SHERIFF GORDON MOREHEAD

In the election of 1936 Gordon Moorehead ran against, and defeated Sheriff Thomas. Moorehead had been the local supervisor of the Works Project Administration (WPA) during the depression and was therefore a popular man in the community. Sheriff Morehead named a long-time deputy, Calvin West as Chief Deputy and West would retire in 1945 having served a total of 34 years for the county. 

In May of 1937 Sheriff Morehead set up a very early version of a Law Enforcement academy at Camp Roosevelt. Camp Roosevelt was the housing area for the WPA. Camp Roosevelt also had its own police department. There is no record of whatever became of the school, after 1937. 

In 1940 Sheriff Morehead was reelected. The nation was gearing up for war, and the political and military atmosphere just preceding World War II had come to Ocala.  In 1944 Sheriff Morehead was defeated for re-election by former Sheriff S.C.M. Thomas and he left office in January 1945.