BATON ROUGE — Former East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Melvin Lee “Kip” Holden passed away early on May 14 at the age of 72. A journalist, legislator, and East Baton Rouge’s first Black elected Mayor-President, Holden left a lasting mark on the Capital Region and the state.
UWK spoke with current and former community leaders, many of whom called Holden one of the best mayors Baton Rouge has ever had.
“Kip was a great leader. He had great vision for the city of Baton Rouge. But his leadership, I think, was so amazing,” Holden’s former CAO & DPW Director William Daniel tells UWK, as he remembered his co-worker of eight years. “I think anybody who was around Mayor Holden, their life was enriched just by his optimism, his confidence. He always believed that Baton Rouge was a great place to be, and he wanted to make it the best city that he could, and he firmly believed that that was, you know, that always was going to happen, and that kind of confidence and enthusiasm is infectious.”
Daniel said that Holden was inspirational to everyone, and that everywhere he went, people would surround him.
“I just was always in awe of his personality and just the way that he moved through the public,” he explained.
East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore, who started his first term while Holden was in office, shared his condolences, calling Holden his “dear friend.”
“Kip had a transformative vision for our city and demonstrated remarkable skill in bringing diverse stakeholders together to realize what he knew would strengthen our community. He was a very good listener and valued and incorporated the visions of others from our community.
“Personally, Kip and I collaborated on several successful initiatives that made a lasting differences, all with the shared goal of making Baton Rouge not just safer, but a place where residents could thrive with genuine pride,” Moore said.
The district attorney added that he will feel forever grateful for Holden’s impact on the city and life of service to the city, parish and state.
READ MORE ABOUT KIP HOLDEN’S LEGACY HERE
Current East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sid Edwards believes that Holden would be remembered not only for his political achievements, but for who he was as a person, someone known for his warmth, humor and belief in Baton Rouge’s potential.
“Mayor Holden was a man of great vision and tireless commitment,” Edwards said. “As the first African American to serve as Mayor-President, he broke barriers and paved the way for future generations. His leadership, his passion for our community, and his genuine love for the people of this parish were evident in all he did.”
Before entering politics, Holden built a career in journalism. He worked as a reporter and news director at several radio and TV stations, including WXOK, WWL, and WBRZ Channel 2.
Local former journalists fondly recalled their interactions with Holden.
State Representative Kellee Hennessy Dickerson, a former journalist, said Holden has been a friend of hers for many years and she was devastated to learn of his death.
“His journalism background likely gave him that appreciation for all who worked in media and he made himself assessable to the media and helped us get breaking news, both good and often not so good, to the people,” she told UWK.
In addition, she said that the former mayor-president was passionate about leading Baton Rouge, with a “colorful and vivacious” sense of humor that allowed him to keep situations light-hearted.
Avery Davidson, a former journalist at WAFB, followed Holden’s career from the legislature through mayor-president.
Davidson recalled how passionate Holden was about revitalizing downtown Baton Rouge: “He put his heart and soul into it, and I think that that’s what a lot of folks here missed about having Kip Holden as the mayor president, is that that passion he put behind everything.”
One of his favorite memories of covering the mayor at the time, was how Holden embraced the Bayou Country Superfest announcement.
“Here comes Kip Holden, looking like he could have stepped out of Blazing Saddles, cowboy boots and all. That’s embracing it, and that’s also being that ambassador for Baton Rouge, that ambassador for the people here,” Davidson said.
Former WAFB anchor George Sells said that Holden was a “good guy” and “everybody loved Kip.” Sells said that Holden was someone who was able to get a lot of things accomplished in Baton Rouge that others were unable to.
“He was such a good guy and someone who could bring people together when nobody else could,” Sells recalled.
Other local leaders thought back on their time serving with Holden and how his legacy will continue to live on, even after his death.
“My heart is saddened in the passing of Mayor Holden,” former EBR Councilwoman Tara Wicker told UWK. “He did a great job in challenging our city to believe, hope, and dream of a better and greater Baton Rouge. I’ll never forget, in spite of pushback, he challenged the parents of Baton Rouge to be accountable and engaged in the lives of children in order to combat our crime issue. Kip was a dreamer that allowed Baton Rouge to grow, prosper, and dream bigger than we could have ever thought. He will be truly missed. Our prayers are with Mrs. Lois and the Holden family.”
Former BRPD Chief Jeff LeDuff said that he and Holden had a close relationship and that he’ll forever be grateful for the opportunities that Holden provided him.
“I was blessed to have gotten to know him on the level I did. I was blessed to have worked with him. I was blessed to have been mentored by him and to go from a working relationship to a friend to a brother,” Leduff said. “I see Melvin Kip as a brother. He changed my circumstances. He gave me an opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream, and in doing so, he changed my life, so I am forever grateful to that man.”
Former Police Chief Carl Dabadie called Holden “a true visionary” who gave everything he had to lead the city and parish in the right direction.
“He had an unforgettable smile, a man who never met a stranger. He was a true southern gentleman, who will be greatly missed and forever loved by those who knew him,” Dabadie added.
EBR Parish School System Superintendent Lamont Cole released a statement in which he recalled the respect he has always held for Holden, since knowing him as the father of a high school classmate. Cole served on the Metro Council during Holden’s last year as mayor-president.
“I learned a lot from watching and speaking with him over the years. His leadership, dedication and unwavering service to the city of Baton Rouge have left a lasting impact, and he will be truly missed,” Cole said.
Holden passed away at the Carpenter House in Baton Rouge. He is survived by his wife, Lois Stevenson, and five children.
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