Reese B. Black, E. Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller


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Reese B. Black, superintendent of the Baton Rouge Brick Yard, is one of the well known and
distinctively popular business men of the younger generation in the capital city.  He was born
at Pride, East Baton Rouge Parish, this state, on the 5th of February 1899 His father, Rev.
Norman Black, was born and reared in the same township, h15 birth having occurred at Deerford in
the year 1864, his father having been one of the representative planters in that part of East
Baton Rouge Parish.  Rev, Norman Black was a young man when he established his residence in the
vicinity of the village of Pride, where for some time he gave attention to farm industry.  He
has been clergyman of the Baptist Church for the past thirty years, in the ministry has given
earnest and effective service in many different sections of his native state.  He is now pastor
of the Baptist Church at Pride.  His political support is given to the democratic fraternal
affiliation is with the Woodmen of the World.  His wife, whose maiden name was Anna Christmas,
was born at Pride, in 1874, and she has proved a true helpmeet to him in his home and in his
ministerial service.  Buren W., eldest of the children, is overseer of a large plantation in
East Baton Rouge Parish, and was in the nation's military service about one year in the World
war period, he having been stationed at Camp Beauregard;  Reese B., of this sketch, was the next
in order of birth;  Myrtle Elizabeth is the wife of John Townsend, who is a farmer by vocation,
and they reside at Oaknolia, East Feliciana Parish; and  Alma Adine,  Norman and  Sadie A.
remain at the parental home, Norman being (1924) a student in the high school at Pride, and
Sadie A., being in the grade schools.

The public schools of the various places where his father held pastoral charges afforded Reese
B. Black his early education, and at the age of nineteen years he initiated his independent
activities as a farmer in his native parish.  There he continued his enterprise as an
agriculturist and stock-grower until 1920, when he became assistant superintendent of the Baton
Rouge Brick Yard, which represents one of the important industrial and commercial enterprises of
the capital city and of which he has been the general superintendent since January, 1923.  The
large and well equipped brick yard of which he has charge is situated in the extreme southwest
part of the city, on St. Ferdinand Street, the manufacturing plant having a capacity for the
output of 36,000 red-clay building brick daily.

Mr. Black was reared in the faith of the democratic party and the Baptist Church, with both of
which organizations he is actively identified.

June 18, 1922, recorded the marriage of Mr. Black and Miss Hattie E. Smith, daughter of Judson
W. and Alice Smith, who reside on their homestead farm near Pride, Mrs. Black being a graduate
of the Pride High School.  Mr. and Mrs. Black find their home significantly brightened by the
presence of their little daughter, Evelyn May, who was born April 24, 1923.

A History of Louisiana, (vol. 2), p.87 , by Henry E. Chambers.  Published by The American
Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, 1925.