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Stagg's most avid hobby was photographing wildflowers. Tom Arceneaux, a former member of the Shreveport City Council who clerked for Judge Stagg for two years, recalled that while Stagg was riding with Arceneaux, he would tell him to stop the car so that Stagg could get out to photograph some special flower that only he had seen.<ref name=staggbio/>​

Stagg's most avid hobby was photographing wildflowers. Tom Arceneaux, a former member of the Shreveport City Council who clerked for Judge Stagg for two years, recalled that while Stagg was riding with Arceneaux, he would tell him to stop the car so that Stagg could get out to photograph some special flower that only he had seen.<ref name=staggbio/>​

 

==Political activities==​

==Political activities==

A [[Republican Party|Republican]] since 1949, Stagg as the GOP chairman for Louisiana's 4th congressional district, with then included seven parishes,  became involved in 1959 in an intra-party feud with the national committeeman, [[George Reese]], of [[New Orleans]], the party's U. S. Senate nominee in 1960 against [[Allen J. Ellender]], and [[LeRoy Smallenberger]], the Shreveport lawyer, party functionary, and subsequent state chairman from 1960 to 1964. Stagg objected when Reese endorsed, with Smallenberger in agreement, a slate of candidates for party position on both the state and parish committees. Stagg, backed by [[Charles T. Beaird]], the then chairman of the Caddo Parish Republican Executive Committee, described Reese as having attempted to assemble a group of "yes-men" and had hence "earned the enmity of a large number of fair-minded Republicans." Stagg compared such activities to those in the 1930s of former state party chairman John Ellett Jackson, Sr. (1892-1989), a New Orleans lawyer.<ref>"GOP Faction Fight Erupts Over Primary: 4th District Head Charges Attempt to Pack Committee", ''The Shreveport Times,'' December 2, 1959, p. 1.</ref> Reese, however, defended his endorsements, most of whom won their primary races, on the premise that he as a statewide party leader was obligated to recommend suitable candidates to rank-and-file voters.<ref>"Endorsements Defended by GOP Leader: Reese answers attack by Stagg as Faction Fight," ''The Shreveport Times,'' December 3, 1959, pp. 1, 4.</ref>​

 

A [[Republican Party|Republican]] since 1949, Stagg as the GOP chairman for Louisiana's 4th congressional district, with then included seven parishes,  became involved in 1959 in an intra-party feud with the national committeeman, [[George Reese]], of [[New Orleans]], the party's U. S. Senate nominee in 1960 against [[Allen J. Ellender]], and [[LeRoy Smallenberger]], the Shreveport lawyer, party functionary, and subsequent state chairman from 1960 to 1964. Stagg objected when Reese endorsed, with Smallenberger in agreement, a slate of candidates for party position on both the state and parish committees. Stagg, backed by [[Charles T. Beaird]], the then chairman of the Caddo Parish Republican Executive Committee, described Reese as having attempted to assemble a group of "yes-men" and had hence "earned the enmity of a large number of fair-minded Republicans." Stagg compared such activities to those in the 1930s of former state party chairman John Ellett Jackson, Sr. (1892-1989), a New Orleans lawyer.<ref>"GOP Faction Fight Erupts Over Primary: 4th District Head Charges Attempt to Pack Committee", ''The Shreveport Times,'' December 2, 1959, p. 1.</ref> Reese, however, defended his endorsements, most of whom won their primary races, on the premise that he as a statewide party leader was obligated to recommend suitable candidates to rank-and-file voters.<ref>"Endorsements Defended by GOP Leader: Reese answers attack by Stagg as Faction Fight," ''The Shreveport Times,'' December 3, 1959, pp. 1, 4.</ref>

 

Stagg was the Republican National Committeeman from Louisiana from 1964 to 1972, a member of the executive committee of the Republican National Committee from 1964 to 1968, and a five-time delegate to [[Republican Party (United States)|GOP]] national conventions, from 1956 to 1972. He served on the platform committees in the conventions in 1960, 1964, and 1968. He is a former member of the Caddo Parish Republican Executive Committee and the Louisiana Republican State Central Committee.<ref>"Tom Stagg to Speak to Local Lions Thursday," ''Minden Press-Herald,'' January 5, 1972, p. 1.</ref>​

