Melton McLaurin Oral History with Joseph Langan
McLaurin: Continuing the oral history project, this tape is being made the 12th of October 1972. Participants are Melton McLaurin, department of history, University of South Alabama, and Mr. Joe Langan of Mobile, former state senator and former commissioner of the city of Mobile. And Mr. Langan I'd like you at this time if you would please to give me a brief biographical sketch including your birth place, education, and years of service in the military and in political life.
Langan: Well, I was born in Mobile in 1912. I was educated in the parochial and public schools of Mobile. I graduated from Murphy High School. And of course, I graduated in 1931 in the Depression and was not able at that time to go to college. I did however, by working and studying law, was able to take the state bar examination and passed it and was admitted to the practice of law in 1935. I continued part-time college courses and – went for actually about twenty years until 1951 when I was graduated from Spring Hill College. In 1938, after I had been practicing law for about three years, I decided to enter into the race for state legislature and was elected,… being one of the three members of the house representing Mobile County. I served during the 1939 session which was Governor Dixon's administration and during that time many changes were made in Alabama government. Matter of fact, it was the reform period of Alabama history during which many of the departments of state government were reorganized and set-up. Industrial r