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'''Woodrow Wilson Dumas''', known as '''W. W. Dumas''' or '''Woody Dumas''' (December 9, 1916 – November 5, 1993), was the [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] [[Mayor]]-President, a combined municipa]-parish position, of [[Baton Rouge]], [[Louisiana]], having served from 1965 to 1980.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ebr.lib.la.us/library/BatonRougeOfficials1855to2003.pdf|title=Who’s Who in City-Parish Government|publisher=ebr.lib.la.us|accessdate=November 27, 2009|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003135432/http://www.ebr.lib.la.us/library/BatonRougeOfficials1855to2003.pdf|archivedate=October 3, 2011|df=}}</ref>
'''Woodrow Wilson Dumas''', known as '''W. W. Dumas''' or '''Woody Dumas''' (December 9, 1916 – November 5, 1993), was the [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] [[Mayor]]-President, a combined municipa]-parish position, of [[Baton Rouge]], [[Louisiana]], having served from 1965 to 1980.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003135432/http://www.ebr.lib.la.us/library/BatonRougeOfficials1855to2003.pdf|title=Who’s Who in City-Parish Government|publisher=Ebr.lib.la.us|accessdate=November 27, 2009}}</ref>
==Background==
==Background==
Dumas was born in Opelousas in St. Landry Parish in south Louisiana. He was named for [[Woodrow Wilson]], the [[U.S. President]] at the time of his birth. In 1924, the Dumas family moved to Baton Rouge, where he excelled in [[baseball]] and [football]] in [[high school]]. He served in the [[United States Navy]] on a [[submarine]] during [[World War II]] and the [[Korean War]] and was a member of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was also active in the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, and the [[United Methodist]] Church.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/dukes-dunblazier.html#RXD187K6X|title=Woodrow Wilson Dumas|publisher=politicalgraveyard.com|accessdate=November 27, 2009}}</ref>
Dumas was born in Opelousas in St. Landry Parish in south Louisiana. He was named for [[Woodrow Wilson]], the [[U.S. President]] at the time of his birth. In 1924, the Dumas family moved to Baton Rouge, where he excelled in [[baseball]] and [[football]] in [[high school]]. He served in the [[United States Navy]] on a [[submarine]] during [[World War II]] and the [[Korean War]] and was a member of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was also active in the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, and the [[United Methodist]] Church.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/dukes-dunblazier.html#RXD187K6X|title=Woodrow Wilson Dumas|publisher=politicalgraveyard.com|accessdate=November 27, 2009}}</ref>
Dumas moved to Baker, a small city north of Baton Rouge, to play semi-professional baseball.<ref name=library>{{cite web|url=http://ebr.lib.la.libguides.com/content.php?pid=24346&sid=237145|title=About Woody Dumas|publisher=ebr.lib.la.libguides.com|accessdate=November 27, 2009}}</ref> Several other Louisiana politicians, including state Representatives Lantz Womack of Winnsboro and L.D. "Buddy" Napper of [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]] and former Lieutenant Governor [[Bill Dodd]], also played semi-pro ball. In Baker, he married the former Carol Epperson (February 23, 1917 – June 21, 2014)<ref>Net Detective and People Search by Name</ref> and was employed by [[Standard Oil Company]].<ref name=papers>{{cite web|url=http://ebr.lib.la.libguides.com/data/files//26733/Woody%20Dumas%20Papers.pdf|title=Woodrow Dumas Papers|publisher=ebr.lib.la.libguides.com|accessdate=November 27, 2009}}{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
Dumas moved to Baker, a small city north of Baton Rouge, to play semi-professional baseball.<ref name=library>{{cite web|url=http://ebr.lib.la.libguides.com/content.php?pid=24346&sid=237145|title=About Woody Dumas|publisher=ebr.lib.la.libguides.com|accessdate=November 27, 2009}}</ref> Several other Louisiana politicians, including state Representatives Lantz Womack of Winnsboro and L.D. "Buddy" Napper of [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]] and former Lieutenant Governor [[Bill Dodd]], also played semi-pro ball. In Baker, he married the former Carol Epperson (February 23, 1917 – June 21, 2014)<ref>Net Detective and People Search by Name</ref> and was employed by [[Standard Oil Company]].<ref name=papers>{{cite web|url=http://ebr.lib.la.libguides.com/data/files//26733/Woody%20Dumas%20Papers.pdf|title=Woodrow Dumas Papers|publisher=ebr.lib.la.libguides.com|accessdate=November 27, 2009}}{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
To win the mayor-presidency, Dumas unseated the incumbent fellow Democrat Jack Christian, a former automobile dealer from Vicksburg, [[Mississippi]], and later Baton Rouge. Much of Dumas' four terms as mayor-president was devoted to the development of the downtown municipal complex.<ref name=library/> On Dumas' watch, the Baton Rouge city-parish budget grew from $15.3 million to $89 million annually.<ref name=papers/> However, he was also involved in several [[civil rights]] controversies.
To win the mayor-presidency, Dumas unseated the incumbent fellow Democrat Jack Christian, a former automobile dealer from Vicksburg, [[Mississippi]], and later Baton Rouge. Much of Dumas' four terms as mayor-president was devoted to the development of the downtown municipal complex.<ref name=library/> On Dumas' watch, the Baton Rouge city-parish budget grew from $15.3 million to $89 million annually.<ref name=papers/> However, he was also involved in several [[civil rights]] controversies.
