{{Short description|Commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department from 1937 to 1938}} {{Use American English|date=January 2024}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}} {{Infobox officeholder | office = [[Commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department]] | image = William P. Lawson.jpg | caption = Lawson, {{circa|1938}} | alt = Black-and-white closeup picture of Lawson looking at the camera with his mouth slightly open. | predecessor = [[Charles D. Gaither]] | successor = [[Stephen G. Nelson]] (acting) | appointer = [[Harry Nice]] | term_start = May 17, 1937 | term_end = July 31, 1938 | birth_date = {{Birth based on age at death|66|1946|07|02}} | death_date = {{death date and given age|1946|07|02|66}} | death_place = [[Baltimore]], Maryland | party = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] }} '''William P. Lawson''' (1879 or 1880{{snd}}July 2, 1946) was an American [[investment banker]] and politician who served as [[commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department]] (BPD) from 1937 to 1938. Prior to serving as commissioner, Lawson was the chairman of the Central Committee of the [[Maryland Republican Party]]. Appointed by governor of Maryland [[Harry Nice]] to replace [[Charles D. Gaither]], Lawson's tenure included the appointment of [[Violet Hill Whyte]], the first African-American BPD officer, and four further African-American officers.
In June 1938, a [[credit report]] showed that Lawson held at least 1,000 shares in the Consolidated Distillers Corporation, a business dealing in [[whisky]]. While he initially refused to comment, he later claimed he was simply a [[stockbroker]] for the company and was not involved in liqour, contradicting the credit report and a company statement. Calls rose for Nice to ask Lawson to resign, citing his liqour dealings and raising crime rates, which Nice refused. On July 30, 1938, the [[Securities and Exchange Commission]] alleged his [[brokerage firm]], William P. Lawson and Co., of fraud. Although he maintained his innocence, he temporarily resigned the next day, stating that his business dealings "[have] no connection whatsoever with the affairs of the Police Department or my duties as commissioner." Lawson was found guilty and sentenced to three years in prison, which was partially pardoned by governor [[Herbert O'Conor]]. Lawson died of a heart attack in Baltimore on July 2, 1946, at the age of 66.
== Biography == Lawson was born in 1879 or 1880. He worked as an [[investment banker]], going on to serve as chairman of the Central Committee of the [[Maryland Republican Party]]. He married a former [[Republican National Committee]]woman from Maryland and died of a [[heart attack]] in Baltimore on July 2, 1946, at the age of 66.<ref name="Obituary">{{Cite news |date=July 2, 1946 |title=William Lawson Dies in Baltimore; Served as Chief of Police |url=https://newspapers.com/article/evening-star-obituary-for-william-p-laws/144000964/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240324034120/https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-star-obituary-for-william-p-laws/144000964/ |archive-date=March 24, 2024 |access-date=March 23, 2024 |work=[[The Washington Star]] |pages=12}}</ref>
== Commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department == {{multiple image | total_width = 300 | align = left | image1 = Harry W. Nice circa 1918 (cropped 2).jpg | alt1 = Black-and-white portrait of Harry Nice in a suit | image2 = Charles D. Gaither (1860–1947) (1).png | alt2 = Close-up portrait of Charles D. Gaither in a suit | footer = Governor of Maryland [[Harry Nice]] appointed Lawson to succeed [[Charles D. Gaither]]. }} Lawson was appointed by Governor of Maryland [[Harry Nice]] as [[commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department]] on May 17, 1937, replacing outgoing commissioner [[Charles D. Gaither]].<ref name="Credit Report">{{Cite news |date=June 25, 1938 |title=Credit Report Shows Lawson Liquor Link |url=https://newspapers.com/article/the-evening-sun-credit-report-shows-laws/143946861/ |access-date=March 23, 2024 |work=[[The Baltimore Sun|The Evening Sun]] |pages=1,9 |archive-date=March 23, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240323160736/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-evening-sun-credit-report-shows-laws/143946861/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Lawson Quits Police Post 'Temporarily'">{{Cite news |date=July 31, 1938 |title=Lawson Quits Police Post 'Temporarily,' Until SEC Fraud Charges Are Heard |url=https://newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun-lawson-charges/114037619/ |access-date=January 12, 2024 |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |pages=1,9 |archive-date=March 23, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240323153843/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun-lawson-charges/114037619/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
While commissioner, Lawson was credited with appointing the first [[African-American]] person, [[Violet Hill Whyte]], to the department; he appointed 4 further African-American officers seven months later.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dulaney |first=W. Marvin |title=Black Police in America |publisher=[[Indiana University Press]] |isbn=9780253210401 |publication-date=February 22, 1996 |pages=34}}</ref>
=== Liquor and fraud investigations === {{quotebox|<poem>My Dear Governor Nice: As you are aware, the Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a petition against me in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland asking that I be restrained from further continuing my personal business because of certain practices which they claim are in violation of the [[Securities and Exchange Act]]. I am convinced that this is a vicious attempt to injure me. It is, however, entirely a personal matter and has no connection whatsoever with the affairs of the Police Department or my duties as commissioner.[...]Therefore, I feel it will be in the best interest of your administration and the conduct of the affairs of the department that, pending the disposition of the proceedings in the United States District Court, that I temporarily relinquish my duties as commissioner.</poem>|Letter from Lawson to Nice announcing his temporary resignation<ref name="Lawson Quits Police Post 'Temporarily'" />|align=left|width=300px}}
