From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Dave L. Pearce
Dave L. Pearce
David L. "Dave" Pearce ish in the northeast corner of the state. As a young man,
Pearce sold brushes and mops to the wives of farmers in
Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry West Carroll and East Carroll parishes. In 1928, he mar-
In office ried the former Elizabeth Oldham (1907–1974) and had
1952–1956 two daughters.
He represented conservative and mostly white West
Preceded by W. E. Anderson
Carroll Parish in the Louisiana House of Representatives
Succeeded by Sidney McCrory from 1940-1948. In his second legislative term, which co-
Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry incided with the first Jimmie Davis gubernatorial admin-
istration, he was chairman of the House Agriculture Com-
In office mittee. From his experience as the legislative point man
1960–1976
on agriculture, Pearce decided thereafter to seek the
Preceded by Sidney McCrory agriculture commissioner’s post.
Succeeded by Gilbert L. "Gil" Dozier
Louisiana State Representative from West Carroll Parish
Scope of the agriculture com-
In office missioner
1940–1948
The agriculture commissioner’s office, officially the
Preceded by D.F. Edwards Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, reg-
ulates the growing, harvesting, inspection, and sale of
Succeeded by Dudley Seamans
crops and livestock. It also inspects the calibration of the
Personal details pumps at gasoline stations and scales in grocery stores.
Born September 8, 1904 The department ascertains that automatic price-readers
Claiborne Parish in stores match up with the posted prices on products.
Agriculture commissioners in other states perform these
Died May 28, 1984
same essential functions as well.
Nationality American The tall bespectacled Pearce wore a large white hat
to depict himself as one of the "good guys." He "looked
Political party Democratic
the part" of an agriculture commissioner and was partic-
Spouse(s) Elizabeth Oldham Pearce (1907-1974) ularly popular in rural areas of the state, specifically the
northeast quadrant, because of his steadfast promotion
Children Two daughters
of Louisiana agricultural products. His office also pub-
Occupation Farmer lished newsletters and pamphlets with practical informa-
tion useful to farmers and consumers.
David L. "Dave" Pearce (September 8, 1904—May 28, 1984)
was a Democrat who served as the Louisiana Commis-
sioner of Agriculture and Forestry from 1952–1956 and Earl Long fields McCrory
again from 1960-1976. Pearce, who was allied with anti-
Long elements in the state, was defeated in the Demo-
against Pearce
cratic primary after a single term as agriculture com- Pearce first ran for agricultural commissioner in 1948 on
missioner in 1956 by the Longite entomologist Sidney the intraparty ticket of former Governor Sam Houston
McCrory (1891–1966) of Ascension Parish. However, Jones of Lake Charles[1], who was handily defeated by an-
Pearce regained the post in 1960 and then lost it again other former governor, Earl Kemp Long. In 1952, howev-
in Louisiana’s first-ever nonpartisan blanket primary in er, Pearce was elected agriculture commissioner on the
1975 to a fellow Democrat, Gilbert L. "Gil" Dozier. He also successful gubernatorial ticket of the anti-Long Robert F.
failed in a 1979 campaign to regain the office. Kennon of Minden. William J. "Bill" Dodd, a veteran state
Pearce was born in Claiborne Parish in north officeholder and an astute observer of Louisiana politics
Louisiana to a farmer and a school teacher. He grew up on in the mid-twentieth century, said that Earl Long "hat-
a farm and went to school in Pioneer in West Carroll Par- ed" Pearce and put up the "egghead" McCrory to unseat
Pearce in the 1956 primary. Dodd did not explain why
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Dave L. Pearce
Long "hated" Pearce, but McCrory did defeat Pearce that career. A third candidate in the field was the outgoing
year. State Representative Lantz Womack of Winnsboro, who
In his Peapatch Politics: The Earl Long Era in Louisiana Pol- like Pearce was originally from West Carroll Parish.
itics, Dodd (1909–1991) noted with humor how Long al- In the 1979 nonpartisan blanket primary, Democratic
so became irritated with McCrory, who had been invit- agribusinessman Robert Fred "Bob" Odom of Zachary in
ed on Long’s intraparty ticket "to harass and, we hoped, East Baton Rouge Parish, who had worked in the Agri-
defeat Uncle Earl’s old political enemy, Dave Pearce. All culture Department in three positions under Pearce and
McCrory could talk about was pesticides and how to get was fired thereafter by Dozier, defeated both Dozier and
rid of different kinds of crop-killing bugs. His main topic Pearce, who was making his last attempted comeback.
