Ed Scogin
Encyclopedia
Edward C. Scogin, known as Ed Scogin (May 6, 1921–July 10, 1999), was from 1972-1992 a Republican
member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
from Slidell
in St. Tammany Parish
in suburban New Orleans
, Louisiana
, known as a fiscal watchdog over state government. Scogin was also active in promoting environmental conservation
and was once referred to by a colleague as "the conservative conscience" of the legislature.
and attended Southeastern Louisiana University
in Hammond
. He was a combat veteran of World War II
. Scogin was a Methodist. He was also affiliated with Rotary International
, Moose International
, the American Legion
, Disabled American Veterans
, and the St. Tammany Association for Retarded Children. He was a member of the board of Fidelity Bank and Trust Company. Scogin and his wife, the former Thelma D. Ouder (June 11, 1926–October 3, 2008), had one daughter, Maureen S. Fandal, and her husband, Michael J. Fandal, and granddaughter, Amanda L. Fandal. Thelma Scogin was a 1943 Slidell High School graduate and was employed for many years as a legal secretary
. She was active in the Slidell Women's Republican Club.
Prior to his legislative service he served for a term as a Democrat on the St. Tammany Parish Police Jury, the governing body akin to county commission
in most other states. In 1973, as a police juror, Scogin received the Governor's Legislative Conservationist of the Year Award. He has been cited as well by other sportsmen's and conservationist groups.
coastline in Louisiana. Save Our Wetlands filed suit against the United States Army Corps of Engineers
to block the draining of vast acreage about New Orleans International Airport. The Corps proposed that the airport be moved to St. Charles Parish
, and that new levee
s be built in the drained areas so that housing developments could be constructed.
Scogin was among the citizens and leaders of St. Tammany Parish who opposed the Army Corps of Engineers "Hurricane Barrier Project", having viewed the proposal as an environmental threat to Lake Pontchartrain
and a bottomless reservoir for the flooding of Slidell and the entire parish. The dissidents feared that water, with nowhere to run off, would top the dam/barrier and flood their communities. Scogin was prophetic in that the Corps project, had it been constructed, presumably would have created a flood bowl similar to what happened to New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina
in 2005.
Scogin was first elected to the House from District 76 as a Democrat
in the 1972 general election, when his party's nominee, Edwin Washington Edwards, defeated Republican David C. Treen
, then of Jefferson Parish
and later of St. Tammany, to win his first term as governor of Louisiana. Scogin was preceded by three at-large House members, including Lawrence A. Sheridan
, who later took the District 75 seat in Washington Parish
, before the state went to complete single-member districting in the 1971-1972 election cycle.
Scogin won again as a Democrat in the 1975 and 1979 elections. Shortly after the 1979 general election, even before Treen took office as governor to succeed the then term-limited Edwards, Scogin switched parties. He won new terms as a Republican in 1983 and 1987. In his last election on October 24, 1987, Scogin defeated the Democrat Earl D. Broom, 8,396 votes (56.6 percent) to 6,344 (43.4 percent).
On November 16, 1991, after five terms, Scogin was unseated, 8,399 (52.7 percent) to 7,534 (47.3 percent), by a fellow Republican, Suzanne Mayfield Krieger
, also of Slidell. On that same day, Edwards defeated David Duke
to procure a fourth nonconsecutive term as governor. Krieger left the post after a single term when she ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor
in the 1995 nonpartisan blanket primary.
In 2008, State Senator A.G. Crowe, who followed Suzanne Krieger in the District 76 House seat, praised both Scogin and former State Senator
Gerry E. Hinton
, also of Slidell, for their "foresight" in making sure that the infrastructure
in St. Tammany Parish kept up with the population, which could reach nearly 300,000 in the 2010 census
. Crowe said that Scogin and Hinton were the prime sponsors of the new Fremeaux interchange on Interstate 10
.
Ron Gomez
, a legislative colleague of Scogin's from 1980–1989, in his autobiographical
My Name Is Ron And I'm a Recovering Legislator: Memoirs of a Louisiana State Representative, describes Scogin as "crotchety" and "salty," noting the lawmaker's traditional opposition to pork barrel
spending in a key vote during the administration of Governor Buddy Roemer
:
"I'm voting 'no' on this bacon-wrapped budget. I'm one person who doesn't intend to be made a steer by the Senate. I refuse to be neutered and spayed. If you like pork, vote for this bill. I don't like pork."
Gomez continued:
"Often with the state in . . . financial disarray, Ed Scogin, the raspy-voiced ex-police juror from Slidell who reveled in his role of conservative conscience of the House would purposefully stride to the well of the chamber. Standing behind the microphone, he would plant his right elbow on the podium, his hand against his jaw and cheek, take a deep breath and growl, 'How long, Louisiana, how long?' He is yet to be answered."
