HLS 15RS-3185 ORIGINAL
2015 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 209
BY REPRESENTATIVES NANCY LANDRY, BARRAS, STUART BISHOP, TERRY
LANDRY, MONTOUCET, ORTEGO, PIERRE, AND ROBIDEAUX AND
SENATORS CORTEZ, GUILLORY, MILLS, AND PERRY
COMMENDATIONS: Commends the Honorable Kaliste Saloom, Jr., upon his
contributions and accomplishments as a military veteran and as an attorney and judge
for the city of Lafayette
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To recognize and record the contributions and accomplishments of the Honorable Kaliste
3 Saloom, Jr., and commend him for his service to Acadiana Parish, the state of
4 Louisiana, and the United States of America.
5 WHEREAS, born on May 15, 1918, in Lafayette, Louisiana, Kaliste Saloom, Jr., is
6the fifth of seven children of the late Kaliste and Asthma Boustany Saloom; and
7 WHEREAS, in 1939, Judge Saloom earned a bachelor of arts degree from the
8Southwestern Louisiana Institute of Liberal and Technical Learning, now known as the
9University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where he also received the university's highest honor,
10the Outstanding Graduate Award; he pursued his Juris Doctorate from Tulane University
11Law School in New Orleans; and
12 WHEREAS, in June of 1942, he became a member of the United States Army, just
13after his law school graduation; and
14 WHEREAS, as a result of his educational background and his knowledge of several
15languages, including English, French, Spanish, and Arabic, he was selected as a member of
16the Counterintelligence Corps; and
17 WHEREAS, in 1944, he was selected as one of six American intelligence agents to
18protect the British Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill, during wartime; and
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HCR NO. 209
1 WHEREAS, throughout his notable service in the Army, he captured Nazis, Waffen-
2SS men, American traitors, and war criminals, and he helped apprehend the highest Nazi
3general in the Hitler youth, Karl Cerff; and
4 WHEREAS, in November of 1945, Kaliste Saloom, Jr., returned to his hometown
5of Lafayette as a war hero and opened his own law office, where he worked as a private
6attorney before becoming the city attorney in 1949; and
7 WHEREAS, as the city attorney, he helped design the Lafayette Utilities System,
8which brought the city's electric, water, and sewage operations to a more modern scale; and
9 WHEREAS, from 1952 until 1983, he served as the sole Lafayette City Court judge,
10a role in which he strived to encourage unity and obedience to the law, and in community
11courts, traffic safety, and juvenile programs; Judge Saloom became the first city judge
12appointed to the judicial council of the Louisiana Supreme Court; he received recognition
13from the United States Supreme Court and served on the board of directors for the National
14Center for State Courts; and
15 WHEREAS, Judge Saloom also served on former United States President Jimmy
16Carter's National Highway Safety Advisory, where he was named the "National 55 MPH"
17chairman and traveled from state to state to address legislatures and governors; and
18 WHEREAS, under former Attorney General Robert Kennedy, Judge Saloom
19innovated a system of release under certain conditions in which an honorable citizen would
20not be held in jail because he could not afford to post bail; and
21 WHEREAS, in 1993, after forty years of dedicated and outstanding service to the city
22of Lafayette as an attorney and judge, Judge Saloom retired, but he remains a strong
23advocate for the city; and
24 WHEREAS, on July 18, 2009, the Acadian Museum inducted Judge Saloom into the
25"Order of the Living Legends" in recognition of his efforts to help shape and define the
26Cajun culture of Louisiana; and
27 WHEREAS, Judge Saloom is the loving husband of Yvonne; together, they continue
28to work for the betterment of Lafayette; and
29 WHEREAS, he is the proud father of Kaliste Saloom, III, Leanne Saloom Howell,
30Douglas Saloom, and Gregory Saloom, all of whom practice law in Louisiana; and
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HCR NO. 209
1 WHEREAS, Judge Kaliste Saloom, Jr., remains an inspiration to his fellow citizens
2for the vital contributions he has made in his military career and his career of highly
3effective public service, and he merits the highest commendation for his unforgettable
4contributions to the city of Lafayette, the state of Louisiana, and the United States of
5America, whose citizens will long reap the benefits of his incomparable legacy of integrity,
6leadership, and excellence.
7 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
8commend the Honorable Kaliste Saloom, Jr.; does hereby recognize and record for posterity
9his accomplishments and the historic strides he made as a military veteran and during his
10forty years of service to Lafayette as an attorney and judge; does hereby express to him the
11enduring appreciation of the state's citizens; and does hereby extend to him best wishes for
12full measures of success and happiness in the future.
13 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted
14to Judge Kaliste Saloom, Jr.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 209 Original 2015 Regular Session Nancy Landry
Commends the Hon. Kaliste Saloom, Jr., upon his many accomplishments and contributions
as a military veteran and a highly effective attorney and judge in Lafayette, La.
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