Biography of 	Duval, Southron R. Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by 	Mike Miller september 2000

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Southron R. Duval, principal of the architectural firm of Duval & Favrot, was born in New
Orleans, in 1862, a son of Theodore and Emily (Rhodes) Duval, the former of whom was a
prominent resident and merchant of New Orleans for about forty year.  He died on February 24,
1890, after a useful and well-spent life.  He reared a family of five daughters and two sons,
of which family the subject of this sketch is the youngest.  They are named as follows:  Thomas
R., who died in St. Louis;  Mary, now Mrs. Robert Nolan, of this city;  Genevieve, wife of E.
P. Cathraux, residing in this city;  Geraldine, wife of Henry S. Armstrong, a journalist of New
Orleans, who died some years ago;  F. Hope, who is single and lives with her mother;  Theodora,
wife of William W. Sumner, of Rice, Born & Co., of New Orleans, and Southron. R., the subject
of this sketch.  The mother of these children is still living in this city, although she was
born in the state of Mississippi.  Her father, Capt. Thomas Rhodes, was also a native of
Mississippi, his family being pioneers of Pascagoula, that state.  He was the first steamboat
owner on the Alabama river, and was a prominent pioneer sawmill man and operated the first
circular saw ever run in the South.  He was also a government mill contractor, and was a man of
much enterprise and financial ability.  Theodore Duval and Emily Rhodes were married in
Mississippi and there resided for some time before coming to make their home in New Orleans.
Here Mr. Duval became associated in business with his father-in-law.  Southron B. Duval was
reared principally in the city of New Orleans, and up to about 1876 made that city his home,
but in that year went to New York and Canada, engaging in civil engineering work and labor;
traveled as a topographer with the United States geological survey of Massachusetts; later he
went to Guaymas, Mexico, and was employed by the Sonora railway, after which he located in New
York city and was there married to Miss Daisy Otis, daughter of Austin W. Otis and Mary H.
(Greene) Otis, natives of New York city and Providence, R. I., respectively.  The latter was a
direct descendant of Gen. Nathaniel Greene, of Revolutionary fame. Mr. Duval engaged in
architectural work in New York, after learning the profession there, in the office of B. B.
Eastman, of Brooklyn, who was supervising architect of King's county.  After the death of his
father, in 1890, Mr. Duval returned to New Orleans and established his present business, in
which he has been remarkably successful.  He is a member of the Y. M. C. A., the Southern
Athletic club and the Pickwick club.  He also belongs to the Royal Arcanum, the New York
Southern society and the L 0. G. T.  He is a democrat, politically, and is a worthy member of
the Episcopal church.

Biographical and Historical Memoires of Louisiana, (vol. 1), p. 393.  Published by the
Goodspeed Publishing Company, Chicago, 1892.