Harold P. Caldwell

Harold Patrick Caldwell (August 6, 1899 – May 31, 1959) was an American politician and lawyer from Omaha, Nebraska. He was elected Nebraska Attorney General in 1950 in an uncontested special election to fill a vacancy but only served for about 31 hours. Caldwell also served briefly in the Nebraska Legislature and on the Omaha City Council. to Patrick C. Caldwell, a judge and justice of the peace in South Omaha, Nebraska, and Anna Caldwell. He attended night classes at Creighton University School of Law while working during the day as a timekeeper and paymaster at a packing company. After his brief time in the legislature, he worked as an attorney in private practice in Omaha, Nebraska.

In 1938, Caldwell discovered a loophole relating to the office of county assessor for Douglas County, Nebraska. He realized that the appointment of the county assessor only lasted until election day in November and that anyone could run for the open seat after that. So, at the last minute, Caldwell entered the race, running to fill the "vacant" term. Caldwell pointed to the precedent of then Nebraska Attorney General Richard C. Hunter who had filed to run in a similar manner to fill a vacancy in the United States Senate in 1934. Caldwell's filing to run worried Carl King, the appointed county assessor, who quickly encouraged two of his employees to also file to run to fill the vacancy, one as a Democrat and the other as a Republican, before the midnight deadline on July 1, 1938. Upon winning the seat, Caldwell went down to the county assessor's office at 10 a.m. on November 9, the day after the election, to take over the office and begin serving as county assessor. Thus, Caldwell filed to run for Nebraska attorney general at the last minute on June 30, 1950, to fill the vacancy. whereas Beck argued that Caldwell couldn't take office until the Nebraska Legislature canvassed the result on January 2, 1951. Caldwell took his case to the Nebraska Supreme Court, seeking a writ of mandamus ordering the state of Nebraska to give him the office of attorney general immediately. The Nebraska Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case on December 2, 1950. On December 9, it ultimately ruled in State ex rel. Caldwell v. Peterson et al. that Caldwell was duly elected to the office of attorney general for the short term, but it sided with Beck in ruling that Caldwell could not take office until the legislature had canvassed the vote. Former Nebraska attorney general Clarence A. Davis argued the case on behalf of the state against Caldwell. Beck stated that he had spent the one day while Caldwell was in office between his two terms as attorney general "sharpening kitchen knives" for his wife.

Personal life Caldwell married his wife Catherine Caldwell (née Coad) in August 1931, which was after his service in the Nebraska Legislature. He and his wife had two children.

Caldwell died of a heart attack at his home at age 59 on May 31, 1959.