louisiana, Lake Charles, Louisiana, who during the 1960s was a leader of the nationalist faction of the Louisiana Democratic P ...
, an attorney from Lake Charles and a supporter of U.S. President
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...
, who was then still expected to seek a second full term in 1968
The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide.
Events January–February
* January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.
* Januar ...
. Ultimately, Downs, Howard, and Perez all supported the challenge waged in 1968 by George C. Wallace
George Corley Wallace Jr. (August 25, 1919 – September 13, 1998) was an American politician who served as the 45th governor of Alabama for four terms. A member of the Democratic Party, he is best remembered for his staunch segregationist and ...
, the former governor of Alabama
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...
, who ran as the American Independent Party
The American Independent Party (AIP) is a far-right political party in the United States that was established in 1967. The AIP is best known for its nomination of former Democratic Governor George Wallace of Alabama, who carried five states in ...
nominee.
Racial politics
The formerly segregationist
Racial segregation is the systematic separation of people into racial or other ethnic groups in daily life. Racial segregation can amount to the international crime of apartheid and a crime against humanity under the Statute of the Interna ...
Monroe city leadership had discouraged Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...
, from bringing his civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...
campaign to Monroe, After the failure of the Goldwater and Wallace candidacies, Mayor Howard consulted with African American leaders in the city to develop plans to prevent civil unrest at a time during the 1960s when racial riots had struck a number of cities ranging from New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
to Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. Abe E. Pierce, III (born 1934), the first black mayor of Monroe who was elected in 1996 to a single term, recalls how Howard told business that the city had to desegregate to remove reasons for black unrest and to move ahead economically for both races. The mayor's position is now held by Independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independ ...
Friday Ellis, who unseated incumbent Jamie Mayo in 2021. Mayo, a native of Mer Rouge in Morehouse Parish
Morehouse Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 27,979. The parish seat is Bastrop. The parish was formed in 1844.
Morehouse Parish comprises the Bastrop, LA Micropolitan Stat ...
, who was victorious in a special election
A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-larges ...
in 2001 and won the first of thus far three consecutive full terms in 2004. He is the second African American in the mayoralty.
Death and legacy
Howard died in Monroe at the age of eighty-three. Unlike his parents and siblings, all of whom are interred at the Rocky Branch Cemetery in rural Union Parish, former Mayor Howard is buried at Mulhearn Memorial Park Cemetery in Monroe, alongside his wife, the former LaRue Jones (1920-2015), a native of Prescott in Nevada County in southwestern Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
. She was active in the Ouachita Christian School. The Howards had three children, Gene Howard, Robert J. Howard, and Judy H. Howell and husband, Ronny.
In addition to the W. L. Jack Howard Theatre, he is commemorated through the W. L. and LaRue Howard Religious Missionary and Educational Foundation at 207 Maison Drive in Monroe.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Howard, W. L. Jack
1921 births
2004 deaths
Mayors of Monroe, Louisiana
Louisiana Democrats
People from Union Parish, Louisiana
Businesspeople from Louisiana
United States Navy personnel of World War II
United States Navy sailors
Howard family (Louisiana)
20th-century American businesspeople
20th-century American politicians
Recipients of American gubernatorial pardons
American anti-communists