Joe T. Cawthorn

{{short description|American politician}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Joe T. Cawthorn

|birth_date = {{birth date|1911|10|01}}

|birth_place = Selma, Grant Parish, Louisiana, U.S.

|death_date = {{death date and age|1967|11|11|1911|10|01}}

|death_place = Lake Charles, Louisiana, U.S.

|state_senate = Louisiana State

|term_start = 1940

|term_end = 1944

|preceded = Roscoe C. Cranor
J. C. Heard

|succeeded = Riemer Calhoun
Lloyd Hendrick

|alongside = Lloyd Hendrick

|party = Democratic

|spouse = Merle Sloan{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65496157/obituary-for-joe-t-cawthorn-aged-56/|title=Joe T. Cawthorn Succumbs in Lake Charles|work=The Times|location=Shreveport, Louisiana|date=November 12, 1967|access-date=July 13, 2022|page=4|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}

|children = 1

|alma_mater = Louisiana State University

}}

Joe T. Cawthorn (October 1, 1911 – November 11, 1967) was an American politician. He served as a Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate.{{Cite web|url=http://senate.la.gov/Documents/Membership/Documents/SenateMembership1880ForwardRevisedMar2011.pdf|title=Membership in the Louisiana Senate: 1880 - Present|first=Arthur|last=McEnany|work=Louisiana State Senate|date=January 2008|access-date=July 13, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151225225646/http://senate.la.gov/Documents/Membership/Documents/SenateMembership1880ForwardRevisedMar2011.pdf|archive-date=December 25, 2015|url-status=live|via=Wayback Machine}}

Cawthorn was born in Selma, Grant Parish, Louisiana. He graduated from Oak Grove High School, and attended Louisiana State University, where he earned a law degree in 1932. After earning his law degree, Cawthorn became active in Louisiana politics, and was a friend of Huey Long and his son, Russell.

In 1940 Cawthorn was elected to the Louisiana State Senate, serving until 1944. Cawthorn practised as an attorney in Mansfield, Louisiana, but was disbarred in 1953 as a result of a 1948 conviction for jury tampering, for which he received a 2-year sentence.{{Cite web |title=Louisiana State Bar Ass'n v. Cawthorn, 223 La. 884 {{!}} Casetext Search + Citator |url=https://casetext.com/case/louisiana-state-bar-assn-v-cawthorn |access-date=2023-09-06 |website=casetext.com}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/9798797/the-times/|title=La. Supreme Court Court Disbars Joe Cawthorn|work=The Times|location=Shreveport, Louisiana|date=May 9, 1953|access-date=July 13, 2022|page=1|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} In the 1960s, Cawthorn represented rodeo performer Jack Favor when he was falsely accused of murder.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cowboysforchrist.net/thechristianranchmansep_oct2012.pdf|title="Not Guilty"|work=The Christian Ranchman|date=2012|access-date=July 13, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221232529/http://www.cowboysforchrist.net/thechristianranchmansep_oct2012.pdf|archive-date=February 21, 2014|url-status=live|pages=12–13|via=Wayback Machine}} {{Open access}}

Cawthorn died in November 1967 at a hospital in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He was pronounced dead at 5:32pm.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/9798680/the-times/|title=Joe Cawthorn Rites to Be Held Today|work=The Times|location=Shreveport, Louisiana|date=November 13, 1967|access-date=July 13, 2022|page=8|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}