Kaliste Saloom Jr.
Saloom was born May 15, 1918, in Lafayette, the fifth of seven children to Lebanese immigrants Kaliste and Asma Boustany Saloom. In 1935, he graduated from Cathedral High School, now Cathedral-Carmel School. Saloom then earned his bachelor’s degree in arts in 1939 from the Southwestern Louisiana Institute of Liberal and Technical Learning, now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The university bestowed its highest honor, the Outstanding Graduate Award, to Kaliste Saloom Jr. He earned his bachelor of law degree from Tulane University in New Orleans. Immediately after graduation from Tulane in May 1942, Kaliste began training for the Army. By August 1942, he was selected to be a member of the Counterintelligence Corps. He served in the military from June 1942 to November 1945.Upon returning home from the war, Mr. Saloom opened his own law office and by 1948, he was assigned to be city attorney for Lafayette. Kaliste was elected to the position of judge for the City Court of Lafayette to fill a vacancy. From 1953 to 1983, Saloom served as the only judge for the City Court of Lafayette. On Oct. 19, 1958, Saloom married his wife Yvonne, a Mississippi native who had just earned her bachelor’s degree from Newcomb College, the women’s school of Tulane University. Saloom finally retired from his judgeship in 1993, after 40 years of service to the Lafayette community. He remains active in service to his community.