Heber Austin Ladner (October 4, 1902 – June 14, 1989) was the Secretary of State of Mississippi from 1948 to 1980. He was a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

Early life and education

Heber Austin Ladner was born on October 4, 1902, in

Lumberton, Mississippi Lumberton is a city in Lamar and Pearl River counties, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the Hattiesburg, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,086 at the 2010 census. History The city was named for the loca ...

. His parents were Webster L. Ladner and Valena Beall Ladner. He graduated from

Millsaps College Millsaps College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Jackson, Mississippi. It was founded in 1890 and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. History The college was founded ...

with a BS degree in 1929.

Career

Ladner started his political career as a member of the

Mississippi House of Representatives The Mississippi House of Representatives is the lower house of the Mississippi Legislature, the lawmaking body of the U.S. state of Mississippi. According to the state constitution of 1890, it is to comprise no more than 122 members elected for ...

in 1936. In the House, he represented Pearl River County from 1936 to 1940. From 1940 to 1942, he was the Secretary of the Mississippi Budget Commission. He was the Clerk of the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1942 to 1948. In 1948, Ladner became the Secretary of State of Mississippi. In 1968, he administrated the oath to the first black state legislator elected in 74 years. However, he was a defendant in suits brought by black people for school desegregation and proportional representation in county election boards. He chaired the Mississippi Bicentennial Celebration Commission. He left office in January 1980, holding the record for longest-serving Secretary of State of Mississippi. Declining to seek an additional term, he reasoned, "I would be in office in my 80s. I have not had really any rest for several decades. I think I've earned some." Ladner died of heart disease on June 14, 1989, at the Mississippi Baptist Medical Center in

Jackson, Mississippi Jackson is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city sits on the Pearl River (Mississippi–Louisiana), Pearl River and is locate ...

Honors

The Mississippi State Executive Building, located at 401 North Congress Street in Jackson, Mississippi, was renamed for Ladner in 1999. The building holds the offices of the Mississippi Secretary of State.

References

Works cited

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ladner, Heber Austin 1902 births 1989 deaths People from Lumberton, Mississippi Secretaries of state of Mississippi Democratic Party members of the Mississippi House of Representatives Millsaps College alumni 20th-century members of the Mississippi Legislature