Pap Dean
Encyclopedia
Preston Allen Dean, Jr., known as Pap Dean (August 25, 1915 – August 15, 2011) was an American cartoonist
who was employed from 1938 to 1979 as chief illustrator and editorial cartoonist for the Shreveport Times in Shreveport
, the largest newspaper
in North Louisiana
. An original inductee of the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame
, Dean since 1993 had prepared a caricature for the exhibit of each honoree in the museum, which is located in a former railroad depot
in downtown Winnfield
.
A devotee of Louisiana politics, Dean recalled that Huey Pierce Long, Jr., once bought him a hamburger
while they were on the train from Baton Rouge
to Nashville
, Tennessee
, to watch the Louisiana State University
Tigers
play football
.
, Louisiana, to P.A. Dean, Sr., and the former Addie Swafford (1888–1978) in Colfax
, the seat of Grant Parish
in north central Louisiana. He received his unusual nickname from teasing classmates in grade school. When he was in his early teens, Dean enrolled in the Landon School of Cartooning in Chicago. C. H. Landon apparently saw such promise in young Dean that he gave him considerable personal instruction.
While in high school his father gave him a portion of land on which to grow cotton
. When the crop was sold, the money was deposited in a bank account for Dean's college education. He graduated from Colfax High School in 1932, and enrolled at Northwestern State University
in Natchitoches
, then known as “Louisiana Normal
. However, the bank in Colfax failed, as the Great Depression
swept the nation, and Dean lost his uninsured college funds.
Meanwhile, the still hopeful Dean heard Huey Long speak in Colfax while as governor, Long ran for the United States Senate
. Dean wrote Long and told him of his own plight regarding the loss of the college funds. A month later, a local banker sent Dean to Baton Rouge to see LSU President James Monroe Smith
, later convicted in the statewide scandals of 1939 known as the "Louisiana Hayride", an identical term to the Shreveport-based Country music
program, the Louisiana Hayride
. Long had asked Smith to offer Dean financial aid and entry into LSU. By working three jobs in the meantime, Dean obtained a Bachelor of Arts
degree in 1937 in political science
.
After LSU, Dean enrolled in the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and then joined the Shreveport Times staff. He was married to Doris Moore and had three children. His tenure there was interrupted by three and one-half years in the United States Army
, beginning in 1942. He landed with an anti-aircraft battalion at Omaha Beach
on D-Day
, received a battlefield commission, and was promoted ultimately to the rank of lieutenant colonel
.
, the creator of Lil Abner, and Bill Mauldin
, whose “Up Front” appeared in the Stars and Stripes
military newspaper during the war. The late Jeff MacNelly
, Pulitzer Prize
winner of the Chicago Tribune
, patterned his style after Mauldin and later honored Dean with a caricature of Dean himself.
Dean has published some of his drawings in Louisiana Historical Homesteads and he has written a history of Louisiana and a separate volume in 2005 on Natchitoches, considered the oldest town in the former Louisiana Purchase
except for Harrisonburg
, the seat of Catahoula Parish
. Entitled Historic Natchitoches: Beauty of the Cane, the book is a study of the history, people, and attractions of the city. On April 13, 2006, Dean wrote a column in the Alexandria Daily Town Talk discussing the origin of the names of the various communities.
After his newspaper tenure, Dean and his second wife, Jimmie S. Dean (1919–2005), retired to the hamlet
of Baghdad near Colfax, home of the Louisiana Pecan Festival. He continued thereafter to practice his craft at his own pace through the River Oaks Studio in downtown Alexandria
, the seat of Rapides Parish
and the largest city in Central Louisiana
, located some twenty-five miles south of Colfax.
Dean died ten days before his 96th birthday in an Alexandria hospital. His former Shreveport Times colleague, Wiley W. Hilburn
, said that the newspaper office "sort of revolved around Pap. He had a big desk, light table, in the middle of the newsroom. He was a really likable guy. ... He was really good at what he did, and we all grew to rely on him."
Dean donated his body to medical science.A memorial service was to be held at the Colfax United Methodist Church on September 10, 2011.
