Tom Colten
Encyclopedia
Arthur Thomas Colten, known as Tom Colten (October 21, 1922 – December 6, 2004), was a Louisiana
politician
from the 1960s
to the 1990s
who rose from a small-town mayor
alty position to head his state's Department of Transportation and Development under three governors from both parties. A former newspaper
man, Colten was also active in the slow process of establishing a viable Republican Party
in his adopted state.
. He was a U.S. Army
veteran of World War II
, with service from 1942 to 1946. After the war, he received his bachelor's degree
from DePauw University
in Greencastle, Indiana
, where he was a member of Delta Upsilon
social fraternity
.
In 1948, he moved to Bogalusa
, the seat of Washington Parish, and became the business manager of the Bogalusa Daily News. He left that position in 1955 and relocated to Minden
, the seat of Webster Parish
, to become publisher of what became the daily Minden Press-Herald
, which at the time was two weekly papers, the Minden Press on Mondays and the Minden Herald on Thursdays. Major dePingre' served as editor of the papers at the time. As publisher, Colten was active in civic affairs and became well-known in the community. He was initially in partnership in Minden Newspapers with Charles A. Nutter of New Orleans
but purchased Nutter's half of the company on January 29, 1962. Nutter became the executive secretary of the Hallmark Cards
in Kansas City
, Missouri
.
In 1960, Colten named Charles E. Maple
(1932–2006) as news editor of both the Press and the Herald. Maple came to Minden from Murfreesboro
, Arkansas
, where he had been publisher and editor of the Pike County Press, covering Pike County
. Colten sold the Press-Herald in 1965 and became the executive director of the Minden Chamber of Commerce
until June 1966, when he announced his candidacy for mayor. Maple served a stint as the chamber director to succeed Colten beginning in September 1966. Colten was chamber director again from 1975 to 1976, when he left Minden.
The Press-Herald was published twice weekly, but it became a daily on July 18, 1966, with an accent still on local news. "He [Colten] set an example for all who follow in his footsteps at the Press-Herald," said the current Press-Herald editor and publisher Josh Beavers. "He published a fine product every press run and we strive to emulate his success daily."
so that they could participate in the state's then pivotal closed primary elections, Colten maintained Republican affiliation and could hence vote only in general election
s or in special elections. In June 1966, Colten announced his candidacy for mayor of Minden, a position once held by a former Democratic governor, Robert F. Kennon
. Minden has also produced four congressmen, including Democrat Jerry Huckaby
, who graduated from Minden High School in 1959. But Huckaby's Fifth Congressional District, which he represented from 1977 to 1993, never included Webster Parish until Huckaby's defeat and then only temporarily.
Until Colten, no Republican had ever before even run for mayor of Minden. The city had few registered Republicans, and Colten did not mention party affiliation. While Minden was overwhelmingly Democratic in registration, Senator Barry M. Goldwater of Arizona
had easily won the city and Webster Parish in the previous presidential election. And the Republican senatorial candidate Taylor W. O'Hearn
had won there in 1962 as well.
The 1964 election was the last before passage of the Voting Rights Act
of 1965, which empowered large numbers of African American
voters, who had not previously been a deciding force in Minden politics. Though Colten ran for mayor in 1966 as a racial moderate, two years earlier he had spoken before a Minden civic group in opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1964
, which he called "a threat to the economy." He cited the case of Motorola
, which had to discontinue aptitude tests in employee selection because African Americans had scored less well on such examinations than had whites. "This is a socialistic trend against private enterprise," Colten said. With the passage of civil rights
laws and court rulings outlawing segregation, blacks grew in influence in the community. Minden was 52 percent black, according to the 2000 census
.
Colten ran a "reform" campaign, claiming that he wanted to get Minden "moving," implying that the two-term incumbent
, Frank T. Norman
(1914–1994), who served as mayor from 1958 to 1966 and as public safety commissioner from 1952–1958, had been too inactive. Colten never used the "R" label. In fact, the Press-Herald on the day after the general election referred to Colten merely as "the challenger," with no mention of party affiliation. Colten received 2,044 votes (55.8 percent) to Norman's 1,622 (44.2 percent). Norman had been handicapped in the race in part because a black candidate for mayor named J.D. Hampton — the first in city history — had opposed him in the Democratic primary held on August 13.
to finance a plethora of improvement projects, including a new city hall/civic center complex, street paving, fire stations, and parks. The tax passed by only four votes in a special election held on May 23, 1967: 1,544 to 1,540. Collection of the tax began on August 1. McInnis Brothers contractors was low bidder at $740,276 for the city hall/civic center project. Though there was some expansion from the capital improvements, Minden's population never increased much after the 1960 census, usually in the 12,000 to 14,000 range, but there was growth in outlying areas, particularly to the north.
