John L. Pitts, Rapides Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller

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

John L. Pitts, president of the Brown-Roberts Hardware & Supply 
Company, is one of the very progressive business men of Alexandria, 
and a man whose record proves his dependability and probity.  He 
was born at Rayville, Louisiana, June 16, 1877, a son of J. Newton
and Harriet (Phillips) Pitts, natives of Alabama, who came to Louisiana 
when young people, and were married in this state.  For twenty-five 
years the father served as clerk of court of Richland parish.  His 
death occurred in 1883, but the mother is still living.  A veteran 
of the Confederate army, he was present at the battle of Mansfield, 
Louisiana, among other engagements.  Four children were born to him 
and his wife, three of whom are now living, and of them all John L. 
Pitts was the second in order of birth.  The parents were members 
of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and very active in that denomination. 
In political faith he was a democrat.

Growing up on a plantation, John L. Pitts attended the local schools and 
Ruston College, and then returned to the plantation where he remained 
until 1900, but in the mean while had formed connections with the Ruston 
Hardware & Supply Company, wholesale, at Ruston, and represented this 
concern on the road for fourteen years.  In 1910 he came to Alexandria 
as sales manager of the Brown-Roberts H. & S. Co., an outgrowth of the 
company at Ruston, and held that position until 1914.  In the latter year 
he became manager of the Brown-Roberts Hardware Company, Incorporated, 
which absorbed the Alexandria Hardware & Supply Company.  This company 
is capitalized at $300,000.  Eight men are kept on the road as traveling 
representatives. covering the larger part of Louisiana, particularly the 
central and northern portions.  Subsequently Mr. Pitts was made president 
of this company to which he devotes all of his time.

In March, 1903, Mr. Pitts was married to Clara Wise, of Hazelhurst, 
Mississippi.  Mrs. Pitts has been most carefully educated, and completed 
her training at the Sophia Newcomb School, New Orleans.  The following 
children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Pitts:  John L., Jr.,  Joe Wise,  
George Hardy and  Harriet Louise.  Mr. Pitts and his wife belong to the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, and he has been on its board of stewards for 
the past twenty years.  High in Masonry, Mr. Pitts has been advanced 
through all the bodies of both the York and Scottish Rites, and is past 
eminent commander of his commandery and is now grand junior warden of 
the state.  He also belongs to the Mystic Shrine.  In politics he is a 
democrat.  Firmly believing in the effectiveness of the Boy Scout movement,
he has been very active in it, and organized a troop of Boy Scouts at 
Alexandria, and is still one of the regional committee of the Fifth regiment 
of the American Boy Scouts, which office he has held for the past three years.  
During 1921 and 1922 he served as president of the Alexandria Chamber of 
Commerce, and he is now chairman of the board of directors of the Rapides 
Auto Company.  It is needless to say that in every way that lies in his 
power Mr. Pitts encourages local enterprises, and contributes liberally 
to those movements which in his opinion will increase the prosperity and 
prestige of the city in which he is proud to maintain his business and 
residence.

NOTE:  The referenced source contains a black and white photograph of the 
subject with his/her autograph.

A History of Louisiana, (vol. 2), pp. 225-226, by Henry E. Chambers.  
Published by The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and 
New York, 1925.