William D. HAAS, M.D., Rapides Parish, Louisiana 
Submitted by Mike Miller 

**********************************************
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. 621-622.  
Edited by Alc e Fortier, Lit.D.  
Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.  

WILLIAM D. HASS, MD  
Haas, William David, M. D., of Alexandria, prominent as a physician, 
merchant and financier, was born in Rapides Parish, La., May 9, 1867. 
Coming from Alsace, France, when a boy of 16 years, Alexander M., the 
father of Dr. W. D. Haas, joined his brother in merchandising in Louisiana, 
and was successful, but at the outbreak of the Civil War he espoused the 
cause of the Confederacy, soon attained the rank of captain, and later 
occupied a position on the staff of Gen. Richard Taylor. At the close 
of the war he re-entered the mercantile business in Rapides parish, and 
became prominent in the commercial life of the community. He was married 
to Maccie Marshall, a native of Louisiana, daughter of Thomas Douglas 
Marshall, and a descendant of Roger B. Marshall. Four children resulted 
from this union, of which the subject of this sketch was the eldest. The 
father died in his 69th year, and the mother at the age of 30. William D. 
Haas attended the schools of Rapides parish, later the public schools of 
New Orleans, and after a course in the University of Louisiana, now Tulane, 
took the degree of M. D. at Jefferson Medical college, Philadelphia, Pa. 
Upon completing his professional education he located at Maryville, La., 
later removing at Bunkie. At these places he soon acquired a large and 
valuable clientele. After about 12 years of active and very successful 
practice, Dr. Haas found his increasing business interests such as to 
require him to relinquish his professional practice, and give his 
undivided attention to industrial and financial affairs. These have 
steadily expanded with the rapid development of the wide region with 
which his name is identified. Among his Louisiana business connections 
are the following, of each of which he is president: Commercial Bank & 
Trust Co., at Alexandria; Merchants & Planters' bank, Bunkie; Wholesale 
Grocery Co., Bunkie and Alexandria; Alexandria Compress & Warehouse Co.; 
Climax Lumber Co., St. Landry. Dr. Haas' investments in cotton at Bunkie 
and Alexandria are extensive. He has not allowed his varied private 
interests to prevent due attention to the affairs of the public and the 
obligations of citizenship. He is a Knight Templar, a 32nd degree Mason 
and a Shriner. Dr. Haas was married in 1889 to Miss Hattie Haas, daughter 
of Capt. Samuel Haas, and 4 children have been born to them: Maccie,  
Samuel J., William D., Jr., and Nannie.