1. Theron Carl Lynd was an American circuit clerk and voter registrar in Forrest County, Mississippi, who refused to register Black people during the civil rights movement.
17 Facts About Theron Lynd
1. 2.
Theron Carl Lynd was born on May 30,1920, in Moss Point, Mississippi.
3.
Theron Lynd's family moved to Hattiesburg when he was three years old, where he attended public schools.
4.
Theron Lynd attended Mississippi State University to study business and graduated in 1943.
5.
Theron Lynd joined his father's oil and gas business, before working at the Hattiesburg Typewriter Company in 1958.
6.
Theron Lynd was elected Forrest County Circuit Clerk in 1959, replacing Luther Cox, who had died in office.
7.
Theron Lynd reported to and was surveilled by the Hattiesburg Citizens' Council and the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission, a state agency established to fight desegregation efforts, these two organizations wanted to insure segregation was still happening in the court system.
8.
Hutcheson, "the trial court's decision to neither grant nor deny a request for a preliminary injunction in effect equated with denying the request altogether" and issued injunction requiring Theron Lynd to stop discrimination.
9.
On May 2,1962, Theron Lynd was served with papers and the federal government again filed suit against Theron Lynd for allegedly ignoring the 5th circuit injunction order.
10.
The 5th circuit court decided on July 15,1963, that Theron Lynd failed to comply with the first injunction, and he was found guilty on civil contempt charge.
11.
Theron Lynd was a big and physically intimidating man, over 6 feet tall and over 300 pounds.
12.
Theron Lynd was obese and a diabetic, and had an amputation of both legs around 1977.
13.
Theron Lynd died of apparent heart failure in January 30,1978 at the age of 57, while serving his 5th term in office as the Circuit Clerk and Registrar of Voters for Forrest County, Mississippi.
14.
Theron Lynd is buried in a mausoleum in Roseland Park Cemetery in Hattiesburg.
15.
Theron Lynd's wife was appointed to his office until a special election could be held.
16.
Theron Lynd is included in archives at Mississippi Department of Archives and History, University of Southern Mississippi, and Digital Library of Georgia.
17.
Theron Lynd is profiled in the William Sturkey book Hattiesburg: An American City in Black and White.