A "details" man before the term "micromanagement" became fashionable, Colten took his job seriously. He seemed to think that the votes of 2,044 people gave him a "mandate" to keep expanding his ideas and programs. Despite his Republican registration, he was strictly nonpartisan in the administration of the city. The five-man city council was all Democratic. He also understood how to use the media to his advantage and understood the value of continued public relations. He knew that the "earned media," as it is now called, was "free," whereas advertising cost the candidate. He wrote a paid column for the Press-Herald while he was mayor. This gave him additional "free advertising" to highlight his administration. Colten would "drop names" in the column, knowing that people he cited would probably vote to reelect him if he mentioned them.
Minden Airport off the Caney Lake Road. He also could cite water, sewer, and sanitation improvements as well as the building of the new City Hall and companion Civic Center. In 1969, Colten was the vice president of the Louisiana Municipal Association. In 1964, he had been president of the Louisiana Press Association. In 1967, he was named "Minden Man of the Year."
Once again, former Mayor Frank Norman was Colten's opponent, but the incumbent had the advantage because the community leadership lined up solidly behind him. A Minden contractor was overheard telling Colten that he could not imagine anyone even running against him, considering how well he had performed as mayor. Yet, Colten seemed unsure as to whether he could win again and took nothing for granted. He had first considered running as an independent in the general election but chose in the end to remain a Republican. In their 1970 rematch, Colten defeated Norman 2,381 votes (58.9 percent) to 1,661 ballots (41.1 percent).
His second term did not proceed as smoothly as his first though he was elected president of the Louisiana Municipal Association, for the year 1972-1973. In the summer of 1973, Colten resigned as a full-time mayor and converted to part-time status so that he could accept the position of chief executive of the city's private hospital
, Minden Medical Center, formerly known as Minden Sanitarium. The change meant that Colten's $12,000 annual salary was cut to $200 per month, the same as for city council members at the time. Had Colten have resigned, the senior council member, Jack Batton
, would have become mayor for the remainder of the term. Colten hence announced that he would not seek a third term in 1974. Then he changed his mind and ran again for the full-time position. This time, Republicans contesed most municipal positions.
In September 1974, some five hundred persons marched on City Hall to protest high utility bills in Minden. The dissidents were responding to the hastily-formed Committee for Lower Utilities, headed by Steve Fomby, later a member of the Webster Parish School Board. Some complained that meter readers were staying in their trucks and estimating the readings. A convenience store owner said that if her excessive billing were repeated, she would have to close her doors. Electricity in Minden is sold by the municipality, which uses profits to finance a portion of city government costs. Colten and the city council did not attend the rally against the utility bills. Colten was on city business in Baton Rouge at the time but said he would have cancelled the trip had he known about the rally in advance. The utilities issue as well as the vacillation over full- and part-time status of the mayor are widely believed to have brought about the defeat of Colten. Several other city council members that year were also defeated, including Sanitation Commissioner Lonnie L. "Red" Cupples and Utilities Commissioner Fred T. "Tony" Elzen, Sr.
With one exception, the Republican ticket went down to defeat. Colten was unseated by the Democrat Jacob E. "Pat" Patterson, 3,186 (62.5 percent) to 1,914 (37.5 percent), a businessman who had formerly owned Tidecraft Boats. Republican Felix Garrett (1922–1987), a university educator, won election as city utilities commissioner in 1974, having unseated his former high school classmate, the Democrat Fred T. Elzen. Four years later, Garrett took an open seat on the city council, when it converted to single-member districts. Future Minden Mayor Bill Robertson was elected without opposition in the 1974 general election as sanitation commissioner. Robertson had narrowly defeated Patrick C. Nation (1918–2005), a retired coach and educator, in the Democratic runoff election held on September 26.
In 1989, another Republican, Paul Aaron Brown
(1932–1996), formerly of Alabama
, was elected mayor but served only a year. He was seriously injured in an accident on the Minden High School football field, was unable to serve as mayor, and died six years later. Brown was succeeded in 1990 by current Mayor Billy Henry "Bill" Robertson
, an Arkansas
native who won a fifth consecutive term in the November 7, 2006, general election. (Robertson, a Democrat, defeated Republican candidate Alton Hortman.) Colten and Brown had three things in common: they were Republicans, neither was a Minden native, and each had been executive director of the chamber of commerce before he ran for mayor.
, (1926–1980), who was elected mayor of Zachary in the spring of 1966.
