Biography of 	Ferrell, L.O. GA: now Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by 	Mike Miller April 1998

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Ferrell, L. O., founder and present conductor of Ferrell 's Preparatory
school, New Orleans, La., is a son of Col. C. B. and Missouri (Wilkinson)
Ferrell, of Lagrange, Ga., and easily traces his paternal ancestry back to
the time of William the Conqueror, in the stirring and historic events of
whose interesting career Baron Ferrell participated.  The sword worn by L.
C. Ferrell's paternal grandfather, and wielded with telling effect in the
cause of American independence, in the war of the Revolution, is now a
cherished memento reposing in the Smithsonian institution at Washington, D.
C.  The paternal grandfather was a large planter and slave owner.  Col. C.
B. Ferrell, the father, was representative of the best type of the gallant
Confederate soldier.  At the beginning of the Civil war he was one among
the very first men to enlist, and never did he entertain the most fleeting
thought of returning home until his superior officers had surrendered and
there no longer was any chance of wielding his arms toward upholding the
government of the Southern confederacy.  Throughout the term of the war he
served with conspicuous gallantry under that dashing and unconquerable
Confederate cavalry leader, Gen. Forrest.  On the occasion of his last
visit to the city of New Orleans, Gen. Stephen D. Lee spoke in the highest
terms of Col. Ferrell, whom he personally knew.  The Ferrell family in
America emanates from the state of Georgia, from which commonwealth L. C.
Ferrell removed to Montgomery, Ala., in the days of his youth and there
resided until the time of taking up his residence in Louisiana.  In his
youth L. C. Ferrell determined to become a lawyer, and by vigorous
application prepared himself for that profession, which he was ready to
enter at a time when his years did not yet allow of his admission to the
bar.  Being told that he was too young, the aspiring apostle of Blackstone
turned to teaching, and after a year passed in instructing others, returned
to the profession of his first choice and was admitted to practice before
the supreme court.  He at once launched into the practice of law, but his
zeal in application to his law books was such that after 6 months his eyes
failed, and physicians advised him to abandon the legal profession.  Being
denied the law, he turned again to teaching, and going to Houma, La., he
taught uninterruptedly during 5 years.  This was a particularly trying
field of endeavor, and one calling for the exercise of rare qualities if
success was to be realized.  It is said that when Mr. Ferrell took charge
of that school not one of the 60 boys in attendance could speak a word of
English, properly related.  That section was known generally as being
distinctly French, but before Mr. Ferrell left there English had become the
language of the people, and the citizens, recognizing the wonderfully
efficient influence of the rising young teacher, made most flattering
offers to him to remain with them, but his eyes were fixed upon other
fields and his plans already made, and bidding adieu to the friends who had
loyally cooperated with him in his faithful labors of the past 5 years, he
went to Donaldsonville, where he established and became principal of the
Donaldsonville academy, which he managed with the most gratifying success
during several succeeding years.  While at Donaldsonville Mr. Ferrell was
married to Miss Jean Hanson, a daughter of R. T. Hanson, a prominent sugar
planter, and 2 children have been born to their union, namely,  Hanson D.,
and  Miss Jean.  Shortly following his marriage Mr. Ferrell removed to New
Orleans and established his private school for boys.  Again, within a brief
time, the success of this institution became markedly evident.  Though he
opened his school with 25 boys in attendance, he turned away applicants who
could not be accommodated during the first term of the school, and within a
short time it had become apparent to the patrons of the school--always
increasing--that here was an instructor destined to play an important part
in picking and preparing young men for the conquests of college years and
the duties and obligations of citizenship and life.  As the years have
passed, the fame of Ferrell's private school for boys has grown and spread
until it permeates all adjacent regions and has become coextensive with a
large part of the country.  As far as this unusual success can be
explained, it seems due, in the main to the application of common sense
methods backed by Mr. Ferrell's native ability to manage boys, together
with his unfailing energy and push.  The school is deeply loyal and
patriotic, and always lends a willing hand in adding its quota to the
importance of the general display on occasions calling for uniformed and
disciplined bodies of young men, and on such occasions Ferrell 's school is
never found wanting in the appearance of its student body of cadets.  Mr.
Ferrell personally typifies the loyal spirit of Ferrell boys; he is Mr.
Ferrell the center from which that spirit radiates, and through his rugged
honesty of purpose and his even handed administration of justice among his
boys, he holds the unqualified confidence and esteem of all who attend his
school.  It very soon become a matter of pride with new students entering
the school that they have the privilege of participating in maintaining the
high standard of excellence long since accorded to this institution.  Mr.
Ferrell stands in the relation of an unfailing friend to his boys, and this
they soon realize and appreciate.  Politically Mr. Ferrell is affiliated
with the Democratic party, and while his professional duties are such as to
preclude any general political activity, he yet regards it as of vital
importance that he afford the boys within his care a rational example of
the patriotic discharge of the duties and obligations of American
citizenship, and for this leading reason he feels it particularly incumbent
upon him to take part in the selection of the best men to whom the duty of
administering the laws shall be confided.  With these considerations in
mind, he has served as vice-president of his ward and as president of his
precinct.  He is a member of the Baptist church.  It should be stated here
that Mr. Ferrell was educated in the state of Alabama.  His preceptors in
the law were the respective members of the famous law firm of Clopton,
Herbert & Chambers.  Clopton afterwards became chief justice of Alabama,
Herbert became secretary of the navy under Pres. Cleveland, and Chambers
became chief justice of Samoa.  Mr. Ferrell is affiliated with the Sons of
the American Revolution and the Sons of Veterans.

Source:  Louisiana:  Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events,
Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp.
160-162.  Edited by Alcee Fortier, Lit.D.  Published in 1914, by Century
Historical Association.