Stagg was the Republican National Committeeman from Louisiana from 1964 to 1972, a member of the executive committee of the Republican National Committee from 1964 to 1968, and a five-time delegate to [[Republican Party (United States)|GOP]] national conventions, from 1956 to 1972. He served on the platform committees in the conventions in 1960, 1964, and 1968. He is a former member of the Caddo Parish Republican Executive Committee and the Louisiana Republican State Central Committee.<ref>"Tom Stagg to Speak to Local Lions Thursday," ''Minden Press-Herald,'' January 5, 1972, p. 1.</ref>​

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On February 6, 1968, Stagg ran unsuccessfully for the Louisiana State Senate when he sought one of three at-large seats from Caddo Parish. He polled 16,341 votes in the [[general election]], but he fell 6,536 votes behind the bottom-ranked [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] in the race, [[conservative]] incumbent Jackson Beauregard Davis (1918-2016), a Shreveport attorney who, like Stagg, had supported Republican [[Barry Goldwater]] for president in 1964. Joining Davis in the Caddo Senate delegation were Democrats [[J. Bennett Johnston, Jr.]], later a long-term U.S. Senator, and Joseph Carnahan LeSage, Jr. (1928-2015}}</ref>

In 1969, Stagg continued to challenge political corruption and asked: "Government improprieties are a feature of our daily newspapers. ... Will it require revelation of further scandals, corruption, misgovernment, [[nepotism]], and just plain crookedness to gain reform in government?" His remarks came when the 28,000-member Louisiana GOP was seeking to increase membership to 200,000 in time for the 1972 election cycle.<ref>"Louisiana Republicans Push for 200,000 State Members," ''Minden Press-Herald,'' March 4, 1969, p. 2.</ref>

At the 1968 Republican convention meeting in Miami Beach, [[Florida]], Stagg supported Nixon's second bid for the party's presidential nomination. ''[[Time magazine|Time'' magazine quoted national committeeman Stagg:  We've had our shot at a candidate who totally met our qualifications [Goldwater in 1964], and that candidate got six states. We've had our druthers. Now shall we win one?" Stagg described as "not viable" last-minute efforts by some party conservatives, including Louisiana Republican leader [[David C. Treen]], to draft then freshman [[Governor]] [[Ronald W. Reagan]] of [[California]] for the presidential nomination.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www-cgi.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/analysis/back.time/9608/19/|title=A Chance to Lead|work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=August 16, 1968|accessdate=June 24, 2015}}</ref>​

​==Candidacy for Louisiana attorney general, 1972==​

===Running for Louisiana attorney general, 1972===​

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In 1972, Stagg was the Republican nominee for state attorney general on a ticket headed by [[Governor|gubernatorial]] candidate David Treen. Stagg was seeking to fill the seat being vacated by long-term Democratic [[incumbent]] Jack Paul; Faustin Gremillion (1914-2001), a protégé of the late [[Earl Kemp Long]]. Gremillion had been eliminated in the 1971 party primary because of corrupt practices in office.​

In 1972, Stagg was the Republican nominee for state attorney general on a ticket headed by [[Governor|gubernatorial]] candidate David Treen. Stagg was seeking to fill the seat being vacated by long-term Democratic [[incumbent]] Jack Paul; Faustin Gremillion (1914-2001), a protégé of the late [[Earl Kemp Long]]. Gremillion had been eliminated in the 1971 party primary because of corrupt practices in office.​

Judge Maury Hicks reflected: <blockquote>A giant has fallen. His death leaves a hole in our judicial family and a hole in my heart. He positively impacted the careers of so many lawyers. This remarkable man left a legacy of love of family, of duty and honor and love of this nation, its judicial system, and the rule of law. Tom Stagg loved being a federal judge. We all miss him.<ref name=staggbio/></blockquote>​

Judge Maury Hicks reflected: <blockquote>A giant has fallen. His death leaves a hole in our judicial family and a hole in my heart. He positively impacted the careers of so many lawyers. This remarkable man left a legacy of love of family, of duty and honor and love of this nation, its judicial system, and the rule of law. Tom Stagg loved being a federal judge. We all miss him.<ref name=staggbio/></blockquote>​

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==References==

==References==

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