Dick Hall (Mississippi politician)

Dick Hall
Member of the Mississippi Transportation Commission from the Northern district
In office April 12, 1999 – January 7, 2020
Preceded by	Wayne Burkes
Succeeded by	Willie Lee Simmons
Member of the Mississippi Senate for the 25th district
In office 1989–1999
Preceded by	Con Maloney
Succeeded by	J. Walter Michel
Member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from the 64th district
In office 1979–1989
Preceded by	Newly apportioned district
Succeeded by	Bill Denny
Member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from the 31A district
In office 1976–1979
Succeeded by	District eliminated in redistricting
Personal details
Born	Dick Hall May 12, 1938 Vicksburg, Mississippi, U.S.
Died	November 2, 2022 (aged 84) Jackson, Mississippi, U.S.
Political party	Democratic (1976–1983) Republican (1983–)
Residence	Brandon, Mississippi
Alma mater	Mississippi State University (BS)

Dick Hall (May 12, 1938 – November 2, 2022) was a Mississippi politician who served on the Mississippi Transportation Commission for the Central District from 1999 to 2019, the longest tenure of any commissioner in state history. He also served in the Mississippi State Senate and Mississippi House of Representatives for three terms each. He was a Republican.

Early life and education

Hall was born on May 12, 1938, in Vicksburg, Mississippi, but grew up in the Fondren area of Jackson, Mississippi. He graduated from Central High School in 1956 and attended Mississippi State University, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1960. After college, he served as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army Field Artillery. He worked in sales until becoming involved in real estate and investment with his own company.[1]

Career

Hall served a cumulative 24 years in the Mississippi Legislature. He was elected to the Mississippi House in 1975 for District 31A in Hinds County and took office in 1976 as a Democrat.[1][2] Following reapportionment in the state to form only single-member districts in 1979, Hall represented District 64.[3][4] In 1983, he switched to the Republican party; he was one of three Republicans in the 122-seat House. He chaired the Conservation Water Resources Committee and the Ways and Means Committee.[1] In 1988, he was elected the Mississippi State Senate for District 25, succeeding Sen. Con Maloney;[5][6] Hall served three consecutive terms.[1] He chaired the Environmental Committee, the Public Health Committee and the Energy Committee. In the legislature, he helped pass legislation like the Education Reform Act of 1982, the 1987 Four-Lane Highway Program, the Budget Reform Act of 1992, and the Mental Health Reform Act of 1997.[1]

Hall was appointed by Kirk Fordice to the Mississippi Transportation Commission on April 12, 1999, to fill an unexpired term from Wayne Burkes.[7] He retired in 2020, making his total tenure 20 years and 9 months, the longest of any commissioner in state history. For 11 years of his tenure, he served as chairman of the commission.[8]

Personal life

Hall died November 2, 2022, at Baptist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson at 84 years old.[9] He was married and had 3 children.[8] He lived in the Brandon, Mississippi area.[1]

References

1. Senate Concurrent Resolution 502, A Concurrent Resolution Mourning the Loss and Commending the Life and Public Career and Legacy of Former Central District Transportation Commissioner, Former Mississippi Senator, and Former Mississippi Representative Richard "Dick" Hall who Died at Age 84 on November 2, 2022, and Extending the Sympathy of the Legislature to His Surviving Family and Friends, 2023
2. "Vote Wydett Hawkins". The Northside Sun. July 31, 1975. p. 33.
3. Nash, Jere; Taggart, Andy (2009). "THE ORIGINS OF REAPPORTIONMENT, 1890–1979". Mississippi Politics: The Struggle for Power, 1976-2008, Second Edition. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1-60473-266-5.
4. "Send in Your Straw Ballot". The Northside Sun. October 25, 1979.
5. "Turnovers Will Change Face of Upcoming Legislature". The Clarke County Tribune. April 29, 1987. p. 4.
6. "Legislators". The Northside Sun. August 4, 1988. p. 15.
7. "MEDIA ADVISORY: Dedication honoring former Commissioner Dick Hall on April 12". mdot.ms.gov. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
8. Corder, Frank (2022-11-02). "Former Central District Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall has died at 84". Magnolia Tribune. Retrieved 2024-03-29.
9. Harrison, Bobby (2022-11-02). "Dick Hall, longest serving transportation commissioner, dies at age 84". Mississippi Today. Retrieved 2024-03-29.