LEBOURGEOIS, Louis, St. James Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller

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Louisiana:  Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, 
Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 632-633.  Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D.  
Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.

LeBourgeois, Louis, successful business man and well-known attorney, Convent, St. James 
parish, La., was born in St. James parish, May 8, 1857; son of Louis S. and Elizabeth 
(Charles) LeBourgeois, the former of whom was born in the same locality as was the son, 
and the latter in St. Louis, Mo.  Louis S. LeBourgeois was a sugar planter, and so remained 
throughout life, occupying a prominent place among the leaders of that important industry in 
Louisiana, but in later life became, also, conspicuously identified with the public and 
political affairs of his state.  He was a member of the Louisiana state legislature at the 
time the state seceded from the union, and signed the papers of secession in 1860, just prior 
to the beginning of the Civil war.  He was a graduate of Mt. St. Mary college, and later also 
of Georgetown university, Washington, D. C.  The ancestors of the LeBourgeois family in 
Louisiana came originally from Normandy, France, at a very early date.  Louis LeBourgeois was 
the second of 7 children born to his parents, as follow:  Joseph C., now in business in New 
Orleans; Louis,  the subject of this sketch;  Edward Charles, deceased;  Adele, wife of R. W. 
Chapin, of New York City;  George Collier, who died very young;  Elizabeth, wife of Dr. Eugene 
Crockett, of Boston, Mass., and  William B., now a prominent attorney of New Orleans.  Louis 
LeBourgeois is a graduate of Yale college, class of 1878, and was there a classmate of 
ex-President William Howard Taft.  He had previously attended the University of St. Louis 
(Mo.) and Norwood (Va.) academy.  He also attended the Hopkins grammar school, New Haven, 
Conn., and prior to that attended private schools of the vicinity in which he was born.
After the completion of his academic education at Yale college, he returned home and assumed 
the management of his father's plantation, which he handled with conspicuous business ability.
In 1896 he was elected sheriff and tax collector of St. James parish, and his administration 
of the affairs of that office was so satisfactory to his constituents that he was successively 
reëlected to succeed himself during 16 years.  During his incumbency of the sheriff's office 
he prepared himself for the practice of law, and in May, 1912, passed the state examination 
with due credit to himself and was admitted to the bar, since which time he has been engaged 
in the practice of law at Convent, St. James parish.  In addition to the office mentioned 
above, Mr. LeBourgeois has served the people of the locality in which his activities have 
been cast in various other official capacities.  He has discharged the duties of the office 
of president of the police jury, vice-president of the Pontchartrain levee board and member 
of the state democratic central committee.  Mr. LeBourgeois is not married.