Ollie Mohamed

Ollie Mohamed (February 7, 1925 - April 6, 2008) was an American store owner and politician. He was a Democratic member of the Mississippi Senate in the mid-to-late 20th century and its President pro tempore in 1992.

Early life Ollie Mohamed was born on February 7, 1925, in Shaw, Mississippi. He was the oldest child and son of ethnically Syrian Lebanese-born Muslim merchant Hassan Mohamed and Ethel (Wright) Mohamed. Hassan's original name was Hassan Mohamed Shouman; his last name became his middle name due to a transcription error when he immigrated to the United States. Mohamed was a merchant and a farmer, and by 1994 was running a department store in Belzoni.

Political career In 1957, Mohamed's political career began when he ran for the office of alderman of Belzoni. After the districts were re-districted, he then represented the 19th district in the Senate from 1968 to 1972. In 1971, he sponsored legislation to create the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. Immediately after losing the election Governor Kirk Fordice made Mohamed a legislative lobbyist. He died in his home in Belzoni, Mississippi, on April 6, 2008.