Henry Rupert Sledge (1913-2002)

Henry Rupert Sledge ( June 21, 1913 - May 5, 2002), known as Rupert, was an American politician who was elected to twelve consecutive terms as Clerk of Court of Bienville Parish, Louisiana from 1940 to 1988, where he was instructor for the Commissioners of Elections, a member of the Jury Commission and custodian of the parishes' vital records and voting machines.

Mr. Sledge was born in Castor in southern Bienville Parish, son of Henry Roland Sledge (1878-1939) and Virginia May Evans (1882-1963). His father was elected as Clerk of Court in Bienville Parish in 1924 and served in that capacity for fifteen years until his death in 1939. At the time of his father's death, the younger Sledge was Chief Deputy Clerk and was appointed to complete his father's term. He was elected to his first full term in 1940.

The valedictorian of his Arcadia High School graduating class of 1930, he graduated from Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, Lincoln Parish, Louisiana in 1935. Mr. Sledge was active in the Bienville Baptist Association for 74 years, a Deacon (1950-1988) and church secretary at the First Baptist Church of Arcadia. He was a member of the Arcadia Masonic Lodge, Arcadia Lions Club, the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce, trustee of the Arcadia Baptist Retirement Home, involved with the Bienville Parish unit of the American Cancer Society and treasurer of the Bienville Depot Museum, He served as Secretary-Treasurer of the Louisiana clerks of Court Association and the Louisiana Clerks of Court Retirement and Relief Fund for thirty-three years. He was the 1987 recipient of the Arcadia Heritage Award for his service to the community.

Mr. Sledge died in Arcadia, Bienville Parish on May 5, 2002 as was buried in Arcadia Cemetery, Bienville Parish, Louisiana.