Biography: Yandell Boatner, Caddo Parish La.
Submitted by: Thomas J. Casteel



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YANDELL BOATNER.

YANDELL BOATNER is the son of Dr. F. P. and Elizabeth Wills Boatner and was
born in Bethlehem, in North Mississippi. The family moved to Potts Camp,
Mississippi, where Yandell lived with his parents until he reached the age
of thirteen, when he went to Wilson, Louisiana, in order to be with his
brother, Victor, who was train master on the New Orleans division of the
Illinois Central Railroad. His first employment on this system was as clerk
at Wilson. Having learned telegraphy, he became an operator in the
dispatcher's office and then became train dispatcher in the same office.

Mr. Boatner received his B. A. degree from the Louisiana State University
in 1913, and the L. L. B. degree in 1916, paying his own way through the
law school, reporting and as associate editor of the Baton Rouge "State
Times." He worked as helper to a boiler maker in the Illinois Central
roundhouse at Wilson during vacation. Mr. Boatner has also had experience
on the newspapers of New Orleans-the Item and the Daily States.

When the World War opened Mr. Boatner entered the officers' training Camp
at Fort Logan H. Roots, Little Rock, Arkansas, and was commissioned a
second lieutenant of field artillery, having been assigned to Battery "A"
of the 334th Field Artillery, where he remained from the time it was
organized until it was mustered out of the service after the armistice. His
army experience included six months' service in France. He is a Lieutenant
Colonel on the staff of the Governor of Louisiana, and a Captain in the
Officers Reserve Corps of the United States Army.

Mr. Boatner came to Shreveport in 1919 and opened a law office. He served
two years as assistant United States District Attorney, and for a short
time served an interim appointment as United States Attorney. In June,
1921, he succeeded Judge T. M. Milling in the firm of Milling & Pugh, the
firm thereafter being known as Pugh & Boatner. J. M. Grimmet became a
member of the firm after the death of Mr. Pugh in 1926, the firm now being
styled, Pugh, Grimmet and Boatner.

Mr. Boatner was elected to the presidency of the Shreveport Chamber of
Commerce for 1927, prior to which he served four years continuously on the
board of directors; served on many of the important committees; served as
vice-president and chairman of the general group of the organization. He is
president of the Norwela Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and has
served as president of the Civitan Club of Shreveport.

In 1917 Mr. Boatner married Miss Frances Robertson of Baton Rouge and they
have two children, Yandell Boatner, Jr., and Frances Robertson Boatner.

His residence is at 1040 Delaware street.

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From Chronicles of Shreveport and Caddo Parish, Maude Hearn O'Pry, 1928,
Page 335

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