Biography of 	STAFFORD, E. M., Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by 	Mike Miller April 1998

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

Louisiana:  Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions,
and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 413-414.  Edited
by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D.  Published in 1914, by Century Historical
Association.

Stafford, Ethelred Macaulay, lawyer and state senator, is a native of
Louisiana, the city of New Orleans being his birthplace.  He was born July
13, 1875, the son of Ethelred R. and Mary (Burke) Stafford.  Mr. Stafford's
father was born in South Carolina and brought to Louisiana when a boy by
his father, Ethelred Stafford, who came of an old family of South Carolina,
members of which were patriots of the American revolution, and he became a
prominent planter and extensive land owner in Louisiana.  The life pursuit
of Mr. Stafford's father was that of constructing railroads as a
contractor.  He died in New Orleans in 1890 at the age of 59 years.  Both
he and his wife died on the same day, an incident in keeping with a wish of
both of them.  They were a devoted couple in wedlock, kind and considerate
of each other as were they of their children, who numbered 3 sons and 3
daughters.  She was born in Dundee, Scotland, and brought to the United
States by her parents when she was 12 years of age.  Her mother bore the
maiden name of Macaulay.  Paternally Mr. Stafford is of English lineage,
and maternally purely Scotch.  Of excellent parentage, he had the heritage
of exemplary training in youth; was reared in New Orleans, and educated in
the public schools.  The study of law he took up in Tulane university, but
on account of failing health, he was compelled to leave the university
without graduating.  In 1898 he passed an examination before the Supreme
court and was admitted to practice law.  Mr. Stafford is a veteran of the
Spanish-American war in which he served as quarter-master of the Washington
artillery, battery B, preferring to serve in that capacity than to that of
1st lieutenant of a Mississippi regiment, organized in Louisiana, to which
he had been elected.  Peace having been declared, Mr. Stafford received an
honorable discharge from military service, and at once entered upon his
career as a lawyer in New Orleans.  From an early period in life he has
taken an active part in politics as a democrat.  In 1898 he was elected to
the state senate and served 1 term with credit to himself and constituents.
 In 1899 he was fire commissioner from the fourth district of New Orleans.
In this office he served acceptably for 3 years.  In 1900 Mr. Stafford won
distinction for the manner in which he, as captain of company K, 1st
Louisiana regiment, restored peace and order in the region of riotous
strikers.  In 1912 he was again elected to the state senate, in which
legislative body he had previously won the reputation of an able
legislator. Among the many bills he introduced and which became laws,
perhaps the most noted is the present employers' liability law, which in
effect changed the jurisprudence in the matter of assuming of risk on the
part of the employee.  A like bill in many respects, for 20 years or more,
repeatedly failed of passage in the legislature, a fact which taken into
consideration indicates the influence and capability of Sen. Stafford in
securing the passage of this bill of his own authorship and introduction.
Capable as a lawyer, strong as a lawmaker, popular as a man, yet Mr.
Stafford is plain and unassuming, un-ostentatious and unpretentious.  In
Masonic circles Mr. Stafford sustains prominent relations, being a 32nd
degree Mason and also a member of the Mystic Shrine.  In 1900 he was united
in marriage with Miss Eugenia A., the daughter of Mr. W. G. Tebault, of New
Orleans.

NOTE:  Original source has a photograph of Mr. Stafford.