During my days attending LSU-Shreveport and later working in the city in the early 1970s, I often passed the Mildred Crowe Baptist Church on North Market Street, and on occasion wondered who she must have been. My assumption was some affluent elderly member who left money to the church and in return the congregation named it after her. While it was in fact an act of philanthropy that placed her name on the building, she however turned out to be a very different person from the one I had imagined.
Mildred Louise Crowe Walford (1911-1940) was the daughter of William Thomas (1880-1972) and Lovie Irene Buckley Crowe. She had one sibling, William Thomas, Jr. (1915-2007).
Per the 1920 U. S. Census, the family resided in West Carroll Parish where Mr. Crowe was a postmaster. The family later moved to Shreveport where Mildred attended C. E. Byrd High. She is pictured below, second from left, among other prominent students.
Times 25-Mar-1928, Page 10B
A talented athlete, particularly at tennis, Mildred and Byrd classmate Milton Rudy, Jr. won the state mixed doubles title in 1928.
Times 13-May-1928, Page 15
Mildred appeared in an advertisement that was part of a multi-page tribute to area Handy-Andy grocery stores. Mr. Crowe, who had earlier been a merchant and postmaster at Forest, Louisiana; was franchise owner in Cedar Grove.
She is shown below as part of the graduating class of Dodd College, a now-defunct Baptist school for women the site of which is part of the campus of the present-day First Baptist Church.
Shreveport Journal Jun-1930 (same pic appeared in the Times 08-Jun-1930, Page 31)
Per the 1930 census the family lived at 420 Stephenson Street in Shreveport; with her father listed as a retail grocery merchant.
Mildred later attended Centenary College where she graduated in 1932.
1932 Centenary College Yoncopin. Page 44
Throughout the 1930s she participated in tennis competitions both locally and across the south. While other young women had transitioned to wearing shorts, Mildred was a holdout and continued to compete in dress, as had previously been the fashion.
Times 17-Sep-1933, Page 16
Having by then switched over to shorts, she's shown in action during a tournament, which she won, held in Des Moines, Iowa in 1938.
Des Moines (IA) Register 09-Jul-1938, Page 7
Her overall success and notoriety from winning the Iowa tournament earned her an invitation to the U.S. Open Tennis Championship held in Forest Hills, New York.
Times 21-Jul-1938, Page 10
Mildred was paired in the first round of the women's singles tournament against Helen Bernhard of New York. The circumstances were never explained (injury, illness, other?) however it was later reported that Bernhard won by default.
Back in Shreveport, she competed in a local tournament held at Princess Park, said to have attracted nationally-known players. Notably, she was allowed to enter the men's doubles tournament with partner Jessie Moore, as the women's doubles had been canceled. Of her it was stated:
"Although a woman player, Miss Crowe is capable of defeating several of the outstanding men players of the tournament."
Though they lost to the Griffith brothers in the second round, Mildred and Jessie defeated the team of Abe Murov and (?) Rotenberry in the first.
She was employed by the Caddo Parish School Board and around this same time assigned to teach at Forbing for the 1938-1939 school year.
In March 1939 she wed Richard M. Walford, Jr., who was a Certified Public Accountant.
Times 12-Mar-1939, Page 33
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| Richard M. Walford, Jr. (undated photo) |
Sadly, married 10 days shy of one year, four months, Mildred passed away 17-Jul-1940 after an eight-month undisclosed illness. She was 28 years old.
Times 11-Jul-1940, Page 18
Though ill, her death was apparently sudden and unexpected, as she was listed among entrants in a tournament held in Arkansas several weeks afterward. Mildred is buried in Forest Park East Cemetery in Shreveport.
The following year, an article that included an architect's rendering of a memorial chapel to be named for Mildred, also provided details of her life. The congregation originated as a mission of the First Baptist Church.
Times 13-Apr-1941, Page 17
Only 39, husband Richard passed away in November 1947 of what was described as a "short illness." Earlier he reportedly incurred a paralytic stroke. In December 1942, he had married Eva Brown, originally of Doyline, who survived him.
A Times article marking the church's 10th anniversary in 1952 described its beginnings and how it became named for Mildred. She and her family had been active in the church, and an uncle Herman R. Crowe made a sizable contribution toward its construction. Also of note, the land was donated by Mrs. Charlotte Long Davis (1876-1981); sister of famous Louisiana politicians Huey and Earl Long.
Times 21-Dec-1952, Page 3b
In September 1974, ground was broken for a new 550-person capacity sanctuary on the site of the old one. The church had been renamed Mid-City Baptist Church in March of that year.
Today that building is the home of New Birth Baptist Church.
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