Though his Minden newspapers had endorsed Charlton Lyons
for governor in 1964, Colten approached city government from a nonpartisan basis. This discouraged Republicans who wanted to expand their party into a viable political force in the city and state. He did little to encourage other Republicans to run for office and once opposed a Republican candidate for sheriff by convincing the Webster Parish Republican Executive Committee to set the filing fee so high that it would discourage the candidate from running — it did not, however, in that case. Colten hence favored offering only serious candidates, not obscure place names to fill a ballot. He favored the election of the Democratic nominee for mayor of Shreveport, Littleberry Calhoun Allen, Jr.
, in 1970, rather than the Republican challenger E.L. "Ed" McGuire. Colten based his preference on Allen's greater experience in municipal government, whereas McGuire's background was on the Caddo Parish School Board.
Colten also sometimes got involved in Democratic primary fights — particularly the "battle of the Montgomerys" for one of the thirty-nine seats in the Louisiana State Senate in 1967 and 1971. He favored (though he could not vote in the primary at the time) John Willard "Jack" Montgomery
, a Springhill
native and Minden lawyer who was challenging two-term State Senator Harold Montgomery
(1911–1995) of Doyline
, also in Webster Parish. Jack Montgomery won in 1967, but Harold Montgomery returned to victory in 1971. The Montgomerys were not related.
Harold Montgomery told a reporter in 1975 that he could not understand why Colten, a Republican, had undercut him, when Harold Montgomery, unlike Jack Montgomery, had frequently supported Republican candidates, including Charlton Lyons
, who opposed John McKeithen
in the 1964 gubernatorial election and then Senator Goldwater for the presidency that same year. Harold Montgomery was one of the state senators who had sometimes quarreled with McKeithen. McKeithen supported Jack Montgomery, who still practices law in Minden.
In 1975, back in the role of chamber of commerce executive director in Minden, Colten was named to a two-year term to the advisory council of the Small Business Administration
by administrator Thomas S. Kleppe, a former U.S. representative from North Dakota
and later the United States Secretary of Agriculture
.6s
In 1976, the Coltens left Minden and moved to Baton Rouge, where he held the positions of vice president of the trade association
known as the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry
. He was also appointed by the Republican State Central Committee, of which he had been an elected member, to the paid executive director position for the Republican Party.
appointed Colten as the assistant secretary to Paul J. Hardy
, who had been newly named as the secretary for the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. Hardy was a former Louisiana secretary of state who had been an unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate in 1979. (Hardy, a Democrat-turned-Republican, was later elected lieutenant governor in 1987 — the first Republican and thus far the only Republican elected to that position in Louisiana history.) When Hardy left the top transportation post, Treen elevated Colten to secretary of the department. His services were then retained by Governors Edwin Washington Edwards. He also served a second stint in the position under Governor Charles E. "Buddy" Roemer, III
. He became the point man on state highways, and elected officials depended on his expertise.
Colten earned numerous career honors. He was once the president of the Louisiana
Press Association, the president of the Louisiana Municipal Association, an elected delegate to the Louisiana Constitutional Convention of 1973, the chairman of the Northwest Louisiana Clearinghouse Review Board, and the chairman of the board of directors of the Friends of Louisiana Public Broadcasting
.
Further, he was a member of the Governor’s Property Tax Study Committee, the Joint House-Senate Study Committee on Industrial Inducement, the East Baton Rouge Industrial Development Board, the State Deferred Compensation Commission, the Louisiana Tourism Commission, and the Southern Rapid Rail Transit Commission.
, to be near their younger son, Lee Colten (born 1958), a conservationist for the State of Kentucky. In retirement, Colten was a member of the Frankfort Rotary Club, the Frankfort Chamber of Commerce
Ambassadors Committee, the Louisville Railroad Task Force, the Blue Grass Area Development District, and the Kentucky State Chamber of Commerce.
Colten was an elder in the Minden Presbyterian Church, Broadmoor Presbyterian in Baton Rouge, and the South Frankfort Presbyterian Church in Kentucky. In addition to his wife and son Lee, Colten was survived by a daughter, Connie Colten (born 1951) of Austin
, Texas
; another son, Craig Edward Colten (born 1952), a geography
professor at Louisiana State University
in Baton Rouge; a sister, Mary Colten Glodt (1920–2005), then of Pittsfield
, Massachusetts
, and last residing in Houston
, Texas, and a brother, Richard Colten of Upper Saddle River
, New Jersey
.
Colten is interred at Frankfort.
Colten was not the only Minden mayor with newspaper experience. David William Thomas
, who served from 1936–1940, and W. Jasper Blackburn
, who filled a one-year term from 1855–1856, had extensive experience in journalism as well. J. Frank Colbert
, mayor from 1944–1946, was a former editor of the Minden Democrat and the Signal-Tribune, forerunners to the Minden Press-Herald. Former Mayor Connell Fort
was also a newspaperman for part of his workiong life.
