George Caldwell (Louisiana official)

George A. Caldwell, sometimes known as Big George Caldwell (August 24, 1892 – March 12, 1966), was a Louisiana building contractor and state official. In the 1930s, during the Great Depression, he served as Superintendent for Construction at Louisiana State University, where he was known to "rake off 2 per cent of the cost of all building projects."^[1] Caldwell managed the construction of nine buildings on the campus as federal Public Works Administration (PWA) projects in Baton Rouge.^[1] These included the university library and the structures housing the dairying and physics departments.^[2]

He also built three parish courthouses, and numerous other major public projects during his career. In what were called the "Louisiana scandals", in 1939 Caldwell was indicted for misuse of PWA funds and pleaded guilty to federal charges. He was one of several top-ranking Louisiana leaders convicted and jailed in this scandal, including Governor Richard W. Leche.^[1] Sentenced to four years in prison in 1940, Caldwell was paroled in 1941. Later in the 1940s, he was pardoned by President Harry Truman. After that, Caldwell returned to business, getting commissions to construct public buildings, such as parish courthouses.