SLS 23RS-2034 ORIGINAL
2023 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 125
BY SENATOR CATHEY
CONDOLENCES. Expresses sincere and heartfelt condolences upon the passing of Walter
Bertram "Bert" Hatten.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To express the sincere and heartfelt condolences of the Senate of the Legislature of
3 Louisiana upon the passing of Walter Bertram "Bert" Hatten.
4 WHEREAS, it is with deep regret and profound sorrow that the members of the
5 Legislature and the citizens of Louisiana have learned of the death of Walter Bertram "Bert"
6 Hatten on May 22, 2023; and
7 WHEREAS, Walter Bertram Hatten, affectionately known as "Bert", was born in
8 Sikes, Louisiana, near Winnfield, Winn Parish, on March 9, 1927, the oldest of four
9 children, born to the union of William Earl Hatten and Pina Pauline Head Hatten; and
10 WHEREAS, in his pre-teens, Bert and his family moved to West Monroe where he
11 attended Ouachita Parish High School (OPHS) and Northeast Junior College, both in
12 Monroe; and
13 WHEREAS, a Christian of the Baptist faith, Bert was a member of the West Monroe
14 Masonic Lodge #419, 32-degree Scottish Rite and York Rite, and also qualified as a
15 Shriner; and
16 WHEREAS, while a high school student, Bert's first job was at Zagone's Grocery at
17 801 Natchitoches Street as a grocery clerk and delivery boy where he earned $5.50 a week,
18 and his second job was at the service club on Selman Field, where he managed the soda
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1 fountain and grill earning $18.50 weekly; and
2 WHEREAS, Bert was accepted into the Merchant Marines where he served aboard
3 five ships during WWII, mostly in the Pacific, and when General Douglas MacArthur
4 accepted the formal surrender aboard the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay, Bert was aboard
5 a ship nearby loaded with tanks, bombs, and artillery consigned to a land invasion of Japan,
6 had the president decided not to use the atom bomb attack; and
7 WHEREAS, after the war, Bert worked for Western Electric for a short time before
8 enrolling in college and accepting a job as a news reporter at the News Star World, where
9 he resigned as managing editor sixteen years later, and bought The Ouachita Citizen, which
10 he sold to the Hanna family and retired twenty years later; and
11 WHEREAS, in 1966, Bert was elected Mayor of West Monroe, served a total of
12 twelve years, elected handily to three four-year terms and did not seek a fourth term; and
13 WHEREAS, during his years of mayorship, the city rebuilt every city street to a high
14 code standard, installed the city's first sewage treatment system, built a new government and
15 convention complex on N 7th Street, stabilized the city's fiscal base, and revised the
16 city-owned Hasley Cemetery to initiate perpetual maintenance and trust funding; and
17 WHEREAS, before taking office after his first election, Bert sought advice from
18 several experienced area mayors, including Clyde Fant, a highly respected veteran mayor
19 of Shreveport, saying, "I found that a big help from the beginning and a great source for
20 future questions during my 12 years as mayor"; and
21 WHEREAS, while Bert was mayor of West Monroe (1966-1978) the city
22 successfully pushed the development of two industrial parks and many new jobs to the area,
23 including Downing Pines Industrial which was developed on an eighty-three acre tract
24 bought from Illinois Central Railroad, and the West Ouachita Industrial District which was
25 developed on 296 acres contingent with I-20, Hwy 80, and I. C. Railroad; and
26 WHEREAS, long before he was mayor, Bert was an aggressive supporter of
27 education requiring that all members of the Ouachita Parish School Board reside in the
28 Ouachita Parish taxing district; and
29 WHEREAS, "Repeated efforts to achieve equity in representation had failed in state
30 and federal courts and state legislature where Monroe always controlled the political power
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1 to win", Bert said. We finally got justice in a Louisiana Constitutional Convention, and Bert
2 took great pride in having written the original draft on that part of the new constitution which
3 now prevents such inequity for any school district in Louisiana; and
4 WHEREAS, "We now have three of the finest public high schools in Louisiana: West
5 Monroe High School, West Ouachita High School, and Sterlington High School", Bert
6 added; West Monroe was probably the largest city in America without a public high school
7 until West Monroe High School was founded in the mid 1950s; and
8 WHEREAS, after leaving the mayor's office, Bert said he was pleased with the city's
9 accomplishments during his twelve years in office but added, "It could not have been done
10 without three good city councils, the department heads, city employees and especially, the
11 overwhelming support of the citizens of West Monroe"; and
12 WHEREAS, as Bert approached his ninety-fourth birthday, he recalled having
13 interviewed Bob Hope, and having shared a Heineken beer with Arthur Feilder, conductor
14 of the Boston Pops Orchestra, when both were quests of Al Hirt, the famed trumpeter, at his
15 place on Bourbon Street; Bert also had met every Louisiana governor since Sam Jones,
16 except John Bel Edwards; and
17 WHEREAS, Bert said he felt very fortunate to have lived to an advanced age during
18 so many important events in his community, nation, and the world: "To all of which I have
19 tried to be a positive contributor; I hope I have been successful"; and
20 WHEREAS, Bert is survived by his daughters, Sarah Jill Maxwell (Todd), Beth
21 Hinton (widow of Jacky), Cathy O. Rawls (Wade); grandchildren, Olivia Greer, Maddi
22 Maxwell, Ian Maxwell; brother, Bob G. Hatten; sister, Nova Dee Hatten Carbo; and many
23 other cherished family and friends.
24 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
25 does hereby express sincere and heartfelt condolences upon the passing of Walter Bertram
26 "Bert" Hatten.
27 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copies of this Resolution be transmitted to
28 Sarah Jill Maxwell, Beth Hinton, and Cathy O. Rawls.
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The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Lebra R. Bias.
DIGEST
SR 125 Original 2023 Regular Session Cathey
Expresses condolences upon sincere and heartfelt condolences upon the passing of Walter
Bertram "Bert" Hatten.
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