Louis F. Snedigar

Louis Fielding "Red" Snedigar
Miami Dade County Commissioner
In office
1949–1951
9th Mayor of Miami Beach
In office
1934–1937
Preceded byArthur Frank Katzentine
Succeeded byJohn H. Levi
6th Mayor of Miami Beach
In office
1928–1930
Preceded byJohn Newton Lummus Jr.
Succeeded by Val C Cleary
4th Mayor of Miami Beach
In office
1922–1926
Preceded by Thomas E James
Succeeded byJohn Newton Lummus Jr.
Personal details
Born(1890-01-02)2 January 1890
Died9 December 1951(1951-12-09) (aged 61)
Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.
Resting placeMiami
SpouseEdna Morris
ChildrenLouis F. Snedigar Jr., James Snedigar
OccupationAttorney
Military service
AllegianceUnited States Army
UnitBCo 7th Bn Florida State Guard[1]

Louis Fielding "Red" Snedigar (1890–1951) was an attorney, realtor and four-time mayor of the city of Miami Beach.

Early life

Snedigar was the son of a Union Civil War veteran. He was born in Bartow, FL.

He married Edna Morris on May 24, 1916, in Deland, Florida. He later graduated from Stetson University where he played baseball while earning a law degree. Snedigar had a .420 batting average and was signed to a contract by the Philadelphia Athletics.[2] Snedigar later credited major league legend, Connie Mack with dissuading him from a baseball career.[3]

The Snedigars had two sons. When they settled in Miami, Louis worked as a lawyer with Shutts & Bowen and moonlighted as a semi-professional shortstop.[4] for the Miami East Coast League baseball team[5]

Politics

Snedigar was the fourth, sixth and ninth Mayor of Miami Beach. In a letter he wrote to the mayor and city council in the late 1940s, Snedigar remarked that he had been the leader of the city through "the boom, the bust, the Wall Street panic and, 'the blow'", referring to the great Miami Hurricane of 1926.[6]

During Snedigar's terms as mayor, he oversaw the installation of the city water system and the sewer system, the procurement of multiple parks and the building of multiple bridges.[7] Notably, the Miami Beach City Hall was built under his tenure.

Snedigar was never a Miami Beach city council member prior to his election victories.

In his 1928 election victory, he defeated Val C. Cleary by only four votes.[8] He retired after the 1930 election.

In 1934, John H. Levi withdrew from the mayoral race, citing a technicality in the city charter. Snedigar announced his candidacy just a few hours later and went on to win his third term.

After his service to Miami Beach, Snedigar ran for and won a Dade County Commission seat.[9]

Later life

During World War II, Snedigar's enlistment was declined. He joined the Florida State Guard and the Coast Guard volunteers.[10] Snedigar's sons, Louis Jr. and James, went on to be decorated WWII veterans.

Snedigar died in Miami Beach in 1951.

See also

References

Citations

  1. ^ "Beach Ex-Mayor's Son Pulls rank". Miami Herald. Miami Beach City Archives. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  2. ^ "Snedigar sings with Athletics". Miami Herald. May 12, 1913. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  3. ^ Butler, Guy (May 28, 1945). "Mack gave Snedigar right tip". Miami Daily News.
  4. ^ "Red Snedigar to practice law". Miami Herald. Miami Beach City archives. 1914. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  5. ^ Martin, Harold. "Real Baseball Provided by East Coast". Florida Online Journals.
  6. ^ "Miami Beach History archives". Miami Beach Archives. City of Miami Beach. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  7. ^ "City Clerk". Miami Beach Archives. City of Miami Beach. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  8. ^ "Miami Beach Mayor is Sworn into office". Miami Herald. Miami Herald. December 18, 1930. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  9. ^ "Commissioner LF Snedigar dead at 61". Miami Herald. Dec 10, 1951. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  10. ^ Bills, John T. "Beach Ex mayors son pulls rank". Miami Beach Archive. Miami Herald. Retrieved 9 June 2024.

Sources

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