Frank Clancy

Frank James Clancy (September 8, 1892 – December 23, 1960)^[1] was the sheriff of his native Jefferson Parish in suburban New Orleans, Louisiana, for seven terms from 1928 to 1956. As sheriff, he gained national attention in 1951 with his refusal to testify before Estes Kefauver's United States Senate committee investigating gambling and organized crime.^[2]

Born in Kenner, Clancy was educated at Soule Business College and the Tulane University School of Law, both in New Orleans. He became a practicing attorney in 1917. From 1918 to 1920, the Democrat Clancy was the Kenner city attorney. From 1920 to 1928, he was clerk of court for the 28th Judicial District, an elected position. Sheriff Clancy drove gambling promoters from Jefferson Parish after the Kefauver committee threatened him with charges of contempt of Congress. He subsequently ran as a "good government candidate though he reputedly had ties to organized crime. He authored the unsuccessful "Clancy plan" to replace the Jefferson Parish Police Jury with a five-member commission. He was the first organizational president of the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association and founded a Junior Deputy Sheriff's Association to combat juvenile delinquency. He died in Kenner at the age of sixty-eight and is interred at Carrollton Cemetery No. 1 in New Orleans.^[2]

Clancy and his wife, the former Vera Wattigny (1893-1975),^[3] had two married daughters, Eunice Lois Dupepe (1916-1980) and Mrs. Joseph S. Weimer.^[2] Mrs. Clancy is interred at Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans.^[3]

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