Chappuis, Philip Jules;  Lafourche Parish;  now Acadia Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller


**********************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm
**********************************************
 

Chappuis, Philip Jules, well-known attorney, and for 8 years mayor of the city
of Crowley, La., was born near Thibodaux, Lafourche parish, La., Sept. 26,
1865; son of Jules and Josephine (Toups) Chappuis, both of whom were born in
Lafourche parish, from which place they removed to Rayne, Acadia parish, where
they have lived about 25 years.  Jules Chappuis died June 29, 1914.  The
paternal grandparents, Etienne and Marie Louise (Sourd) Chappuis, both were
born in France and came to America with their respective parents, who located
in the state of Ohio
.  They were later married in that state, and, coming
South, located in Lafourche parish, La., in the early part of the nineteenth
century.  The maternal grandparents, Thelesphor and Julienne (Bourgeois)
Toups, both were born in Lafourche parish, La.  The Toups and Bourgeois
families are among the very oldest and most numerous in the state.  Philip
Jules Chappuis was the first of 3 children born to his parents, the other
children being August L. and Celeste, now the widow of Romain Duhon, both of
Rayne, La.  The early  was education of Philip Jules Chappuis was acquired in
public and private schools of Lafourche parish.  In 1879 he entered Thibodaux
cellege, and graduated from that institution in the year 1883, being now a
member of the Thibodaux College Alumni association and vice-president of the
organization.  Following his graduation, he taught in the public schools of
Lafourche parish during some months, and in the autumn of 1883 accepted a
position with his uncle, A. S. Chappuis, at Rayne.  His duties here were those
of clerk and bookkeeper, and he continued in the discharge of these until
1885, in the meantime pursuing the study of law privately.  In the latter year
he returned to Thibodaux and continued the study of law in the office of Judge
L. P. Caillouet, finally being admitted to practice by examination before the
L
ouisiana supreme court in July, 1887.  Following his admission to the bar he
opened an office at Rayne, where he had previously formed many acquaintances,
and began the practice of law.  The city of Crowley at this time was in the
embryonic state.  In 1889 he removed to Crowley, which had very recently been
built up into a thriving hamlet as the parish seat of the new parish of
Acadia.  At Crowley, Attorney Chappuis formed a partnership with the late E.
L. Wells, which association continued 6 months, after which Mr. Chappuis
practiced alone until Oct. 1, 1903, when he formed his present partnership
with A. Percy Holt, under the firm name of Chappuis & Holt.  This firm has
remained unchanged from its organization to this time.  With one exception
only, Mr. Chappuis has been longer engaged in the practice of law than any
other attorney now engaged in practice in Acadia parish, and is properly
numbered among the most able and uniformly successful in that part of the
state of Louisiana.  May 19, 1891, Mr. Chappuis was married to Miss Eula M.
Bourgeois, a daughter of L. N. and Josephine (Lefort) Bourgeois, of Lafourche
parish, and 3 children have been born to their union, these being:  Claude,
born in 1892, a graduate of Spring Hill college, Mobile, Ala., and of
Georgetown university school of law, Washington, D. C.;  Guy, born in 189
5, a
student of Spring Hill college, but now a student of the agricultural
department of the Louisiana State university, Baton Rouge;  Aline, born in
1903.  Mr. Chappuis is a member of the Roman Catholic church, and is
affiliated with the Knights of Columbus, benevolent & Protective Order of
Elks, is a member of the Louisiana State Bar association, and of the American
Bar association.  Mr. Chappuis has acted with the democratic party from the
time he began to exercise the privilege of the elective franchise, and has
served 4 terms as mayor of the city of Crowley, the last of these terms having
ended in 1906.  His incumbency of the mayor's office covered a period of 8
years.  In 1912 Mr. Chappuis was a candidate for Congress from the 7th
congressional district, to succeed Hon. A. P. Pujo, and, while he was
unsuccessful, did receive a very large and flattering vote.  Mr. Chappuis
stands very high among the people of the community in which he lives, and is
popular with a large part of the substantial citizenship of the 7th district.

Source:  Louisiana:  Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events,
Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 96-97. 
Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D.  Published in 1914, by Century Historical
Association.