MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2010 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Dearing, Gordon, Simmons, Walls, Clarke, Blount, Browning, Butler, Carmichael, Chassaniol, Davis, Dawkins, Fillingane, Frazier, Horhn, Hyde-Smith, Jackson (11th), Jackson (15th), Jackson (32nd), Jones, King, Kirby, Lee (35th), Mettetal, Moffatt, Montgomery, Powell, Stone, Ward, Watson, Wilemon, Yancey
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION MOURNING THE LOSS AND COMMENDING THE LONG AND DISTINGUISHED LEGACY OF PUBLIC SERVICE OF FORMER STATE REPRESENTATIVE AND APPROPRIATIONS CHAIRMAN CHARLES WILSON (CHARLIE) CAPPS, JR., OF CLEVELAND, MISSISSIPPI.
WHEREAS, former Representative Charles Wilson (Charlie) Capps, Jr., of Cleveland, Mississippi, once one of the most influential leaders of the Mississippi Legislature, passed away on December 25, 2009. Known across the state simply as "Charlie," the cigar-chomping Chairman from the Delta was renowned for his leadership and charisma; and
WHEREAS, Representative Capps' legacy of statesmanship, fiscal discipline and integrity included a long and distinguished career in politics beginning in 1964 when he was elected Sheriff of Bolivar County, Mississippi. Mr. Capps insisted that the people of Bolivar County obey the law, a position from which he never deviated. In treating people fairly, Mr. Capps earned the respect and confidence of the people of Bolivar County. While Sheriff he also was elected President of the Mississippi Sheriff's Association and supported the legislation that eliminated the Office of Tax Collector from the Sheriff's duties, leaving the Sheriff to concentrate on law enforcement; and
WHEREAS, in 1972, Mr. Capps was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives and served continuously until his retirement in 2005. During his long career in the Legislature, Mr. Capps served on the Constitution, Military Affairs, Ethics and Insurance Committees. In 1989, Mr. Capps was appointed Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and was known throughout the Legislature as "Mr. Chairman." As Chairman, Mr. Capps did business in his Capitol office through the cigar smoke from his trademark "stogie," where he took actions to allocate funds to state agencies, universities, community colleges and the secondary school systems. He considered his service on the Appropriations Committee as the highlight of his legislative career. He built a reputation of cooperating and working with legislators regardless of background or political party. During his tenure he served with Speakers of the House John Junkin, Buddy Newman, Tim Ford and Billy McCoy. Because of his work to help improve education and workforce training in Mississippi, Mr. Capps was honored on numerous occasions to include the naming of the Charles W. Capps, Jr., Archives and Museum Building at Delta State University; the Charles W. Capps, Jr., Technology Center in Indianola, by Mississippi Delta Community College; the Mississippi National Guard Amory in Cleveland; Lake Charlie Capps, by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries; the Charles W. Capps, Jr., Crisis Center in Cleveland, by the Department of Mental Health; and the Charles W. Capps, Jr., Entrepreneurial Center, by the Mississippi State University Extension Service in Stoneville, Mississippi; and
WHEREAS, Charlie was born in Merigold, Mississippi, on January 1, 1925, to the late Charles Wilson Capps, Sr., and Margaret Guynes Capps. He graduated from Cleveland High School and attended Davidson College until the outbreak of World War II when he volunteered and enlisted in the United States Army. He graduated from Officers Training School and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Infantry at Fort Benning, Georgia. He was assigned for overseas duty in the Pacific and was located in the Philippines when World War II ended. Charlie always maintained a strong commitment to the military and considered his military service to be one of the most important periods of his long career of public service; and
WHEREAS, while at Ole Miss he met his future wife, Allen Hobbs, from Greenwood. They were married in 1949. They returned to Cleveland where Charlie became involved in the cotton business with his father and later as President and founder of Capps Insurance and Real Estate, Inc.; and
WHEREAS, in addition to his business interest, Mr. Capps understood the meaning of public service and took great pride in his involvement in many civic activities. He is a past President of the Cleveland-Bolivar County Chamber of Commerce; Cleveland Exchange Club; United Givers Fund; Chairman of the Industrial-Development Foundation; President of Delta Area Council of Boy Scouts for which he was awarded the Silver Beaver Award; President of Delta Council; Director of the Bolivar County Farm Bureau; member of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars; President of the Bolivar County Ole Miss Alumni Association; member of the Chancellor's Trust for the University of Mississippi; President of the House Corporation for the Mississippi Alpha, Phi Delta Theta; member of the Mississippi Association of Independent Insurance Agents; member of Merigold Hunting Club; and Director of the Cleveland Country Club, where he maintained an avid interest in golf until a few months before his death; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Capps was predeceased by his wife, Allen Hobbs Capps, to whom he was married 55 years. He is survived by his children, Alinda Capps Sledge, whose husband, Tommy Sledge, also predeceased Mr. Capps, of Cleveland, and their child, Allen Sledge of Memphis, Tennessee; a daughter, Margaret Capps Allen of Greenwood, Mississippi, and her husband, Meredith Allen and their children, Meredith Allen, Jr., Alinda Guynes, Allen McGowin and her husband, Sumpter McGowin II, all of Memphis, Tennessee, and Charles Allen of Oxford, Mississippi; and a son, Charles Wilson Capps III and his wife, Cordelia Joseph Capps, and their children, Charles Wilson Capps IV, Sam Capps and Cordelia Capps, all of Cleveland, and Parker Capps of Oxford; and
WHEREAS, in his lifetime of service, Charlie always remained a loyal friend who maintained strong convictions and dedication to treating people fairly and in a straightforward manner. Charlie exemplified that generation of Americans who survived the Great Depression and World War II to protect, defend and rebuild America. With an unflinching duty to public service and a commitment to leaving this world a better place, Charlie Capps will be missed by a host of friends and associates made during a lifetime, but his memory will be etched in history books as a leader in Mississippi:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby mourn the loss and commend the long and distinguished legacy of public service of former Mississippi Representative and Appropriations Chairman Charles Wilson (Charlie) Capps, Jr., of Cleveland, Mississippi, and extend our sympathy to his surviving family and the thanks of a grateful state for his service.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to the surviving family of Charlie Capps, forwarded to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.