and claim to fame, which dominated all of his speeches, A young Bastrop (Morehouse Parish) farmer, Leland
whether he was in cotton country, forestry areas, or the George Rawls, II (born 1950), a member of the Republican
city of New Orleans, was his eradicating the pink boll State Central Committee, also ran for the position in the
worms from Louisiana cotton fields. Uncle Earl almost 1979 primary. Rawls carried a hoe during the campaign
went crazy when had to listen to . . . McCrory kill enough as a reminder of his promise to "promote, protect, and
pink boll worms to fill the Atlantic Ocean." advance the Agriculture Department." He finished far be-
Pearce staged a comeback and defeated McCrory in hind the three leading Democrats.
the 1959 primary when anti-Long sentiment was running In the October 27, 1979, primary Odom led with
strongly in the state. McCrory in fact was eliminated 563,515 (45.9 percent) to Dozier’s 382,486 (31.1 percent).
from the runoff election as Pearce defeated George W. Pearce polled 163,873 (13.4 percent), Rawls 67,021 (5.5
Shannon.[2][3] McCrory ran again in 1963, but Pearce was percent), and 50,045 votes (4 percent) went to another
renominated and unopposed in the general election. minor candidate, Joe Coco. In the general election held
Pearce also prevailed in 1967 and 1971, when he defeated on December 8, 1979, Odom defeated Dozier, 853,578 (67.2
fellow Democrat Earl R. Banks.[4] He had no Republican percent) to 415,714 (32.8 percent). The general election
opposition during any of those elections. In the 1971 con- drew some 43,000 more voters in the agriculture commis-
test, Pearce’s last successful one, he referred to himself sioner’s race than had the primary. Dozier’s percent was
in an advertisement as "Louisiana Top Salesman . . . Pro- practically unchanged from the primary to the general
gressive, Experienced Administrator."[5] election.
In 1970, Pearce got into a fistfight with State Senator
John G. Schwegmann of Metairie after Pearce and Gover-
nor McKeithen accused Schwegmann of short-weighing
The undoing of Dave Pearce
meats to his customers.[6] Pearce’s political decline actually began in 1972, with the
Pearce opposed the election of fellow Democrat Ed- disclosure that the state Market Commission had granted
win Washington Edwards as governor in the February 1, $330,000 in state loans to Winnfield Minerals, Inc., which
1972, general election after Edwards unveiled a reform went broke without repaying any of the funds. Pearce’s
plan that would require appointment, instead of election, son-in-law was a stockholder in the company.
of the agriculture commissioner. Pearce said the political A joint legislative committee looked into the matter,
philosophy prevalent in Washington, D.C., where Ed- and, in the summer of 1973, an East Baton Rouge Parish
wards served in the U.S. House, "has wrecked us and tak- grand jury indicted Pearce on thirty-one charges,
en all our liberties by people who are not elected."[7] twenty-five for public payroll extortion, three for public
When Edwards’ opponent, David C. Treen, said that he bribery, one for felony theft, one for governmental ethics
would favor keeping Pearce’s post elective, Pearce virtu- violation, and one for perjury. Later, he was accused with
ally endorsed the Republican nominee.[8] The agriculture three more perjury offenses as well.
commissioner has through the years remained elected. Pearce was convicted of two misdemeanors and was
fined $300 for contempt of a legislative committee and
$750 for violation of the Louisiana Code of Ethics.
Pearce’s defeats in 1975 and Eighty-two convictions were eventually returned
1979 from indictments of former Agriculture Department em-
ployees.
In 1975, Pearce was unseated in the nonpartisan blanket Pearce pleaded guilty to the misdemeanors. Then
primary by Gil Dozier (born 1934) of Baton Rouge. Dozier East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Ossie Brown in
led the balloting with 42 percent. Pearce trailed with July 1975 dropped all remaining charges "in the spirit of
30 percent and decided not to pursue a general election justice and fairness" because a key witness had died and
(commonly called the runoff election in Louisiana) con- because Pearce’s health was a concern.
test with Dozier, who therefore won the position out- Pearce also angered his party when he refused to en-
right. Allegations of bribery, perjury, and extortion in dorse fellow Democrat Edwin Washington Edwards in the
connection with his job duties worked to sink Pearce’s 1972 general election against Republican David C. Treen.
