Dr. Cuthbert "CO" Simpkins, Sr.

Celebration of Life Service for Dr. Cuthbert Ormond “C.O.” Simpkins will be held on Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 12 noon at Galilee Baptist Church, 1500 Pierre Ave, Shreveport, LA 71103, Rev. Brian Wilson, Pastor, with Dr. Harry Blake officiating. The family will receive friends on Friday, December 13 from 3 to 5 p.m. also at the Galilee Baptist Church.  Interment will follow at Forest Park West Cemetery.

Dr. Simpkins was born in Mansfield, Louisiana, on January 13, 1925 to Dr. Oscar Simpkins and Olivia Gardner Simpkins.

Following high school, Dr. Simpkins attended Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, and Tennessee State University, where he received his undergraduate degrees. He later enrolled at Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry in Nashville where he earned a Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree.

In 1949 Dr. Simpkins joined the U.S. Air Force, serving as a captain at Sampson Air Force Base in upstate New York. He was honorably discharged in 1951 and returned to Louisiana to practice dentistry in Shreveport.

Dr. Simpkins participated in civil rights activities and was closely associated with the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He invited Dr. King to visit Shreveport to draw attention to the cause. This and his other activities created hostility and harassment from many elected officials, law enforcement and racist organizations.

His home was firebombed as was his office, and Dr. Simpkins was prominently featured on a death list created by local racist organizations. Fearing for the safety of his family and neighbors and unable to secure insurance for his home and dental practice, he made a difficult decision to leave Shreveport, settling in New York.

In New York Dr. Simpkins continued his civil right activities without fear of retribution. In addition to establishing a dental practice in Jamaica Queens, New York, he continued his civil rights advocacy and  became involved in community activities. Using the organizational and civic leadership skills he refined in Shreveport, he was active in the formation and establishment of the York College of the City University of New York which is located in Jamaica, Queens, New York.  York College has provided urban residents with greatly improved access to higher education resources since its founding in 1966 and today includes over 8000 students on a modern 50-acre campus.

In 1988, Dr. Simpkins was united in Holy Matrimony to the former Elaine Shoemaker, Ph.D., a biochemist. 

After 26 years in New York and with a feeling of hope for the future, Dr. Simpkins returned to Shreveport. Shortly afterwards, he ran for mayor, winning the primary but losing the run-off in a very tight race. Undeterred, he subsequently campaigned for a seat in the Louisiana House of Representatives, representing District 4 from 1992 to 1996. During his term he introduced important legislation and was known for his ability to work with colleagues across the aisle.

He continued to meet with groups of high school students across Caddo Parish, impressing upon them the need for community activism and expanding their awareness of local history against the backdrop of the struggle for civil rights in America.

Dr. Simpkins retired from dentistry in 2011. He continued to be a strong community advocate, generously giving of his time and his resources. In 1994 Dr. Simpkins and his wife donated land for a community clinic to address health in an underserved neighborhood, and that donation was the stimulus for additional clinics to support healthcare in other underserved neighborhoods. The Willis-Knighton Simpkins Health and Education Center opened in September of 1995.

Left to cherish his memories are his wife, Elaine; his sister, Marguerite Call of New Orleans, LA; his sons -- Cuthbert Ormond (Diane) Simpkins II, MD, of Shreveport, LA, Eric (Marty) Simpkins of Silver Spring, MD; his daughters, Deborah Simpkins-Savage, of ­ Portland, Oregon, Alicia Richens of Las Cruces, NM, and Judge Cheri Simpkins of Bowie, MD; special friends, Willie and Mary Bradford; five (5) grandchildren, eight (8) great- grandchildren as well other family and friends.

The body of Dr. Simpkins will to lie in state on Friday, December 13 from 1:00pm until the time of the Family Hour Service at 3:00 p.m. in the sanctuary of the Galilee Baptist Church. And the body will to lie in state on Saturday, December 10am until the time of the Celebration of Life Service at 12noon in the sanctuary of the Galilee Baptist Church.

In lieu of flowers- the family request donations be made to:

North Louisiana Civil Rights Coalition (NLCRC). Checks should be made out to North Louisiana Civil Rights Coalition or to NLCRC.

The donations will be used to fund the operation of the Galilee Baptist Church Museum.

Checks can be mailed to NLCRC, P.O. Box 38355, Shreveport LA 71101.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Dr. Cuthbert "CO" Simpkins, Sr., please visit our floral store.