Mayor Bill Robertson said on Colten's death: "He made so many things possible. He is responsible for our civic center and so many other positive things that have happened in Minden."
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from the 1960s
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
to the 1990s
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
who rose from a small-town mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
alty position to head his state's Department of Transportation and Development under three governors from both parties. A former newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
man, Colten was also active in the slow process of establishing a viable Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
in his adopted state.
Early years and newspaper career
Colten was born in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. He was a U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
veteran of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, with service from 1942 to 1946. After the war, he received his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from DePauw University
DePauw University
DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, USA, is a private, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the Great Lakes Colleges Association...
in Greencastle, Indiana
Greencastle, Indiana
Greencastle is a city in Greencastle Township, Putnam County, Indiana, United States, and the county seat of Putnam County. It was founded in 1821 by Scots-Irish American Ephraim Dukes on a land grant. He named the settlement for his hometown of Greencastle, Pennsylvania...
, where he was a member of Delta Upsilon
Delta Upsilon
Delta Upsilon is the sixth oldest international, all-male, college Greek-letter organization, and is the oldest non-secret fraternity in North America...
social fraternity
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
.
In 1948, he moved to Bogalusa
Bogalusa, Louisiana
Bogalusa is a city in Washington Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 13,365 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city of the Bogalusa Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Washington Parish and is also part of the larger New Orleans–Metairie–Bogalusa...
, the seat of Washington Parish, and became the business manager of the Bogalusa Daily News. He left that position in 1955 and relocated to Minden
Minden, Louisiana
Minden is a city in the American state of Louisiana. It serves as the parish seat of Webster Parish and is located twenty-eight miles east of Shreveport, the seat of Caddo Parish. The population, which has been stable since 1960, was 13,027 at the 2000 census...
, the seat of Webster Parish
Webster Parish, Louisiana
Webster Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The seat of the parish is Minden. In 2010, its population was 41,207....
, to become publisher of what became the daily Minden Press-Herald
Minden Press-Herald
The Minden Press-Herald is a Monday-Friday daily newspaper published in Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana, by Specht Newspapers, Inc...
, which at the time was two weekly papers, the Minden Press on Mondays and the Minden Herald on Thursdays. Major dePingre' served as editor of the papers at the time. As publisher, Colten was active in civic affairs and became well-known in the community. He was initially in partnership in Minden Newspapers with Charles A. Nutter of New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
but purchased Nutter's half of the company on January 29, 1962. Nutter became the executive secretary of the Hallmark Cards
Hallmark Cards
Hallmark Cards is a privately owned American company based in Kansas City, Missouri. Founded in 1910 by Joyce C. Hall, Hallmark is the largest manufacturer of greeting cards in the United States. In 1985, the company was awarded the National Medal of Arts....
in Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
.
In 1960, Colten named Charles E. Maple
Charles E. Maple
Charles Edward Maple, known as Charlie Maple , was a journalist, chamber of commerce official, and state parks executive during the second half of the 20th century in the four-state region of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas.-Early years, education, military:Maple was born in Oklahoma City...
(1932–2006) as news editor of both the Press and the Herald. Maple came to Minden from Murfreesboro
Murfreesboro, Arkansas
Murfreesboro is a city in Pike County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 1,764 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Pike County....
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, where he had been publisher and editor of the Pike County Press, covering Pike County
Pike County, Arkansas
Pike County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population was 11,291. The county seat is Murfreesboro. Pike County is Arkansas's 25th county, formed on November 1, 1833, and named for Lieutenant Zebulon Pike, the explorer who discovered Pikes Peak...
. Colten sold the Press-Herald in 1965 and became the executive director of the Minden Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
until June 1966, when he announced his candidacy for mayor. Maple served a stint as the chamber director to succeed Colten beginning in September 1966. Colten was chamber director again from 1975 to 1976, when he left Minden.
The Press-Herald was published twice weekly, but it became a daily on July 18, 1966, with an accent still on local news. "He [Colten] set an example for all who follow in his footsteps at the Press-Herald," said the current Press-Herald editor and publisher Josh Beavers. "He published a fine product every press run and we strive to emulate his success daily."
Small-town politics
Unlike many northern Republican transplants to Louisiana who became DemocratsDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
so that they could participate in the state's then pivotal closed primary elections, Colten maintained Republican affiliation and could hence vote only in general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
s or in special elections. In June 1966, Colten announced his candidacy for mayor of Minden, a position once held by a former Democratic governor, Robert F. Kennon
Robert F. Kennon
Robert Floyd Kennon, Sr., known as Bob Kennon , was the 48th Governor of Louisiana, serving from 1952-1956. He failed to win a second non-consecutive term in the 1963 Democratic primary....