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
who was employed from 1938 to 1979 as chief illustrator and editorial cartoonist for the Shreveport Times in Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, the largest 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...
in North 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...
. An original inductee of the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame
Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame
The Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame in Winnfield, Louisiana, highlights the careers of more than a hundred of the state’s leading politicians and political journalists. Because three governors, Huey P. Long, Jr., Oscar K...
, Dean since 1993 had prepared a caricature for the exhibit of each honoree in the museum, which is located in a former railroad depot
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
in downtown Winnfield
Winnfield, Louisiana
Winnfield is a city in and the parish seat of Winn Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,749 at the 2000 census. It has long been associated with the Long faction of the Louisiana Democratic Party and was home to three governors of Louisiana.-Geography:Winnfield is located at ...
.
A devotee of Louisiana politics, Dean recalled that Huey Pierce Long, Jr., once bought him a hamburger
Hamburger
A hamburger is a sandwich consisting of a cooked patty of ground meat usually placed inside a sliced bread roll...
while they were on the train from Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
to Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, to watch the 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...
Tigers
LSU Tigers
The LSU Tigers are the athletic teams of Louisiana State University. They participate in the NCAA's Division I, in the Southeastern Conference. It fields teams in 14 varsity sports . Its official team nickname is the Fighting Tigers and the school mascot is Mike the Tiger...
play football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
.
Early years, education, military
Dean was born in ColfaxColfax, Louisiana
Colfax is a town in and the parish seat of Grant Parish, Louisiana, United States. The town, founded in 1869, is named for the vice president of the United States, Schuyler M. Colfax , who served in the first term of U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant, for whom the parish is named. Colfax is part of...
, Louisiana, to P.A. Dean, Sr., and the former Addie Swafford (1888–1978) in Colfax
Colfax, Louisiana
Colfax is a town in and the parish seat of Grant Parish, Louisiana, United States. The town, founded in 1869, is named for the vice president of the United States, Schuyler M. Colfax , who served in the first term of U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant, for whom the parish is named. Colfax is part of...
, the seat of Grant Parish
Grant Parish, Louisiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 18,698 people, 7,073 households, and 5,276 families residing in the parish. The population density was 29 people per square mile . There were 8,531 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
in north central Louisiana. He received his unusual nickname from teasing classmates in grade school. When he was in his early teens, Dean enrolled in the Landon School of Cartooning in Chicago. C. H. Landon apparently saw such promise in young Dean that he gave him considerable personal instruction.
While in high school his father gave him a portion of land on which to grow cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
. When the crop was sold, the money was deposited in a bank account for Dean's college education. He graduated from Colfax High School in 1932, and enrolled at Northwestern State University
Northwestern State University
Northwestern State University, known as NSU, is a four-year public university primarily situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana, with a nursing campus in Shreveport and general campuses in Leesville/Fort Polk and Alexandria. It is a part of the University of Louisiana System.NSU was founded in 1884 as...
in Natchitoches
Natchitoches, Louisiana
Natchitoches is a city in and the parish seat of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. Established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis as part of French Louisiana, the community was named after the Natchitoches Indian tribe. The City of Natchitoches was first incorporated on February...
, then known as “Louisiana Normal
Normal school
A normal school is a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. Its purpose is to establish teaching standards or norms, hence its name...
. However, the bank in Colfax failed, as the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
swept the nation, and Dean lost his uninsured college funds.
Meanwhile, the still hopeful Dean heard Huey Long speak in Colfax while as governor, Long ran for the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. Dean wrote Long and told him of his own plight regarding the loss of the college funds. A month later, a local banker sent Dean to Baton Rouge to see LSU President James Monroe Smith
James Monroe Smith
James Monroe Smith, Sr. , was the president of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, during the 1930s...
, later convicted in the statewide scandals of 1939 known as the "Louisiana Hayride", an identical term to the Shreveport-based Country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
program, the Louisiana Hayride
Louisiana Hayride
Louisiana Hayride was a radio and later television country music show broadcast from the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana, that during its heyday from 1948 to 1960 helped to launch the careers of some of the greatest names in American music...
