Hacker, L. O. (Judge);  Iberia Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller



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Hacker, Judge L. O. New Iberia, Iberia parish, La., was born in Iberia 
Parish, La., in the year 1844, and to his earnest and unselfish efforts, 
perhaps more than to any other one force, is due the development of the 
present excellent and efficient public school system of Iberia parish.  
It was the wish of the publishers that an extended review of Judge 
Hacker 's life work he given here, but out of deference to his well-known 
native modesty, and by his request, this article is limited to a very 
brief statement as to his early connection with the public school 
system of his parish.  Following the close of the Civil war, during 
which he served the Confederacy, and the almost equally dark period 
of reconstruction, Judge Hacker, with Col. E. B. Olivier, Dr. Alfred 
Duperier, James L. Burke, J. D. Broussard, and Adolph Segura, organized 
a public school system for Iberia parish.  Their progress was very 
slow, because of the opposition of those in power at the time, but 
when Francis Nichols became governor of Louisiana he appointed all 
of the above-named gentlemen, except Judge Hacker, as members of the 
school board for Iberia parish.  The board then elected Judge Hacker 
as principal of the New Iberia City school, with supervisory powers 
over all the schools of the parish.  From this time the progress of 
educational work in the parish was rapid.  In July, 1882, Judge Hacker 
was admitted to the bar, and resigned his official connection with the 
schools, but his interest in them has continued unabated.  At the 
present time he frequently visits them, and can always he relied upon 
to give his fullest and most hearty cooperation in any meritorious 
movement directed toward the betterment of the schools.  Judge Hacker 
has been long identified with every good work that has gone forward in 
New Iberia and in Iberia parish, and his name cannot he disassociated 
with the substantial upbuilding and material development of that
section of Louisiana, but it is doubtful if the people, even of the 
locality in which he has passed the richly fruitful years of his useful 
life, fully appreciate the debt of gratitude they owe to him for his 
unselfish devotion to the broadening, upbuilding, purifying, and 
modernizing the educational interests of the community and of that 
portion of the State of Louisiana--indeed, of the State of Louisiana, 
and even beyond.  We have said "the educational interests,'' but what 
does this mean other than all that can be implied in good 
citizenship--useful manhood and useful womanhood--the moral 
upbuilding of a section, involving, also, its spiritual development 
and expansion.  Surely, a work in all respects worthy of the best 
among men.

Source:  Louisiana:  Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, 
Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic 
Form (volume 3), pp. 188-189.  Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D.  
Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.