. Minden has also produced four congressmen, including Democrat Jerry Huckaby
Jerry Huckaby
Thomas Jerald Huckaby, usually known as Jerry Huckaby , is a retired businessman who served as a Democratic U.S. representative from the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Louisiana between 1977 and 1993...
, who graduated from Minden High School in 1959. But Huckaby's Fifth Congressional District, which he represented from 1977 to 1993, never included Webster Parish until Huckaby's defeat and then only temporarily.
Until Colten, no Republican had ever before even run for mayor of Minden. The city had few registered Republicans, and Colten did not mention party affiliation. While Minden was overwhelmingly Democratic in registration, Senator Barry M. Goldwater of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
had easily won the city and Webster Parish in the previous presidential election. And the Republican senatorial candidate Taylor W. O'Hearn
Taylor W. O'Hearn
Taylor Walters O'Hearn was a pioneer in the rebirth of the Republican Party in Louisiana during the mid-twentieth century. He and Morley A. Hudson, both of Shreveport in Caddo Parish, were the first two Republicans elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives since Reconstruction. The pair...
had won there in 1962 as well.
The 1964 election was the last before passage of the Voting Rights Act
Voting Rights Act
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark piece of national legislation in the United States that outlawed discriminatory voting practices that had been responsible for the widespread disenfranchisement of African Americans in the U.S....
of 1965, which empowered large numbers of African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
voters, who had not previously been a deciding force in Minden politics. Though Colten ran for mayor in 1966 as a racial moderate, two years earlier he had spoken before a Minden civic group in opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark piece of legislation in the United States that outlawed major forms of discrimination against African Americans and women, including racial segregation...
, which he called "a threat to the economy." He cited the case of Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
, which had to discontinue aptitude tests in employee selection because African Americans had scored less well on such examinations than had whites. "This is a socialistic trend against private enterprise," Colten said. With the passage of civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
laws and court rulings outlawing segregation, blacks grew in influence in the community. Minden was 52 percent black, according to the 2000 census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
.
Colten ran a "reform" campaign, claiming that he wanted to get Minden "moving," implying that the two-term incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
, Frank T. Norman
Frank T. Norman
Francis Toadvin Norman, known as Frank T. Norman , was a Democratic mayor of the small city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana, from 1958-1966. From 1952-1958, Norman had served on the Minden City Council as the then public safety commissioner under the since disbanded...
(1914–1994), who served as mayor from 1958 to 1966 and as public safety commissioner from 1952–1958, had been too inactive. Colten never used the "R" label. In fact, the Press-Herald on the day after the general election referred to Colten merely as "the challenger," with no mention of party affiliation. Colten received 2,044 votes (55.8 percent) to Norman's 1,622 (44.2 percent). Norman had been handicapped in the race in part because a black candidate for mayor named J.D. Hampton — the first in city history — had opposed him in the Democratic primary held on August 13.
Mayoral service
Once in office, Colten proposed a one-cent city sales taxSales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
to finance a plethora of improvement projects, including a new city hall/civic center complex, street paving, fire stations, and parks. The tax passed by only four votes in a special election held on May 23, 1967: 1,544 to 1,540. Collection of the tax began on August 1. McInnis Brothers contractors was low bidder at $740,276 for the city hall/civic center project. Though there was some expansion from the capital improvements, Minden's population never increased much after the 1960 census, usually in the 12,000 to 14,000 range, but there was growth in outlying areas, particularly to the north.
A "details" man before the term "micromanagement" became fashionable, Colten took his job seriously. He seemed to think that the votes of 2,044 people gave him a "mandate" to keep expanding his ideas and programs. Despite his Republican registration, he was strictly nonpartisan in the administration of the city. The five-man city council was all Democratic. He also understood how to use the media to his advantage and understood the value of continued public relations. He knew that the "earned media," as it is now called, was "free," whereas advertising cost the candidate. He wrote a paid column for the Press-Herald while he was mayor. This gave him additional "free advertising" to highlight his administration. Colten would "drop names" in the column, knowing that people he cited would probably vote to reelect him if he mentioned them.
Second term
In his re-election advertising, Colten stressed the resurfacing of 625 city blocks in his first four years in office as well as the construction of a newly-opened central fire station, two recreation centers, and improvements at the general aviationGeneral aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
Minden Airport off the Caney Lake Road. He also could cite water, sewer, and sanitation improvements as well as the building of the new City Hall and companion Civic Center. In 1969, Colten was the vice president of the Louisiana Municipal Association. In 1964, he had been president of the Louisiana Press Association. In 1967, he was named "Minden Man of the Year."
