Biography of 	KERR, Frank Montgomery, Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by 	Mike Miller April 1998

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Louisiana:  Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, 
and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 233-234.  Edited 
by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D.  Published in 1914, by Century Historical 
Association.

Kerr, Frank Montgomery, chief state engineer of Louisiana, was born in New 
Orleans, La., Feb. 28, 1851, the son of Richard Hulton Kerr, a native of 
Nassau, Bahama Islands, and Priscilla (McCarthy) Kerr, a native of Cork, 
Ireland.  Mr. Richard Hulton Kerr was born in 1820 and came to America when 
a young man and settled in New Orleans, identifying himself with the 
business interests of Louisiana until his death in 1906 at the age of 86 
years.  For some time  R. H. Kerr was a railroad man in the employ of the 
New Orleans, Opelousas & Great Northern R. R., which is now a part of the 
Southern Pacific.  The remainder of his business career was spent in 
connection with the Sun Mutual Insurance company.  Mr. F. M. Kerr's mother, 
Priscilla (McCarthy) Kerr came to this country when a child and lived here 
until her death in 1886 at the age of 60 years.  Mr. Frank M. Kerr is the 
only living child of his parents.  His early education was received in the 
public schools and from there he went to the Louisiana state university in 
1867, graduating from that institution in 1871 with the degree of C. E.  
After graduation he returned to New Orleans and found employment as private 
secretary to the chief engineer of the Louisiana levee company, then under 
contract with the state of Louisiana for the construction of all the levee 
work in the state.  The chief engineer under whom Mr. Kerr served was Col. 
Caleb G. Forshay, a civil engineer of great note at that time.  Mr. Kerr 
served in this capacity from  1871 to 1876 when the contract with the 
Louisiana levee company was abrogated and the construction of all levee 
work was resumed by the state direct through the board of state engineers 
of Louisiana, with which board Mr. Kerr obtained employment as chief 
draughtsman under Maj. B. M. Harrod, then chief state engineer.  Mr. Kerr 
occupied this place until 1882, when he was promoted to the position of 
secretary to the board of state engineers, which he held until 1888, when 
he was appointed by Gov. Francis T. Nichols as assistant state engineer and 
member of the board of state engineers.  In this capacity he served under 
different administrations until 1902 when he was appointed by Gov. W. W. 
Heard as chief state engineer, an office he has continuously held until the 
present time, having acquired a wide reputation for efficiency and skill in 
his profession.  Mr. Kerr is a member of the American society of civil 
engineers and of the Louisiana engineering society; he is also a member of 
the Boston club.  In 1878 he married Miss Almaide Kate Bonnabel of New 
Orleans, daughter of Henry, and Julia (McCarthy) Bonnabel, the latter being 
a sister of Mr. Kerr's mother.  To Mr. and Mrs. Kerr the following children 
have been born:  Frank M., Jr.;  Gertrude, now Mrs. A. W. Jackman;  Alma, 
now Mrs. B. U. Sims, of Bryan, Tex., and  Chas. M., a civil engineer, and 
now assistant highway engineer of Louisiana.