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'''Hazel Fain Tilley Beard''' (September 16, 1930 – December 26, 2022), was the first woman and the first [[Republican Party|Republican]] to have served as [[mayor]] of [[Shreveport]], [[Louisiana]], since the era of [[Reconstruction]]. A fiscal [[Conservatism|conservative]], Beard grappled with many economic and social problems during her single term as mayor from 1990 to 1994. Prior to her mayoralty service, Beard was a small [[business]] owner and a member of the Shreveport City Council from the southwest portion of the city. She was also the first woman to have been chairperson of the city council. She is the first of only three Republican mayors in city history.

'''Hazel Fain Tilley Beard''' (September 16, 1930 – December 26, 2022), was the first woman and the first [[Republican Party|Republican]] to have served as [[mayor]] of [[Shreveport]], [[Louisiana]], since the era of [[Reconstruction]]. A fiscal [[Conservatism|conservative]], Beard grappled with many economic and social problems during her single term as mayor from 1990 to 1994. Prior to her mayoralty service, Beard was a small [[business]] owner and a member of the Shreveport City Council from the southwest portion of the city. She was also the first woman to have been chairperson of the city council. She is the first of only three Republican mayors in city history.

==Career===

==Career==

Beard entered the mayoral race against three major, including the [[African-American]] [[dentist]] [[C. O. Simpkins, Sr.]], a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] [[civil rights]] activist, and two fellow council members, Republican Carolyn Calhoun Whitehurst and Democrat Bill Bush, a businessman, led in the pre-election polls. Whitehurst, a [[real estate]] broker, later Carolyn C. Huckabay (1935-2022), is descended from a prominent DeSoto Parish: her father, [[Reimer Calhoun]], was a Democratic state senator for two terms from 1944 to 1952. Whitehurst, who represented a southeast Shreveport council district, had the support of ''The Shreveport Times.''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/local/2014/10/01/bush-former-councilman-dies-fall/16549359|title=Bill Bush obituary|publisher=''The Shreveport Times''|date=October 1, 2014|accessdate=November 18, 2014}}.</ref>

Beard entered the mayoral race against three major, including the [[African-American]] [[dentist]] [[C. O. Simpkins, Sr.]], a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] [[civil rights]] activist, and two fellow council members, Republican Carolyn Calhoun Whitehurst and Democrat Bill Bush, a businessman, led in the pre-election polls. Whitehurst, a [[real estate]] broker, later Carolyn C. Huckabay (1935-2022), is descended from a prominent DeSoto Parish: her father, [[Reimer Calhoun]], was a Democratic state senator for two terms from 1944 to 1952. Whitehurst, who represented a southeast Shreveport council district, had the support of ''The Shreveport Times.''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/local/2014/10/01/bush-former-councilman-dies-fall/16549359|title=Bill Bush obituary|publisher=''The Shreveport Times''|date=October 1, 2014|accessdate=November 18, 2014}}</ref>

Simpkins led in the primary with 31 percent of the ballots cast, but Beard secured the second slot to proceed to the [[general election]].<ref> In the second round of balloting, Beard prevailed, 38,604 votes (59 percent) to Simpkins' 26,341 (41 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, November 6, 1990.</ref>

Simpkins led in the primary with 31 percent of the ballots cast, but Beard secured the second slot to proceed to the [[general election]].<ref> In the second round of balloting, Beard prevailed, 38,604 votes (59 percent) to Simpkins' 26,341 (41 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, November 6, 1990.</ref>