Once again, former Mayor Frank Norman was Colten's opponent, but the incumbent had the advantage because the community leadership lined up solidly behind him. A Minden contractor was overheard telling Colten that he could not imagine anyone even running against him, considering how well he had performed as mayor. Yet, Colten seemed unsure as to whether he could win again and took nothing for granted. He had first considered running as an independent in the general election but chose in the end to remain a Republican. In their 1970 rematch, Colten defeated Norman 2,381 votes (58.9 percent) to 1,661 ballots (41.1 percent).
His second term did not proceed as smoothly as his first though he was elected president of the Louisiana Municipal Association, for the year 1972-1973. In the summer of 1973, Colten resigned as a full-time mayor and converted to part-time status so that he could accept the position of chief executive of the city's private hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
, Minden Medical Center, formerly known as Minden Sanitarium. The change meant that Colten's $12,000 annual salary was cut to $200 per month, the same as for city council members at the time. Had Colten have resigned, the senior council member, Jack Batton
Jack Batton
Jack Batton was a small businessman who served as the Democratic mayor of the small city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana, for a single term from 1978–1982.-Early years:...
, would have become mayor for the remainder of the term. Colten hence announced that he would not seek a third term in 1974. Then he changed his mind and ran again for the full-time position. This time, Republicans contesed most municipal positions.
In September 1974, some five hundred persons marched on City Hall to protest high utility bills in Minden. The dissidents were responding to the hastily-formed Committee for Lower Utilities, headed by Steve Fomby, later a member of the Webster Parish School Board. Some complained that meter readers were staying in their trucks and estimating the readings. A convenience store owner said that if her excessive billing were repeated, she would have to close her doors. Electricity in Minden is sold by the municipality, which uses profits to finance a portion of city government costs. Colten and the city council did not attend the rally against the utility bills. Colten was on city business in Baton Rouge at the time but said he would have cancelled the trip had he known about the rally in advance. The utilities issue as well as the vacillation over full- and part-time status of the mayor are widely believed to have brought about the defeat of Colten. Several other city council members that year were also defeated, including Sanitation Commissioner Lonnie L. "Red" Cupples and Utilities Commissioner Fred T. "Tony" Elzen, Sr.
With one exception, the Republican ticket went down to defeat. Colten was unseated by the Democrat Jacob E. "Pat" Patterson, 3,186 (62.5 percent) to 1,914 (37.5 percent), a businessman who had formerly owned Tidecraft Boats. Republican Felix Garrett (1922–1987), a university educator, won election as city utilities commissioner in 1974, having unseated his former high school classmate, the Democrat Fred T. Elzen. Four years later, Garrett took an open seat on the city council, when it converted to single-member districts. Future Minden Mayor Bill Robertson was elected without opposition in the 1974 general election as sanitation commissioner. Robertson had narrowly defeated Patrick C. Nation (1918–2005), a retired coach and educator, in the Democratic runoff election held on September 26.
In 1989, another Republican, Paul Aaron Brown
Paul A. Brown
Paul Aaron Brown was only the second Republican since Reconstruction to have served as mayor of the small north Louisiana city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish. Brown served an unexpired term created by the recall of Democratic Mayor Noel "Gene" Byars...
(1932–1996), formerly of Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, was elected mayor but served only a year. He was seriously injured in an accident on the Minden High School football field, was unable to serve as mayor, and died six years later. Brown was succeeded in 1990 by current Mayor Billy Henry "Bill" Robertson
Bill Robertson
Billy Henry Robertson, known as Bill Robertson , is the Democratic mayor of the small city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana, United States, having served since his initial election on November 6, 1990...
, an Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
native who won a fifth consecutive term in the November 7, 2006, general election. (Robertson, a Democrat, defeated Republican candidate Alton Hortman.) Colten and Brown had three things in common: they were Republicans, neither was a Minden native, and each had been executive director of the chamber of commerce before he ran for mayor.
Building a Republican Party in Louisiana
Colten was not the first Republican mayor in Louisiana. That designation went to Jack Louis Breaux, Sr.Jack Breaux
Jack Louis Breaux, Sr. was the Republican mayor of Zachary, Louisiana, in East Baton Rouge Parish for nearly fourteen years — from his first election in 1966 until his death of a brain tumor. He was also the first member of his party since Reconstruction to head the municipal government of a...
, (1926–1980), who was elected mayor of Zachary in the spring of 1966.
