Biography of 	Formento, William Joseph  Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by 	Mike Miller February 1998

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Formento, William Joseph, lawyer and notary, was born in the city of 
New Orleans, Feb. 26, 1869, and is a son of the late distinguished 
physician and surgeon, Felix Formento.  His mother bore the maiden name 
of Celestine Voorhies.  His father was born in New Orleans, 
March 16, 1837, and died here on the 4th of June, 1907, and was a son 
of Dr. Felix and Palmire (Lauve) Formento.  The senior Dr. Formento 
was born in Turin, Italy, and graduated in Medicine at the Royal 
academy at Turin, and then came to this country in company with Jean 
Lafitte, a prominent character in early Louisiana history.  He settled 
in New Orleans, where he practiced medicine and surgery with success 
until just after the Civil war, then returning to his native land, 
where he died at the age of 98 years.  His son, the junior Dr. Felix 
Formento, also graduated in medicine from Royal academy of Turin, and 
was otherwise highly educated, being able to speak 6 languages.  He 
served in the Austrian and Italian war on the medical corps of the 
Italian emperor; later took a postgraduate course in the University of 
Paris, and then returned to New Orleans on the outbreak of the war of 
secession, in which he served with distinction as a surgeon.  He aided 
in the organization of the Confederate hospital at Richmond, Va., and 
at the age of 24 was chief of staff for this hospital.  The war closed, 
Dr. Formento located in New Orleans, where he rose to prominence in his 
profession.  For 12 years he was vice-president of the Louisiana state 
board of health; was the author of "School Hygiene,'' ''Abuse of 
Alcoholic Drinks" and other valuable publications.  He was a recognized 
authority and expert in the treatment of yellow fever; was a vice-president 
of the international medical congress held at Geneva, Italy, and was president 
of the American Public Health association at a meeting held in Mexico in 1894. 
He was pioneer in the matter of skin-grafting, performing his first skin-grafting 
during the Civil war.  His wife was a daughter of Bennett Pemberton Voorhies and 
Azelia (Gradenigo) Voorhies.  The Voorhies family is of Dutch origin, came from 
the state of New York to Louisiana, and is one of the most prominent  of this  
state.  The  Gradenigo family is Venetian in origin, and has long been a prominent 
Louisiana family.  Celestine (Voorhies) Formento was born in Louisiana.  William 
Joseph  Formento, whose name introduces this sketch, was reared in New Orleans, 
where he received his preliminary education preparatory to entering the University 
of Louisiana.  Later he attended for 2 years the University of New York, and then 
entered Springhill college (Alabama), from which he received his degree of A. B. 
in 1889, and his degree of A. M. in 1891.  
From Tulane university Mr. Formento obtained the degree of bachelor 
of laws in 1892, since which date he has practiced law in New Orleans.  
Mr. Formento has never sought political preferment.  In politics he 
is a Democrat, but is not a partisan.  He is a member of the Roman 
Catholic church and of the Chess, Checkers and Whist club.  In 1908 
Mr. Formento and Miss Laurence Lange were united in marriage.

Source:  Louisiana:  Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, 
Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), 
pp. 164-165.  Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D.  Published in 1914, 
by Century Historical Association.