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Dave L. Pearce
Preceded by Louisiana State Representative from West Succeeded by
D.F. Edwards Carroll Parish Dudley Seamans
1940–1948
Preceded by Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Succeeded by
W.E. Anderson 1952–1956 Sidney McCrory
Preceded by Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Succeeded by
Sidney McCrory 1960–1976 Gilbert L. "Gil" Dozier, Jr.
He claimed that Edwards’ "Washington philosophy has
wrecked us and taken our liberties." Though he did not
Dave Pearce Gospel Sing
specifically endorse Treen, Pearce said that the Repub- Pearce is remembered through the Dave L. Pearce Memo-
lican candidate’s platform was closer to his views than rial Gospel Sing, which is held in his honor every March
were the positions of Edwards, who defeated Treen by a in Oak Grove, the seat of West Carroll Parish. Despite his
comfortable margin.[9] political upheavals, Pearce was a local favorite in West
Carroll and surrounding parishes for many years.
Further scandals against Dozier
References
and Odom
[1] Minden Herald, January 16, 1948, p. 2
In the fall of 1980, Dozier was convicted by a federal jury [2] Minden Press, January 11, 1960
on three counts of extortion and one of racketeering and [3] The author is unable to determine if this George W.
was sentenced to eighteen years in prison. He served on- Shannon is the George W. Shannon (1914-1998),
ly four; his sentence was commuted by U.S. President who was the editor of the since defunct Shreveport
Ronald W. Reagan.[10] Journal. It probably is not.
Odom was indicted by an East Baton Rouge Parish [4] Sample ballot, Minden Press-Herald, November 6,
grand jury in 2002 on 21 charges, including bribery, ex- 1971
tortion, and theft. He was acquitted, ran again for a sev- [5] Minden Press-Herald, October 26, 1971, p. 12A
enth term in the 2003 nonpartisan blanket primary, and [6] Leo Honeycutt, Edwin Edwards: Governor of Louisiana,
was an easy winner. Lisburn Press, p. 72
[7] "Treen Gets Support in State Race", Minden Press-
The legacy of corruption in Herald, January 13, 1972, p. 1
[8] Minden Press-Herald, January 21, 1972, p. 1
Louisiana [9] Minden Press-Herald, January 13, 1972, p. 1
After his legal troubles surfaced, Odom drew a quick de- [10] http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/
fender in then Secretary of State W. Fox McKeithen is_v38/ai_4328771/pg_7?tag=artBody;col1
(1946–2005), a Republican: "The Bob Odom that I’ve • William J. "Bill" Dodd, Peapatch Politics: The Earl Long
known is a good, straight man, and I’d be surprised if they Era in Louisiana Politics, Baton Rouge: Claitor’s
find anything on him." Publishing, 1991
Another Republican, however, was appalled at • "Dave Pearce Dead at 79," Monroe News Star, May 29,
Odom’s troubles. State Senate President John Hainkel 1984. (The headline said 78, but Pearce was four
(1938–2005) of New Orleans, said that Odom’s troubles, months short of age 80 at death.)
coming after those of Pearce and Dozier, smear the • http://www.safe2use.com/ca-ipm/02-08-26b.htm
state’s reputation amid corporate board rooms across the • http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/cdm4/
country who might be considering locating plants in item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/LHP&CISOPTR=797
Louisiana. with photo
Three other statewide elected Democratic officials • http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/
were also convicted in recent years: former Elections ssdi.cgi?lastname=PEARCE&start=7441
Commissioner Jerry Fowler, former Governor Edwards, • http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/
and Insurance Commissioner James H. "Jim" Brown. Two ssdi.cgi?lastname=PEARCE&firstname=Elizabeth&start=61
previous insurance commissioners, Sherman Bernard • Election Returns, Agriculture Commissioner, 1979,
and Doug Green, were also found guilty of corruption. Secretary of State, Baton Rouge
Hainkel declared that Odom’s legal troubles were Persondata
"very disappointing to me. . . [They don’t] help us." Name Pearce, Dave L.
Alternative names
3
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Dave L. Pearce
Short description Date of death May 28, 1984
Date of birth September 8, 1904 Place of death
Place of birth Claiborne Parish
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dave_L._Pearce&oldid=456434006"
Categories:
• 1904 births
• 1984 deaths
• Members of the Louisiana House of Representatives
• People from Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Louisiana Commissioners of Agriculture and Forestry
• People from West Carroll Parish, Louisiana
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