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John McWilliams Ford<br/>
John McWilliams Ford<br/>
Perry Keith
Perry Keith
|office3=Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives
|office3=Speaker of the<br> Louisiana House of Representatives
|term_start3=1912
|term_start3=1912
|term_end3=1916
|term_end3=1916
'''Lee Emmett Thomas''' (September 23, 1866 – February 16, 1935) was an [[attorney]] and [[banker]] who served as the [[mayor]] of [[Shreveport]], [[Louisiana]], from 1922 to 1930. He was from 1912 to 1916 the Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives.
'''Lee Emmett Thomas''' (September 23, 1866 – February 16, 1935) was an [[attorney]] and [[banker]] who served as the [[mayor]] of [[Shreveport]], [[Louisiana]], from 1922 to 1930. He was from 1912 to 1916 the Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives.
==Background==
==Background==
Thomas was born in tiny Marion in Union Parish north of [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]], a son of B. B. Thomas and the former of Susan S. George of Perry County, [[Alabama]]. Thomas was educated at the former Concord Institute in the community of Shiloh in Union Parish. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from [[Baptist]]-affiliated Samford University, then known as Howard College in Marion, [[Alabama]], but since located in [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham]], Alabama. Thomas also obtained a Master of Accounts degree, a 14-week course, from the defunct Eastman Business College in Poughkeepsie, [[New York]]. Thereafter for two years he kept the books in his father's mercantile business in Farmerville in Union Parish. In 1889, Thomas procured his law degree from the [[University of Virginia]] at Charlottesville, [[Virginia]].<ref name=lahist>{{cite web|url=https://www.lahistory.org/resources/dictionary-louisiana-biography/dictionary-louisiana-biography-t/|title=Thomas, Lee Emmett|publisher=Louisiana Historical Association: ''A Directory of Louisiana Biography'' (lahistory.org)|accessdate=October 11, 2019}}</ref><ref name=tbio>{{cite web|url=http://files.usgwarchives.org/la/caddo/bios/thomasle.txt|title=LeeEmmett Thomas|publisher=files.usgwarchives.org|accessdate=December 30, 2010}}</ref>
Thomas was born in tiny Marion in Union Parish north of [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]], a son of B. B. Thomas and the former of Susan S. George of Perry County, [[Alabama]]. Thomas was educated at the former Concord Institute in the community of Shiloh in Union Parish. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from [[Baptist]]-affiliated Samford University, then known as Howard College in Marion, [[Alabama]], but since located in [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham]], Alabama. Thomas also obtained a Master of Accounts degree, a 14-week course, from the defunct Eastman Business College in Poughkeepsie, [[New York]]. Thereafter for two years he kept the books in his father's mercantile business in Farmerville in Union Parish. In 1889, Thomas procured his law degree from the [[University of Virginia]] at Charlottesville, [[Virginia]].<ref name=lahist>{{cite web|url=https://www.lahistory.org/resources/dictionary-louisiana-biography/dictionary-louisiana-biography-t/|title=Thomas, Lee Emmett|publisher=Louisiana Historical Association: ''A Directory of Louisiana Biography'' (lahistory.org)|accessdate=October 11, 2019}}</ref><ref name=tbio>{{cite web|url=http://files.usgwarchives.org/la/caddo/bios/thomasle.txt|title=LeeEmmett Thomas|publisher=files.usgwarchives.org|accessdate=December 30, 2010}}</ref>
From 1916–1920, Thomas was the chairman of the Louisiana Democratic Central Committee, an influential body in a one-party state at the time. He also served on the [[Democratic National Committee]] through his role as the party's Louisiana national committeeman. Thomas was chairman of the Louisiana Tax Commission from 1917 to 1919 under Governor Ruffin G. Pleasant, of Shreveport and like Heard and Thomas a Union Parish native. Thomas was again the state banking commissioner from 1919 to 1922,<ref name=tbio/> under the Pleasant and successor John M. Parker administrations. In 1924, Thomas ran unsuccessfully for the [[United States Senate]], losing the Democratic nomination to [[incumbent]] Joseph Ransdell].<ref name=lahist/> Ransdell polled 104,312 votes (54.9 percent) to Thomas' 85,547 ballots (45.1 percent).<ref>State of Louisiana, Louisiana Secretary of State, U.S. Senate election returns, 1924.</ref> In 1930, Ransdell was unseated in the primary by Governor [[Huey Long|Huey Pierce Long, Jr.]], who did not immediately take his seat in the chamber.
From 1916–1920, Thomas was the chairman of the Louisiana Democratic Central Committee, an influential body in a one-party state at the time. He also served on the [[Democratic National Committee]] through his role as the party's Louisiana national committeeman. Thomas was chairman of the Louisiana Tax Commission from 1917 to 1919 under Governor Ruffin G. Pleasant, of Shreveport and like Heard and Thomas a Union Parish native. Thomas was again the state banking commissioner from 1919 to 1922,<ref name=tbio/> under the Pleasant and successor John M. Parker administrations. In 1924, Thomas ran unsuccessfully for the [[United States Senate]], losing the Democratic nomination to [[incumbent]] Joseph Ransdell].<ref name=lahist/> Ransdell polled 104,312 votes (54.9 percent) to Thomas' 85,547 ballots (45.1 percent).<ref>State of Louisiana, Louisiana Secretary of State, U.S. Senate election returns, 1924.</ref> In 1930, Ransdell was unseated in the primary by Governor [[Huey Long|Huey Pierce Long, Jr.]], who did not immediately take his seat in the chamber.
===Shreveport mayor===
===Shreveport mayor===
As the Shreveport mayor for two four-year terms, Thomas promoted the construction of the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium,<ref name=lahist/> originally a memorial to [[World War I]] service personnel, which was restored in 1994.<ref>[[Eric Brock]], "Municipal Auditorium Now Being Restored," ''The Shreveport Times,'' September 17, 1994.</ref> From 1948 to 1960, the auditorium staged the Louisiana Hayride [[Country music]] program. [[Elvis Presley]] performed at the auditorium on several occasions between 1954 and 1956. While Thomas was mayor, W. K. Henderson launched KWKH [[Radio]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.caddohistory.com/louisiana_hayride.html|title=LouisianaHayride|publisher=caddohistory.com|accessdate=December 24, 2010}}</ref> Thomas was active too in building the viaduct on Market Street, the Cross Lake Reservoir (the city's principal water supply), and the construction of ten parks and playgrounds.Thomas worked for the purchase of Barksdale Field.<ref name=lahist/>
As the Shreveport mayor for two four-year terms, Thomas promoted the construction of the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium,<ref name=lahist/> originally a memorial to [[World War I]] service personnel, which was restored in 1994.<ref>[[Eric Brock]], "Municipal Auditorium Now Being Restored," ''The Shreveport Times,'' September 17, 1994.</ref> From 1948 to 1960, the auditorium staged the Louisiana Hayride [[Country music]] program. [[Elvis Presley]] performed at the auditorium on several occasions between 1954 and 1956. While Thomas was mayor, W. K. Henderson launched KWKH [[Radio]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.caddohistory.com/louisiana_hayride.html|title=LouisianaHayride|publisher=caddohistory.com|accessdate=December 24, 2010}}</ref> Thomas was active too in building the viaduct on Market Street, the Cross Lake Reservoir (the city's principal water supply), and the construction of ten parks and playgrounds.Thomas worked for the purchase of Barksdale Field.<ref name=lahist/>