Though his Minden newspapers had endorsed Charlton Lyons
Charlton Lyons
Charlton Havard Lyons, Sr., also known as Big Papa Lyons , was a Shreveport oilman who in 1964 waged the first determined Republican bid for the Louisiana governorship since Reconstruction. Lyons also made a strong but losing bid for the United States House of Representatives in a special election...
for governor in 1964, Colten approached city government from a nonpartisan basis. This discouraged Republicans who wanted to expand their party into a viable political force in the city and state. He did little to encourage other Republicans to run for office and once opposed a Republican candidate for sheriff by convincing the Webster Parish Republican Executive Committee to set the filing fee so high that it would discourage the candidate from running — it did not, however, in that case. Colten hence favored offering only serious candidates, not obscure place names to fill a ballot. He favored the election of the Democratic nominee for mayor of Shreveport, Littleberry Calhoun Allen, Jr.
Calhoun Allen
Littleberry Calhoun Allen, Jr. , was from 1970 to 1978 a two-term Democratic mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana, the state's third largest city. From 1962-1970, he was the municipal public utilities commissioner. He also served some two months as a "District B" city council member after his election in...
, in 1970, rather than the Republican challenger E.L. "Ed" McGuire. Colten based his preference on Allen's greater experience in municipal government, whereas McGuire's background was on the Caddo Parish School Board.
Colten also sometimes got involved in Democratic primary fights — particularly the "battle of the Montgomerys" for one of the thirty-nine seats in the Louisiana State Senate in 1967 and 1971. He favored (though he could not vote in the primary at the time) John Willard "Jack" Montgomery
Jack Montgomery (Louisiana politician)
John Willard Montgomery, Sr., known as Jack Montgomery , is an attorney in private practice in the small city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana, who served in the 26th District of the Louisiana State Senate for a single four-year term from 1968—1972...
, a Springhill
Springhill, Louisiana
Springhill is a city in northern Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,439 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Minden Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
native and Minden lawyer who was challenging two-term State Senator Harold Montgomery
Harold Montgomery
A. Harold Montgomery, Sr. , was an agricultural businessman and a Louisiana state senator, who is remembered as an outspoken conservative within his state's dominant Democratic Party...
(1911–1995) of Doyline
Doyline, Louisiana
Doyline is a village in southwestern Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 841 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Minden Micropolitan Statistical Area....
, also in Webster Parish. Jack Montgomery won in 1967, but Harold Montgomery returned to victory in 1971. The Montgomerys were not related.
Harold Montgomery told a reporter in 1975 that he could not understand why Colten, a Republican, had undercut him, when Harold Montgomery, unlike Jack Montgomery, had frequently supported Republican candidates, including Charlton Lyons
Charlton Lyons
Charlton Havard Lyons, Sr., also known as Big Papa Lyons , was a Shreveport oilman who in 1964 waged the first determined Republican bid for the Louisiana governorship since Reconstruction. Lyons also made a strong but losing bid for the United States House of Representatives in a special election...
, who opposed John McKeithen
John McKeithen
John Julian McKeithen was the 49th Governor of Louisiana, serving from 1964 to 1972. A Democrat from the town of Columbia, he was the first governor of his state in the twentieth century to serve two consecutive terms...
in the 1964 gubernatorial election and then Senator Goldwater for the presidency that same year. Harold Montgomery was one of the state senators who had sometimes quarreled with McKeithen. McKeithen supported Jack Montgomery, who still practices law in Minden.
In 1975, back in the role of chamber of commerce executive director in Minden, Colten was named to a two-year term to the advisory council of the Small Business Administration
Small Business Administration
The Small Business Administration is a United States government agency that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The mission of the Small Business Administration is "to maintain and strengthen the nation's economy by enabling the establishment and viability of small businesses...
by administrator Thomas S. Kleppe, a former U.S. representative from North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
and later the United States Secretary of Agriculture
United States Secretary of Agriculture
The United States Secretary of Agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The current secretary is Tom Vilsack, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on 20 January 2009. The position carries similar responsibilities to those of agriculture ministers in other...
.6s
In 1976, the Coltens left Minden and moved to Baton Rouge, where he held the positions of vice president of the trade association
Trade association
A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association or sector association, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry...
known as the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry
Louisiana Association of Business and Industry
The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, known by the acronym LABI, is the largest and most successful business lobbying group in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It was founded in Baton Rouge in 1976, when Louisiana adopted a new right-to-work law during the administration of Democratic...
. He was also appointed by the Republican State Central Committee, of which he had been an elected member, to the paid executive director position for the Republican Party.