In June 1938, a [[credit report]] revealed that Lawson had been involved with the Consolidated Distillers Corporation, a business dealing in [[whisky]], where he served as its spokesman, owning at least 1,000 [[shares]] in the company. When asked for comment, Lawson and Nice refused, while the corporation claimed that Lawson no longer had stock or connections to the company.<ref name="Credit Report" /> In a later statement, Lawson explained that he had served as a [[stockbroker]] for the company, not making any more profit than his [[Commission (remuneration)|commission]]s. He further claimed that he had never been involved in liquor and did not plan to be, an explanation that Nice found sufficient. Inconsistencies were pointed out, including that the credit report claimed that Lawson was interested in the company's affairs, acting as a supervisor. The company also stated that Lawson had worked there but "just left".<ref name="Nice Backs Lawson">{{Cite news |date=June 28, 1938 |title=Nice Backs Lawson in Denial |url=https://newspapers.com/article/the-evening-sun-nice-backs-lawson-in-den/143947808/ |access-date=January 13, 2024 |work=[[The Baltimore Sun|The Evening Sun]] |pages=1,10 |archive-date=March 23, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240323160741/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-evening-sun-nice-backs-lawson-in-den/143947808/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Calls rose for Nice to ask that Lawson resign due to his dealings in the liquor industry and increasing crime rates.<ref name="Lawson Quits Police Post 'Temporarily'" />
On July 30, 1938, the [[Securities and Exchange Commission]] (SEC) filed a petition against Lawson, accusing his [[brokerage firm]], William P. Lawson and Co., of at least six illegal practices, relating to selling [[Security (finance)|securities]] of its customers without their consent as [[Collateralized debt obligation|collateral]] for personal loans, while continuing to pay [[dividend]]s to obscure that they had been sold, as well as having over 2,000% of its net capital in debt. SEC investigator Augustus A. Eggolt estimated that the firm had {{US$|162,912.89}} (${{formatprice|{{inflation|US-GDP|162912.89|1938}}}} in {{inflation/year|US-GDP}}) in debt to its customers while it only had roughly {{US$|1,733}} (${{formatprice|{{inflation|US-GDP|1733|1938}}}} in {{inflation/year|US-GDP}}) in its bank account. A "show-cause" order, signed by judge [[William Calvin Chesnut]], required Lawson to formally respond to the petition in front of the [[United States District Court for the District of Maryland]] by August 15.<ref name="Lawson Quits Police Post 'Temporarily'" /><ref name="SEC Accuses Lawson">{{Cite news |date=July 30, 1938 |title=SEC Accuses Lawson of Stock Deal Frauds |url=https://newspapers.com/article/the-evening-sun-sec-accuses-lawson-of-st/143946717/ |access-date=January 12, 2024 |work=[[The Baltimore Sun|The Evening Sun]] |pages=1,9 |archive-date=March 23, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240323160735/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-evening-sun-sec-accuses-lawson-of-st/143946717/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Wells Puts Aide on Lawson Case">{{Cite news |date=August 1, 1938 |title=Wells Puts Aide on Lawson Case |url=https://newspapers.com/article/the-evening-sun-wells-puts-aide-on-lawso/143947876/ |access-date=January 13, 2024 |work=[[The Baltimore Sun|The Evening Sun]] |pages=1,4 |archive-date=March 23, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240323160740/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-evening-sun-wells-puts-aide-on-lawso/143947876/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[File:Stephen G. Nelson (3x4).jpg|thumb|upright|[[Stephen G. Nelson]] succeeded Lawson as acting commissioner|alt=Black-and-white image of Stephen G. Nelson smiling wearing a police cap]] After the order, Lawson announced his temporary resignation as commissioner to Nice on July 31, 1938, which he immediately accepted, appointing chief inspector [[Stephen G. Nelson]] as acting commissioner. Although Nice described Lawson's resignation as wise, he declined to comment further on the case, saying that he would not comment on an ongoing legal process and that he knows little about the case.<ref name="Lawson Quits Police Post 'Temporarily'" /><ref name="SEC Accuses Lawson" />
Lawson hired the law firm Weinburg, Sweeten, and Green, to defend him, while he asserted that he was confident he could fight off the claims, which he described as "a vicious attempt to attack me". His attorney was J. Purdon Wright, who was also a Republican leader.<ref name="Lawson Quits Police Post 'Temporarily'" /> [[State's Attorney]] for Baltimore [[J. Bernard Wells]] assigned deputy William H. Maynard to Lawson's case.<ref name="Wells Puts Aide on Lawson Case" /> He was found guilty, being sentenced to three years in prison; he was granted a partial pardon by Governor of Maryland [[Herbert O'Conor]].<ref name="Obituary" />
{{-}} == References == {{reflist}} {{s-start}} {{s-civ|pol}} {{succession box|before=[[Charles D. Gaither]]|title=[[Commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department]]|years=1937–1938|after=[[Stephen G. Nelson]] (acting)}} {{s-end}} {{Baltimore Police Department}} {{Commissioners of the Baltimore Police Department|state=collapsed}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Lawson, William P.}} [[Category:Commissioners of the Baltimore Police Department]] [[Category:Year of birth uncertain]] [[Category:1946 deaths]] [[Category:American investment bankers]] [[Category:Maryland Republicans]]