Judge J. Vernon Sims, Morehouse Parish, Louisiana Fifth Judicial District File prepared by Deanne N. Pardue ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** >From "Biographies of Louisiana Judges" edited by J. Cleveland Fruge' for the Louisiana District Judges Association, publishers. 1971. Reproduction permitted without written permission provided credit line is retained. Copyright, 1971, J. Cleveland Fruge'. ------------------------------- John Vernon Sims, Judge of the Fifth Judicial District, Division "A", comprising the Parishes of Franklin, Richland and West Carroll, began his professional career at Oak Grove in August, 1930, after having received his LL.B. from Louisiana State University Law School on June 9, 1930. In January, 1932, a partnership was formed by the ..... John R. McIntosh, a former district judge of the Fifth Judicial District, and Judge Sims for the general practice of law at Oak Grover, under the firm name of McIntosh & Sims. Subsequently, James D. McIntosh and John M. Hester, now deceased, entered this law firm as partners, and the practice of law by Judge Sims in this association under the firm name of McIntosh, Simes & Hester was continued until he assumed the office of District Judge on December 10, 1954, succeeding the late Judge Carey J. Ellis of Rayville, who retired. Judge Sims' early education was acquired in the public schools of Morehouse Parish, at Mer Rouge, his high school diploma having been received on May 29, 1923. While at L.S.U., he took an active part in campus activities and was a member of the Theta Kappa Beta, now Alpha Tau Omega (social), Gamma Eta Gamma (legal), Daggers, Panhellenic Council and other organizations. Judge Sims was elected District Attorney of the Fifth Judicial District at the age of 30 in 1936, and served in that office for twelve years until 1948, not offering for re-election. Judge Sims was born in Ouachita City, Union Parish, on October 3, 1905, the oldest of three sons of the marriage of the late George Madison Sims, a merchant and planter of Mer Rouge, and the late Mary Elezabeth Yeldell. Judge Sims' two brothers were the late Hubert M. Sims, a former State Senator, of Mer Rouge, and the late Alton Y. Sims, a planter, of Bastrop. Judge Sims was married to Miss Glen Gaddis of Pioneer on June 16, 1934. Mrs. Sims' parents were the late Thomas LaFayette Gaddis and the late Mrs. Emily Catherine Gaddis, nee Alley. Judge and mrs. Sims have one child, John Vernon Sims, Jr., born July 29, 1939, presently an officer with the West Carroll National Bank of Oak Grove, and two grandson, John Vernon Sims, III and Thomas Morris Sims. Judge Sims has served as Government Appeal Agent, Local Board No. 73, West Carroll Parish, since June 26, 1953; he is Board Chairman of the West Carroll National Bank, Oak Grove, Louisiana, a member past president and past deputy district governor of Lions International; a former member of the official board and chairman of the building committee of the First Methodist Church Oak Grove; a member of Fifth Judicial District and Louisiana State Bar Associations; a member of American Judicature Society; past president of the Fifth Judicial District Bar Association; a former member of the Board of Governors of the Louisiana State Bar Association (1950-1952), and a former member of the Judicial Council of the Supreme Court of Louisiana (1954-1957); a Mason (32nd degree, Shriner). For recreation, Judge Sims enjoys working on the grounds of his suburban home, "Glenwood", as well as his interest with his son and grandsons in their registered herd of Shorthorn cattle.