Ed and Thelma Scogin are interred at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Slidell
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...
member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
from Slidell
Slidell, Louisiana
Slidell is a city situated on the northeast shore of Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 25,695 at the 2000 census. The Greater Slidell Community has a population of about 90,000...
in St. Tammany Parish
St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana
St. Tammany Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana, in the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner Metropolitan Statistical Area. The parish seat is Covington....
in suburban 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...
, 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...
, known as a fiscal watchdog over state government. Scogin was also active in promoting environmental conservation
Conservation movement
The conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental and a social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including animal, fungus and plant species as well as their habitat for the future....
and was once referred to by a colleague as "the conservative conscience" of the legislature.
Early years
A native of St. Tammany Parish, Scogin graduated from Slidell High SchoolSlidell High School
Slidell High School is a public school for grades nine through twelve located in Slidell, Louisiana. It is part of the St. Tammany Parish Public School District and serves portions of west and central Slidell.-Notable alumni:...
and attended Southeastern Louisiana University
Southeastern Louisiana University
Southeastern Louisiana University is a state-funded public university in Hammond, Louisiana, United States. It was founded in 1925 by Linus A. Sims, the principal of Hammond High School, as Hammond Junior College, located in a wing of the high school building. Sims succeeded in getting the campus...
in Hammond
Hammond, Louisiana
Hammond is the largest city in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,049 at the 2009 census. It is home to Southeastern Louisiana University...
. He was a combat 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...
. Scogin was a Methodist. He was also affiliated with Rotary International
Rotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
, Moose International
Moose International
Moose International is a fraternal and service organization founded in 1888, consisting of the Loyal Order of Moose, with nearly 1 million men in roughly 2,400 Lodges, in all 50 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces, plus Great Britain and Bermuda; and the Women of the Moose with more than...
, the American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
, Disabled American Veterans
Disabled American Veterans
The Disabled American Veterans, or DAV, is an organization for disabled veterans that helps them and their families through various means. It currently has over 1.2 million members...
, and the St. Tammany Association for Retarded Children. He was a member of the board of Fidelity Bank and Trust Company. Scogin and his wife, the former Thelma D. Ouder (June 11, 1926–October 3, 2008), had one daughter, Maureen S. Fandal, and her husband, Michael J. Fandal, and granddaughter, Amanda L. Fandal. Thelma Scogin was a 1943 Slidell High School graduate and was employed for many years as a legal secretary
Legal secretary
A legal secretary is a particular category of worker within the legal profession.In the practice of law in the United States, a legal secretary is person who works in the legal profession, typically assisting lawyers. Legal secretaries help by preparing and filing legal documents, such as appeals...
. She was active in the Slidell Women's Republican Club.
Prior to his legislative service he served for a term as a Democrat on the St. Tammany Parish Police Jury, the governing body akin to county commission
County commission
A county commission is a group of elected officials charged with administering the county government in local government in some states of the United States. County commissions are usually made up of three or more individuals...
in most other states. In 1973, as a police juror, Scogin received the Governor's Legislative Conservationist of the Year Award. He has been cited as well by other sportsmen's and conservationist groups.
As a legislator
Scogin served on three House committees: Natural Resources, Education, and Health and Welfare . He was active in efforts to fight crime in Louisiana: "The public is still insisting that those who violate the law be taken off the streets." He supported efforts by the interest group Save Our Wetlands to halt the receding of the Gulf of MexicoGulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
coastline in Louisiana. Save Our Wetlands filed suit against the United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
to block the draining of vast acreage about New Orleans International Airport. The Corps proposed that the airport be moved to St. Charles Parish
St. Charles Parish, Louisiana
St. Charles Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Hahnville. In 2010, its population was 52,780. In the eighteenth and nineteenth century, this was part of the German Coast, an area along the Mississippi River settled by numerous German pioneers in the...
, and that new levee
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
s be built in the drained areas so that housing developments could be constructed.
Scogin was among the citizens and leaders of St. Tammany Parish who opposed the Army Corps of Engineers "Hurricane Barrier Project", having viewed the proposal as an environmental threat to Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain is a brackish estuary located in southeastern Louisiana. It is the second-largest inland saltwater body of water in the United States, after the Great Salt Lake in Utah, and the largest lake in Louisiana. As an estuary, Pontchartrain is not a true lake.It covers an area of with...
and a bottomless reservoir for the flooding of Slidell and the entire parish. The dissidents feared that water, with nowhere to run off, would top the dam/barrier and flood their communities. Scogin was prophetic in that the Corps project, had it been constructed, presumably would have created a flood bowl similar to what happened to New Orleans during 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...
in 2005.
