Dates: 1939-2007; n.d.
Originals in boxes 9 and 10 are restricted; reference photocopies in box 8 must be used instead.

Biography:

Sam Wilder Waggoner

Sam Wilder Waggoner, son of Sam and Elizabeth Ayres Waggoner, was born on October 2, 1922, in Carthage, Leake County, Mississippi. Waggoner graduated from Carthage High School in 1939 and the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Lafayette County, Mississippi, in 1943, with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering. Waggoner married Mary Elizabeth Smith on April 3, 1946, in Carthage. The couple had two children: Joe Ayres (b. December 18, 1950) and Mary Jane (b. November 11, 1952). During World War II, Waggoner served in the United States Navy in the Atlantic Theatre, rising to the rank of lieutenant. After his military discharge in 1946, Waggoner returned to Mississippi and joined the American Legion, and in 1953, was elected the organization’s state commander.

Waggoner was an engineer for the Mississippi Highway Department for fifteen years beginning in 1953; during this time he founded Engineers and Surveyors, Inc. From 1961 to 1963, Waggoner served as an assistant director of the Pearl Street Reservoir in Jackson, Mississippi; owned and operated the Sam Waggoner Consulting Engineering Firm; and served as county engineer of Newton County, Mississippi. Waggoner was the first engineer to be elected Highway Commissioner of the Central District (comprised of Attala, Bolivar, Hinds, Holmes, Issaquena, Kemper, Lauderdale, Leake, Madison, Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee, Rankin, Scott, Sharkey, Sunflower, Warren, Washington, Winston, and Yazoo Counties), a position he held for six terms from 1968 until 1989. During his tenure, he was instrumental in passing the Mississippi Moving AHEAD (Advocating Highways for Economic Advancement and Development) bill in 1987. The project resulted in the construction of four-lane roads within thirty miles of all towns within the state.

 

Scope and Content Note:

The Sam W. Waggoner papers consist of correspondence, speeches, scrapbooks, newspapers, newsclippings, photographs, and educational records pertaining to Waggoner's six terms as the Central District Highway Commissioner and his service as state commander of the American Legion. Of particular interest are papers that contain information on the development of highway infrastructure in Mississippi.

 

Series Identification:

Series 1: Correspondence and Speeches. 1950-2007; n.d. 4 boxes.

This series contains correspondence relating to the political campaigns for highway commissioner of Sam W. Waggoner as well as speeches concerning highway development that were given by Waggoner statewide to Mississippi county chambers of commerce, Mississippi Rotary Club chapters, and the American Legion.

Boxes 1-4

Series 2: Scrapbooks. 1967-1988; n.d. 1 box, 2 folders, 13 volumes.

This series is composed of thirteen scrapbooks that contain newsclippings, photographs, and awards documenting Waggoner’s political career as Mississippi Central District Highway Commissioner.

Box 7, folder 5: loose items from Scrapbook 8: “Newspaper ClippingsAugust 29, 1974 through August 27, 1976”
Box 12: Scrapbook 1: “1967 Campaign for Central District Highway Commissioner”

Scrapbook 2: “Newspaper Clippings February, 1967 through January 1969”
Scrapbook 3: “Newspaper Clippings February 1, 1969 through December 14, 1969”
Scrapbook 4: “1970”
Scrapbook 5: “Newspaper Newsclippings Jan. 1971-March 1972”
Scrapbook 6: “Newspaper Clippings April 6, 1972 through December 13, 1973”
Scrapbook 7: “Newspaper Clippings December 13, 1973 through August 28, 1974”
Scrapbook 8: “Newspaper Clippings August 29, 1974 through August 27, 1976”
Scrapbook 9: “Newspaper Clippings August 27, 1976 through December 21, 1976”
Scrapbook 10: “Newspaper Clippings December 23, 1976 through June 29, 1977”
Scrapbook 11: “Newspaper Clippings June 28, 1977 through June 30, 1982”
Scrapbook 12: “Newspaper Clippings June 23, 1982 through June 25, 1986”
Scrapbook 13: “Newspaper Clippings May 30, 1986 through November 24, 1988”

 

Series 3: Newspapers. 1953-1954; 1983-1984. 2 boxes, 1 folder.

This series contains several copies of the American Legion’s Mississippi Veteran newspaper published from May 1953 to August 1954, as well as other clippings from county newspapers in Mississippi that concern highway development.

Box 5
Box 8, folder 1 (reference photocopies)
Box 10 (restricted originals)

 

Series 4: Photographs. 1947-1980; n.d. 4 boxes, 7 folders.

This series is comprised of photograph albums of the Mississippi River Bridge construction in Vicksburg, Warren County, Mississippi, undertaken from 1970 though 1972; the opening of the Mississippi Highway Commission’s county maintenance headquarters; award presentations to distinguished commission employees; the flooding of Highway 61 in 1975; and photographs documenting Sam W. Waggoner’s participation in various American Legion activities.

Box 6
Box 7, folders 1-3: “Mississippi River Bridge Construction 1970-1972”

Photograph Album 2, Box 7, folder 4: “Variety of Pictures (Mainly of Road Openings) from 1968-1977”
Photograph Album 2, Box 12: “Variety of Pictures (Mainly of Road Openings) from 1968-1977”

Photograph Album 1, Box 8, folders 2-3: “American Legion, Mississippi River Bridge Construction, MSHD Pictures, SWW Personal” (1947-1979; n.d.) (reference photocopies)
Photograph Album 1, Box 9, folders 1-3: “American Legion, Mississippi River Bridge Construction MSHD Pictures, SWW Personal” (1947-1979; n.d.) (restricted originals)

Photograph Album 3, Box 8, folders 4-5: “Service Awards 1980, Old and New Maintenance Area Headquarters Pictures, SWW Personal” (reference photocopies)
Photograph Album 3, Box 9, folders 4-8: “Service Awards 1980, Old and New Maintenance Area Headquarters Pictures, SWW Personal” (restricted originals)

Series 5: Educational Records. 1939; 1943. 1 box.

This series contains Waggoner’s high school diploma from Carthage High School in Carthage, Mississippi, which he received in 1939. The series also contains Waggoner’s 1943 degree from the University of Mississippi, as well as a Baccalaureate program from his graduation.

Box 11