. Long had asked Smith to offer Dean financial aid and entry into LSU. By working three jobs in the meantime, Dean obtained a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in 1937 in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
.
After LSU, Dean enrolled in the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and then joined the Shreveport Times staff. He was married to Doris Moore and had three children. His tenure there was interrupted by three and one-half years in the United States 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...
, beginning in 1942. He landed with an anti-aircraft battalion at Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach is the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II...
on D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
, received a battlefield commission, and was promoted ultimately to the rank of lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
.
Cartoonist and author
Dean’s studio is filled with sketches and caricatures of other cartoonists, including Al CappAl Capp
Alfred Gerald Caplin , better known as Al Capp, was an American cartoonist and humorist best known for the satirical comic strip Li'l Abner. He also wrote the comic strips Abbie an' Slats and Long Sam...
, the creator of Lil Abner, and Bill Mauldin
Bill Mauldin
William Henry "Bill" Mauldin was a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist from the United States...
, whose “Up Front” appeared in the Stars and Stripes
Stars and Stripes (newspaper)
Stars and Stripes is a news source that operates from inside the United States Department of Defense but is editorially separate from it. The First Amendment protection which Stars and Stripes enjoys is safeguarded by Congress to whom an independent ombudsman, who serves the readers' interests,...
military newspaper during the war. The late Jeff MacNelly
Jeff MacNelly
Jeffrey Kenneth MacNelly was a three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist and the creator of the popular comic strip Shoe.-Early life:...
, Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
winner of the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, patterned his style after Mauldin and later honored Dean with a caricature of Dean himself.
Dean has published some of his drawings in Louisiana Historical Homesteads and he has written a history of Louisiana and a separate volume in 2005 on Natchitoches, considered the oldest town in the former Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
except for Harrisonburg
Harrisonburg, Louisiana
Harrisonburg is a village in and the parish seat of Catahoula Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 746 at the 2000 census.- History :...
, the seat of Catahoula Parish
Catahoula Parish, Louisiana
Catahoula Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Its seat is Harrisonburg, located on the Ouachita River, which forms the eastern boundary of the parish. In 2000, the population of the parish was 10,920.-Prehistory:...
. Entitled Historic Natchitoches: Beauty of the Cane, the book is a study of the history, people, and attractions of the city. On April 13, 2006, Dean wrote a column in the Alexandria Daily Town Talk discussing the origin of the names of the various communities.
After his newspaper tenure, Dean and his second wife, Jimmie S. Dean (1919–2005), retired to the hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
of Baghdad near Colfax, home of the Louisiana Pecan Festival. He continued thereafter to practice his craft at his own pace through the River Oaks Studio in downtown Alexandria
Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....
, the seat of Rapides Parish
Rapides Parish, Louisiana
-Military Installations:*Camp Beauregard *Esler Airfield *England Air Force Base *Camp Claiborne *Camp Livingston -Demographics:...
and the largest city in Central Louisiana
Central Louisiana
Central Louisiana , also known as the Crossroads region, is the part of Louisiana that includes the following parishes: Allen Parish, Beauregard Parish, Catahoula Parish, Concordia Parish, Grant Parish, La Salle Parish, Natchitoches Parish, Rapides Parish, Sabine Parish and Vernon Parish.The five...
, located some twenty-five miles south of Colfax.
Dean died ten days before his 96th birthday in an Alexandria hospital. His former Shreveport Times colleague, Wiley W. Hilburn
Wiley W. Hilburn
Wiley Wilson Hilburn, Jr. , is a prominent journalist in Ruston, Louisiana, whose communications career began in the late 1950s when he was a student at Louisiana Tech University. In 1968, at the age of thirty, Hilburn returned to his alma mater to chair the Journalism Department and serve as...
, said that the newspaper office "sort of revolved around Pap. He had a big desk, light table, in the middle of the newsroom. He was a really likable guy. ... He was really good at what he did, and we all grew to rely on him."
Dean donated his body to medical science.A memorial service was to be held at the Colfax United Methodist Church on September 10, 2011.