Scogin was first elected to the House from District 76 as a Democrat
Democratic 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...
in the 1972 general election, when his party's nominee, Edwin Washington Edwards, defeated Republican David C. Treen
David 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...
, then of Jefferson Parish
Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
Jefferson Parish is a parish in Louisiana, United States that includes most of the suburbs of New Orleans. The seat of parish government is Gretna....
and later of St. Tammany, to win his first term as governor of Louisiana. Scogin was preceded by three at-large House members, including Lawrence A. Sheridan
Lawrence A. Sheridan
Lawrence A. Sheridan, known as Buster Sheridan , was from 1960-1988 a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from the village of Angie in Washington Parish, the most easterly of the Florida Parishes of southeastern Louisiana...
, who later took the District 75 seat in Washington Parish
Washington Parish, Louisiana
Washington Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Its parish seat is Franklinton. In 2000, its population was 43,926....
, before the state went to complete single-member districting in the 1971-1972 election cycle.
Scogin won again as a Democrat in the 1975 and 1979 elections. Shortly after the 1979 general election, even before Treen took office as governor to succeed the then term-limited Edwards, Scogin switched parties. He won new terms as a Republican in 1983 and 1987. In his last election on October 24, 1987, Scogin defeated the Democrat Earl D. Broom, 8,396 votes (56.6 percent) to 6,344 (43.4 percent).
On November 16, 1991, after five terms, Scogin was unseated, 8,399 (52.7 percent) to 7,534 (47.3 percent), by a fellow Republican, Suzanne Mayfield Krieger
Suzanne Mayfield Krieger
Suzanne Mayfield Krieger is a lifelong resident of Slidell, Louisiana, who represented District 76 in the Louisiana House of Representatives as a Republican for a single term from 1992 to 1996...
, also of Slidell. On that same day, Edwards defeated David Duke
David Duke
David Ernest Duke is a former Grand Wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan an American activist and writer, and former Republican Louisiana State Representative. He was also a former candidate in the Republican presidential primaries in 1992, and in the Democratic presidential primaries in...
to procure a fourth nonconsecutive term as governor. Krieger left the post after a single term when she ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
in the 1995 nonpartisan blanket primary.
Legacy
In 2007, the Louisiana legislature named the boat launch at U.S. Highway 90 and the Pearl River the Edward C. Scogin Memorial Boat Launch.In 2008, State Senator A.G. Crowe, who followed Suzanne Krieger in the District 76 House seat, praised both Scogin and former State Senator
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
Gerry E. Hinton
Gerry E. Hinton
Gerry Earl Hinton was a pioneer in the chiropractic profession from Slidell, Louisiana, and served from 1984 to 1996 as a member of the Louisiana State Senate from District 11 Gerry Earl Hinton (June 30, 1930 – July 2, 2000) was a pioneer in the chiropractic profession from Slidell, Louisiana, and...
, also of Slidell, for their "foresight" in making sure that the infrastructure
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
in St. Tammany Parish kept up with the population, which could reach nearly 300,000 in the 2010 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...
. Crowe said that Scogin and Hinton were the prime sponsors of the new Fremeaux interchange on Interstate 10
Interstate 10
Interstate 10 is the fourth-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90, I-80, and I-40. It is the southernmost east–west, coast-to-coast Interstate Highway, although I-4 and I-8 are further south. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean at State Route 1 in Santa Monica,...
.
Ron Gomez
Ron Gomez
Ronald James Gomez, Sr., known as Ron Gomez , is a veteran print and broadcast journalist, author , and businessman from Lafayette, Louisiana, who served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from Lafayette Parish, from 1980-1989. From 1990-1992, he was the secretary of natural resources in...
, a legislative colleague of Scogin's from 1980–1989, in his autobiographical
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
My Name Is Ron And I'm a Recovering Legislator: Memoirs of a Louisiana State Representative, describes Scogin as "crotchety" and "salty," noting the lawmaker's traditional opposition to pork barrel
Pork barrel
Pork barrel is a derogatory term referring to appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative's district...
spending in a key vote during the administration of Governor Buddy Roemer
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...
:
"I'm voting 'no' on this bacon-wrapped budget. I'm one person who doesn't intend to be made a steer by the Senate. I refuse to be neutered and spayed. If you like pork, vote for this bill. I don't like pork."
Gomez continued:
"Often with the state in . . . financial disarray, Ed Scogin, the raspy-voiced ex-police juror from Slidell who reveled in his role of conservative conscience of the House would purposefully stride to the well of the chamber. Standing behind the microphone, he would plant his right elbow on the podium, his hand against his jaw and cheek, take a deep breath and growl, 'How long, Louisiana, how long?' He is yet to be answered."
Ed and Thelma Scogin are interred at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Slidell