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BOURGEOIS, Lionel J., St. James Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller


Bourgeois, Lionel J., of Convent, St. James parish, La., was born in that
locality, May 23, 1890, and is a son of Louis S. and Lucy (Lambremont)
Bourgeois, the former of whom was born in the same locality as was the son,
and the mother in Iberville parish.  The paternal grandparents, Flaville and
Juliet (Hugnet) Bourgeois, also were natives of St. James, while the maternal
grandparents, Dr. P. M. and Emilie (Braux) Lambremont, owe their nativity to
Iberville parish.  Dr. Lambremont served in the Confederate army throughout
the Civil war as surgeon.  Louis S. Bourgeois was educated at Jefferson
college, and after the completion of his college term went into business as a
sugar planter in partnership with his father, on Nita plantation.  Their
undertakings prospered until 1894, when, on account of 2 successive overflows,
the plantation was disposed of, and Louis S. thereafter occupied the office of
deputy sheriff during 4 years, followed by 4 years as tax collector.  He then
went into levee repair work and during Lt. Gov. Sanders' administration filled
the position of general inspector for the Pontchartrain district levee board. 
At this time he is still identified with levee work.  His wife died Nov. 8,
1912.  To their union 12 children were born, 10 of whom are now living, as
follow:  Adele, a graduate of Sacred Heart academy, Convent, became the wife
of A. A. Sarrade, traveling representative for the Parker-Blake Drug Co.; 
Lucy, now principal of the graded public school at Convent;  Henry M., a
graduate of Jefferson college and now principal of the Romeville high school
at Colomb;  Lionel J., the subject of this sketch;  Clifford J., an expert
mechanic in charge of the Donaldsonville garage;  Odette, graduate of Sacred
Heart convent;  Mercedes, now attending the last-named school;  Lambremont,
attending the Christian Brothers' college at Donaldsonville in preparation for
Jefferson college;  Marguerite, now at Sacred Heart convent;  Rudolph,
attending the Boys' day school connected with Sacred Heart convent.  Lionel J.
Bourgeois attended the public schools of the locality in which he was born,
later going to Jefferson college, from which he graduated with the degree of
A. B. in the class of 1908 and with the honor of valedictorian.  During the
following school year he filled the position of principal of the Lake school
in Ascension parish, and the next year occupied a similar place in Romeville
high school, St. James parish.  He then became principal of the Paulina high
school, of the same parish, and remained in that connection more than 3 years. 
During these later years Mr. Bourgeois' work was attracting the attention of
school authorities, and his evident ability and progressive tendencies led to
his election, Jan. 5, 1914, as superintendent of the schools of St. John the
Baptist parish, of which office he is now incumbent.  The alumni association
of Jefferson college conferred a particularly pleasing and graceful honor upon
Mr. Bourgeois in electing him orator of the day for the 1914 commencement
exercises of their Alma Mater.  In 1912 Mr. Bourgeois began the study of law
at the summer school of Louisiana state university, and is now reading law, as
opportunity affords, under the direction of Lambremont & Hebert, of New
Orleans, taking the route that has been traveled by many of the most
brilliantly successful attorneys, that of teaching while pursuing. their legal
studies.  He began teaching when only 18 years of age, and is now one of the
youngest parish superintendents in Louisiana.  St. John the Baptist parish has
10 schools for white pupils and 6 for colored children, with 2 centrally
located high schools, and the attendants at these are gathered up and conveyed
from the outlying districts to and from school at the expense of the parish. 
Under Mr. Bourgeois' direction, particular attention is given to vocational
training for the boys and home economics for the girls, but the one feature
upon which he is laying especial stress is that of socializing the
schools--making the school the social center of the neighborhood, and in this
he is meeting with hearty appreciation and encouragement, and his efforts are
proving largely successful.  Mr. Bourgeois is affiliated with the Catholic
church.  He votes the democratic ticket, and is a member of the Knights of
Columbus and Woodmen of the World.

Source:  Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events,
Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form, volume 3, pp. 708-710. 
Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit. D.  Published in 1914, by Century Historical
Association.
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This page was last updated 11/08/2004