Department of Transportation and Development
In 1980, Governor David C. TreenDavid C. Treen
David Conner "Dave" Treen, Sr. , was an American attorney and politician from Mandeville, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana – the first Republican Governor of the U.S. state of Louisiana since Reconstruction. He was the first Republican in modern times to have served in the U.S...
appointed Colten as the assistant secretary to Paul J. Hardy
Paul Hardy
Paul Jude Hardy is a Baton Rouge attorney who was the first Republican to have been elected lieutenant governor of Louisiana since Reconstruction...
, who had been newly named as the secretary for the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. Hardy was a former Louisiana secretary of state who had been an unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate in 1979. (Hardy, a Democrat-turned-Republican, was later elected lieutenant governor in 1987 — the first Republican and thus far the only Republican elected to that position in Louisiana history.) When Hardy left the top transportation post, Treen elevated Colten to secretary of the department. His services were then retained by Governors Edwin Washington Edwards. He also served a second stint in the position under Governor Charles E. "Buddy" Roemer, III
Buddy Roemer
Charles Elson "Buddy" Roemer III is an American politician who served as the 52nd Governor of Louisiana, from 1988 to 1992. He was elected as a Democrat but switched to the Republican Party on March 11, 1991...
. He became the point man on state highways, and elected officials depended on his expertise.
Colten earned numerous career honors. He was once the president of the Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
Press Association, the president of the Louisiana Municipal Association, an elected delegate to the Louisiana Constitutional Convention of 1973, the chairman of the Northwest Louisiana Clearinghouse Review Board, and the chairman of the board of directors of the Friends of Louisiana Public Broadcasting
Public broadcasting
Public broadcasting includes radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing and commercial financing.Public broadcasting may be...
.
Further, he was a member of the Governor’s Property Tax Study Committee, the Joint House-Senate Study Committee on Industrial Inducement, the East Baton Rouge Industrial Development Board, the State Deferred Compensation Commission, the Louisiana Tourism Commission, and the Southern Rapid Rail Transit Commission.
Retirement in Kentucky
Upon retirement from the transportation secretary's position in 1993, Tom Colten and his wife, the former Jane Kimmel (born 1923 and a 1946 graduate of DePauw University), moved to Frankfort, KentuckyFrankfort, Kentucky
Frankfort is a city in Kentucky that serves as the state capital and the county seat of Franklin County. The population was 27,741 at the 2000 census; by population it is the 5th smallest state capital in the United States...
, to be near their younger son, Lee Colten (born 1958), a conservationist for the State of Kentucky. In retirement, Colten was a member of the Frankfort Rotary Club, the Frankfort Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
Ambassadors Committee, the Louisville Railroad Task Force, the Blue Grass Area Development District, and the Kentucky State Chamber of Commerce.
Colten was an elder in the Minden Presbyterian Church, Broadmoor Presbyterian in Baton Rouge, and the South Frankfort Presbyterian Church in Kentucky. In addition to his wife and son Lee, Colten was survived by a daughter, Connie Colten (born 1951) of Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
; another son, Craig Edward Colten (born 1952), a geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
professor at Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
in Baton Rouge; a sister, Mary Colten Glodt (1920–2005), then of Pittsfield
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Its area code is 413. Its ZIP code is 01201...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, and last residing in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, Texas, and a brother, Richard Colten of Upper Saddle River
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey
Upper Saddle River is an affluent borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,208. It is not to be confused with the neighboring borough of Saddle River.-History:...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
Colten is interred at Frankfort.
Colten was not the only Minden mayor with newspaper experience. David William Thomas
David William Thomas
David William Thomas, Sr. , was a Welsh-American "Renaissance man", journalist, university professor and attorney who served from 1936—1940]] as mayor of the small city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana.-Early years and education:A native of Cardiff, Wales,...
, who served from 1936–1940, and W. Jasper Blackburn
W. Jasper Blackburn
William Jasper Blackburn was an American printer and publisher who served in the United States House of Representatives from northwestern Louisiana from July 18, 1868, to March 3, 1869...
, who filled a one-year term from 1855–1856, had extensive experience in journalism as well. J. Frank Colbert
J. Frank Colbert
Jefferson Franklin Colbert, known as J. Frank Colbert , was a Democratic politician who served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1920–1925 and from 1944-1946 as the mayor of the small city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana.-Background:Colbert was born in...
, mayor from 1944–1946, was a former editor of the Minden Democrat and the Signal-Tribune, forerunners to the Minden Press-Herald. Former Mayor Connell Fort
Connell Fort
Connell Fort was a businessman and newspaperman who served as the Democratic mayor of the small city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in north Louisiana, from 1922 to 1926 and again from 1932 to 1934....
was also a newspaperman for part of his workiong life.
Mayor Bill Robertson said on Colten's death: "He made so many things possible. He is responsible for our civic center and so many other positive things that have happened in Minden."