In 1968, Dumas was reelected mayor, when he defeated the [[Republican Party|Republican]] nominee, Crayton Green "Sparky" Hall (c. 1925-2014), a native of Columbus, [[Georgia]], reared in Leesville, Louisiana, who was then a project engineer for the Ethyl Corporation of Baton Rouge. Hall soon left the GOP to become the founding chairman of the [[Libertarian Party]] in Louisiana. He left that chairmanship in 1985 and relocated to [[North Carolina]], where he died in Hendersonville, still active as a [[libertarian]] at the age of eighty-nine.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/blueridgenow/obituary.aspx?pid=172302243|title=Crayton Green "Sparky" Hall|publisher=''''Henderson Times-News'''|accessdate=August 31, 2014}}</ref>
In 1968, Dumas was reelected mayor, when he defeated the [[Republican Party|Republican]] nominee, Crayton Green "Sparky" Hall (c. 1925-2014), a native of Columbus, [[Georgia]], reared in Leesville, Louisiana, who was then a project engineer for the Ethyl Corporation of Baton Rouge. Hall soon left the GOP to become the founding chairman of the [[Libertarian Party]] in Louisiana. He left that chairmanship in 1985 and relocated to [[North Carolina]], where he died in Hendersonville, still active as a [[libertarian]] at the age of eighty-nine.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/blueridgenow/obituary.aspx?pid=172302243|title=Crayton Green "Sparky" Hall|publisher=''Henderson Times-News''|accessdate=August 31, 2014}}</ref>
In 1969, Dumas imposed a curfew during a disturbance that seemed likely to spread throughout his city. [[Governor]] [[John J. McKeithen]] deployed 250 Louisiana National Guard troops to maintain order. The unrest resulted when a white Baton Rouge patrolman, Ray Breaux, shot to death in the back a 17-year-old fleeing [[African-American]] suspect. Dumas called on Baton Rouge [[NAACP]] president Emmitt Douglas to speak via [[radio]] to urge calm. Douglas called for more black police officers and integrated patrol cars. Dumas promised Douglas that Breaux would be suspended pending an investigation. After a grand jury exonerated Breaux, Douglas accused Dumas of betrayal. Dumas cited civil service rules which protected the officer. Thereafter, Dumas adopted a hard line toward protesters, having told officers that "We will back you 100 percent. Police officers will no longer take abuse and vilification from anyone."<ref name=google>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QnQbw5EyPREC&pg=PA423&lpg=PA423&dq=W.W.+Dumas&source=bl&ots=feCuRbzRvr&sig=FYALNNVVV694_HVoWNGWLJm69tI&hl=en&ei=OAkQS-ezKoWWtgebyo3rCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQ6AEwADgK#v=onepage&q=W.W.%20Dumas&f=false|title=Adam Fairclough, Race and Democracy: The Civil Rights Struggle in Louisiana, 1915-1972|publisher=Google Books|accessdate=November 27, 2009 | isbn=978-0-8203-3114-0}}</ref> Meanwhile, Douglas was [[indictment|indicted]] for incitement to riot under a new Louisiana law patterned after the national Civil Rights Act of 1968.<ref name=google/> In another racial incident in January 1972, three [[Muslim]] activists and a police officer were killed during a riot on North Boulevard in Baton Rouge.<ref name=papers/>
In 1969, Dumas imposed a curfew during a disturbance that seemed likely to spread throughout his city. [[Governor]] [[John J. McKeithen]] deployed 250 Louisiana National Guard troops to maintain order. The unrest resulted when a white Baton Rouge patrolman, Ray Breaux, shot to death in the back a 17-year-old fleeing [[African-American]] suspect. Dumas called on Baton Rouge [[NAACP]] president Emmitt Douglas to speak via [[radio]] to urge calm. Douglas called for more black police officers and integrated patrol cars. Dumas promised Douglas that Breaux would be suspended pending an investigation. After a grand jury exonerated Breaux, Douglas accused Dumas of betrayal. Dumas cited civil service rules which protected the officer. Thereafter, Dumas adopted a hard line toward protesters, having told officers that "We will back you 100 percent. Police officers will no longer take abuse and vilification from anyone."<ref name=google>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QnQbw5EyPREC&pg=PA423&lpg=PA423&dq=W.W.+Dumas&source=bl&ots=feCuRbzRvr&sig=FYALNNVVV694_HVoWNGWLJm69tI&hl=en&ei=OAkQS-ezKoWWtgebyo3rCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQ6AEwADgK#v=onepage&q=W.W.%20Dumas&f=false|title=Adam Fairclough, Race and Democracy: The Civil Rights Struggle in Louisiana, 1915-1972|publisher=Google Books|accessdate=November 27, 2009 | isbn=978-0-8203-3114-0}}</ref> Meanwhile, Douglas was [[indictment|indicted]] for incitement to riot under a new Louisiana law patterned after the national Civil Rights Act of 1968.<ref name=google/> In another racial incident in January 1972, three [[Muslim]] activists and a police officer were killed during a riot on North Boulevard in Baton Rouge.<ref name=papers/>