2018 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 14
BY SENATOR BOUDREAUX
A RESOLUTION
To express the sincere condolences of the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana upon the
death of former Judge Kaliste Saloom Jr.
WHEREAS, it is with deep regret and profound sorrow that the passing of Judge
Kaliste Saloom Jr., at age ninety-nine, on December 2, 2017, has been learned; and
WHEREAS, Kaliste Saloom Jr. was born in Lafayette in 1918, the fifth of seven
children, to Lebanese immigrants, Kaliste and Asthma Boustany Saloom; and
WHEREAS, after graduating from Cathedral High School and the Southwestern
Louisiana Institute (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette), he received his law
degree from Tulane University in 1942; and
WHEREAS, World War II forced Saloom to put his legal career on hold, spending
eighteen months in French North Africa as a special agent in the American Armed Forces
Counterintelligence Corps before fighting in the American 7th and French 1st armies during
the invasion of southern France in 1944, in total, three years in the military during and
immediately after the war; and
WHEREAS, upon his return to the United States, he opened a law firm in Lafayette
and within three years of beginning his practice, Kaliste Saloom Jr. was named Lafayette
city attorney, during which time, he helped establish Lafayette Parish's permanent voter
registration program and aided in the development of the Lafayette Utilities System; and
WHEREAS, in 1953, he was elected to the post of Lafayette City Court Judge and
in his forty years as judge, Kaliste Saloom reformed the process of issuing traffic tickets in
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the city to prevent local officials from "fixing" or discarding violations and oversaw the
expansion of the city court in 1984 from one judge to two, before retiring in 1993; and
WHEREAS, in 1992, Judge Saloom briefly served on the Louisiana Third Circuit
Court of Appeal; and
WHEREAS, during his time on the bench, Judge Saloom received numerous awards
from local and national organizations, including the American Bar Association, and served
on several councils and boards, including the Louisiana Supreme Court Judicial Council, on
which he was the first city judge to serve; the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Laws;
and the National Conference on Uniform Bail and Criminal Justice; and
WHEREAS, Judge Saloom helped found the Lafayette Juvenile Detention Home and
the Acadiana Safety Council; and
WHEREAS, he remained active in civic affairs even after his retirement, was noted
as a foremost authority on Lafayette history, and was an early ardent supporter of
CODOFIL; and
WHEREAS, Judge Saloom was the 1965 winner of the Lafayette Civic Cup and the
Salvation Army's Man of the Year in 1966, and was a major participant in Lafayette's Mardi
Gras festivities, serving as King Lacassine of the Krewe of Attakapas in 1969 and King
Gabriel L of the Southwest Louisiana Mardi Gras Association in 1989; and
WHEREAS, he was also a fervent supporter of the University of Louisiana at
Lafayette, helping his alma mater in fundraising efforts and regularly attending university
events; and
WHEREAS, Judge Kaliste Saloom Jr. was inducted into the Louisiana Justice Hall
of Fame in 2006, the Order of Living Legends at the Acadian Museum in 2009, and the
Louisiana Political Hall of Fame in 2016; and
WHEREAS, he is survived by his wife Yvonne; children Kaliste III, Douglas,
Leanne, and Gregory; their spouses; eleven grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and a
host of other relatives; and
WHEREAS, he was considered a walking encyclopedia of university and community
history, an American patriot, a legal scholar, a gentleman lawyer, a friend and a neighbor,
and a wonderful family man, and his legacy will be remembered and cherished.
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THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby express heartfelt sympathy to the family and friends of retired Judge Kaliste
Saloom Jr. and does hereby extend best wishes for peace in this time of sorrow and hopes
for fond and lasting memories of a life well lived.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
the family of Judge Kaliste Saloom Jr.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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