Difference between revisions of "Pineville, Louisiana"

Latest revision as of 00:41, May 1, 2024

Pineville is a small city in central Louisiana located on the eastern side of the Red River from the larger Alexandria. The population was 14,555 at the 2010 census, having grown by 5 percent over the 13,829 tabulation in 2000.^[1]

Though Pineville is 65 percent white in population,^[1] it had a long-term African-American mayor, Democrat Clarence Fields, who served from 1999 to 2021. The current mayor is Republican Richard Ray "Rich" Dupree.

Pineville is the home of the Southern Baptist-affiliated Louisiana College since renamed as Louisiana Christian University. LCU's former presidents included Hal M. Weathersby, Joe Aguillard, and Rick Brewer. The current interim president is David Jeffreys. Pineville is the home of the Central Louisiana State Hospital, a long-term home for the mentally impaired, and the Alexandria Veterans Administration Medical Center.

Notable people

• Joe Aguillard, former president of Louisiana College (now Louisiana Christian University)
• Billy Allgood, Louisiana College basketball and baseball coach
• Fred Baden, mayor from 1970 to 1998
• Hymie Bradford, area sports broadcaster
• Rick Brewer, president of Louisiana Christian University
• T. C. Brister, former state representative
• Robert Cespiva, educator, civic figure, and long-term member of the Rapides Parish Democratic Executive Committee
• Claybrook Cottingham​, the third president of Louisiana College, 1910 to 1941, and the namesake of the Cottingham Expressway
• Joy Dara, originally from Nigeria, is the pastor of the 3,000 member Zion Hill Church in Pineville
• Leo Deslatte, the only Republican to serve as Pineville mayor, 1998-1999
• U. T. Downs, mayor of Pineville and sheriff of Rapides Parish
• Jimmy Faircloth, attorney and Republican politician
• Rick L. Farrar, state representative from 1992 to 1996 and 2000 to 20008.
• Clarence Fields, African-American current Pineville mayor with service since 1999
• Elmo Futrell, real estate broker who was the mayor of Pineville from 1962 to 1966]]
• Lance Harris, state representative since 2013
• Chris Hazel, former District 27 state representative and judge of the Louisiana 9th Judicial District Court in Alexandria
• George Hearn, Louisiana College psychology professor and two-term member of the Pineville City Council
• Michael T. Johnson, Republican state representative for District 27
• J. E. Keeny, president of Louisiana Tech University, 1908-1926; died in Pineville in 1939
• Willie Kees, businessman and Pineville mayor from 1946 to 1952
• Rollo C. Lawrence, mayor of Pineville from 1930 to 1946; superintendent of state penitentiary
• Richard E. "Dick" Lee, attorney and judge
• F. Jean Pharis, former Rapides Parish district attorney and Pineville city judge
• Don Shows, legendary high school football coach at Pineville High School, but primarily at West Monroe High School
• Floyd Smith, mayor of Pineville from 1966 to 1970
• John K. Snyder, mayor of Alexandria from 1973 to 1977 and 1982 to 1986, born in Pineville
• Thomas James Spencer, long-term pastor of Kingsville Baptist Church just north of Pineville
• Buddy Tudor, real estate developer
• Simon W. Tudor, real estate developer and former LC coach
• Hal M. Weathersby, former Louisiana College president
• Randy Wiggins, businessman who served as a Republican state representative from 1996 to 2000
• H. L. Willis, building and grounds superintendent at Louisiana College and mayor of Pineville from 1952 to 1954

References