Sherman Copelin
Encyclopedia
Sherman Nathaniel Copelin, Jr. is a New Orleans based politician and businessman.
Copelin, the son of a funeral director, was born in New Orleans. He graduated from St. Augustine High School and then became active in student politics at Dillard University
, where he became student body president. He was hired to serve as an aide in the administration of Mayor Victor Schiro in 1968. In the 1970s, he emerged as one of the leaders of the black political organization SOUL
(Southern Organization for Unified Leadership) alongside Don Hubbard. SOUL's effectiveness in rallying the support of African American voters for candidates like Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards
and New Orleans Mayor Moon Landrieu
made him a powerful figure in New Orleans and Louisiana politics. In the 1970s Copelin headed Superdome Services, Inc., a politically connected company contracted by the Landrieu administration to provide janitorial and security services for the new Louisiana Superdome
. Scandal emerged when Copelin was accused of receiving payoffs from companies seeking to obtain contracts from City Hall.
In 1986, Copelin was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives
, representing a district which included New Orleans's Lower Ninth Ward
. He became one of the most prominent members of the state legislature, serving as speaker pro tempore. Success in business dealings led Copelin to move to Eastern New Orleans outside his district. The residency issue became an issue in his re-election campaign, and he was defeated in 1999 by Rev. Leonard Lucas.
Copelin ran unsuccessfully in the New Orleans mayoral election of 1994
.
Copelin is currently the head of the New Orleans East Business Association, and since Hurricane Katrina
has publicly opposed the construction of new apartment complexes in New Orleans East.
DuBos, Clancy. "SOUL on the Ropes." Gambit Weekly. March 20, 2001. http://www.bestofneworleans.com/dispatch/2001-03-20/politics.html
Copelin, the son of a funeral director, was born in New Orleans. He graduated from St. Augustine High School and then became active in student politics at Dillard University
Dillard University
Dillard University is a private, historically black liberal arts college in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded in 1930 incorporating earlier institutions that went back to 1869, it is affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the United Methodist Church....
, where he became student body president. He was hired to serve as an aide in the administration of Mayor Victor Schiro in 1968. In the 1970s, he emerged as one of the leaders of the black political organization SOUL
Soul
A soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
(Southern Organization for Unified Leadership) alongside Don Hubbard. SOUL's effectiveness in rallying the support of African American voters for candidates like Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards
Edwin Edwards
Edwin Washington Edwards served as the Governor of Louisiana for four terms , twice as many terms as any other Louisiana chief executive has served. Edwards was also Louisiana's first Roman Catholic governor in the 20th century...
and New Orleans Mayor Moon Landrieu
Moon Landrieu
Maurice Edwin "Moon" Landrieu is a Democratic politician from Louisiana who served as Mayor of New Orleans from 1970–1978. He also is a former judge...
made him a powerful figure in New Orleans and Louisiana politics. In the 1970s Copelin headed Superdome Services, Inc., a politically connected company contracted by the Landrieu administration to provide janitorial and security services for the new Louisiana Superdome
Louisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
. Scandal emerged when Copelin was accused of receiving payoffs from companies seeking to obtain contracts from City Hall.
In 1986, Copelin was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives
Louisiana House of Representatives
The Louisiana House of Representatives is the lower house in the Louisiana State Legislature, the state legislature of the US state of Louisiana. The House is composed of 105 Representatives, each of whom represents approximately 42,500 people . Members serve four-year terms with a term limit of...
, representing a district which included New Orleans's Lower Ninth Ward
Lower Ninth Ward
Lower Ninth Ward is a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans. As the name implies, it is part of the Ninth Ward of New Orleans. The Lower Ninth Ward is often thought of as the entire area within New Orleans downriver of the Industrial Canal; however, the City Planning Commission divides this...
. He became one of the most prominent members of the state legislature, serving as speaker pro tempore. Success in business dealings led Copelin to move to Eastern New Orleans outside his district. The residency issue became an issue in his re-election campaign, and he was defeated in 1999 by Rev. Leonard Lucas.
Copelin ran unsuccessfully in the New Orleans mayoral election of 1994
New Orleans mayoral election, 1994
The New Orleans mayoral election of 1994 resulted in the election of Marc Morial as Mayor of New Orleans.- Background :Elections in Louisiana—with the exception of U.S. presidential elections—follow a variation of the open primary system. Candidates of any and all parties are listed on one ballot;...
.
Copelin is currently the head of the New Orleans East Business Association, and since Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
has publicly opposed the construction of new apartment complexes in New Orleans East.
Sources
Bridges, Tyler. Bad Bet on the Bayou: The Rise of Gambling in Louisiana and the Fall of Governor Edwin Edwards. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2001.DuBos, Clancy. "SOUL on the Ropes." Gambit Weekly. March 20, 2001. http://www.bestofneworleans.com/dispatch/2001-03-20/politics.html