Heber Austin Ladner
Heber Austin Ladner (October 4, 1902 - June 14, 1989) was the Secretary of State of Mississippi from 1948 to 1980. He was a Democrat. Early life and education. Heber Austin Ladner was born on October 4, 1902, in Lumberton, Mississippi. His parents were Webster L. Ladner (1873-1965) and Valena (Beall) Ladner (1871-1946). He graduated from Millsaps College with a BS degree in 1929. Career. Ladner started his political career as a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives in 1936. In the House, he represented Pearl River County from 1936 to 1940. From 1940 to  1942, he was the Secretary of the Mississippi Budget Commission. He was the Clerk of the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1942 to 1948. In 1948, he became the Secretary of State of Mississippi. In 1968, he administrated the oath to the first black state legislator elected in 74 years. However, he was a defendant in suits brought by black people for school desegregation and proportional representation in election commissions. In 1980, he stopped being the Secretary of State of Mississippi. He died of heart disease on June 14, 1989, in the Mississippi Baptist Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi. Heber