Bailey, Hon. James J., St. Landry Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller

********************************************************************************

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

Hon. James J. Bailey in 1924 began his third consecutive term as secretary of 
state of Louisiana.  Mr. Bailey has properly distinguished himself in the 
administration of this important department of the state government.  He is an 
attorney by profession, and comes of a family that has furnished men of ability 
in the law and public affairs for several generations.

His grandfather, William A. Bailey, was a native and spent nearly all his life 
in Tennessee, being a journalist for many years.  He died at Abbeville, 
Louisiana.  The father of the secretary of state was Judge Adolph Bailey, who 
earned a high reputation in the legal profession.  He was born in Lafayette, 
Louisiana, in 1832, and was valedictorian of the class of 1853 at Yale College.  
As a young man he took up the practice of law at New Orleans, but for the 
greater part of his life his home was at Opelousas, though his practice took 
him into all the courts of the state. He served one term as a district judge 
of Opelousas.  He was a stanch democrat in politics.  Judge Adolph Bailey died 
at Opelousas in 1880.  His wife was Cecile Lastrapes, who was born at Opelousas 
in 1851, and died there in August, 1923.  They had a family of four children:  
Judge William W., a district judge at Abbeville, Louisiana;  Louis H., an 
attorney practicing law at Houston, Texas;  James J.; and  Charles F., who has 
charge of the automobile license collections for the State of Louisiana at 
Baton Rouge.

James J. Bailey was born at Opelousas, February 3, 1873, grew up there and 
acquired his early education in public schools and under private tutors.  One 
of his dominant traits of character has been self-reliance, and this was 
demonstrated when he put out on his own account at the age of fifteen, paying 
for his subsequent education out of his individual earnings.  He worked at 
different occupations and for some time was a rice broker.  In the meantime he 
was studying law under E. P. Veazie, one of the best known members of the 
Opelousas bar.  Mr. Bailey was admitted to the bar in 1896, and for several 
years remained at Opelousas in practice, but since 1910 has had his home and 
offices at Baton Rouge.  He early achieved distinctive honors in the legal 
profession, though public duties have greatly interfered with practice in recent 
years.

He was elected to represent St. Landry Parish in the Legislature, and served 
from 1904 to 1908.  It was in 1916 that he was elected for his first term as 
secretary of state.  He was re-elected in 1920, and in 1924 received a 
remarkable demonstration of confidence when he was given an overwhelming 
majority over two opponents, one of whom received fifty-three thousand votes 
and the other Seventeen thousand votes, while Mr. Bailey's vote was one hundred 
thirty-four thousand, a clear majority.  His offices are in the State Capitol 
Building.

Mr. Bailey is a democrat, and is affiliated with Baton Rouge Lodge No. 490, 
B. P. 0. E., the Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce, and the East Baton Rouge Bar 
Association.

He married at New Orleans, September 10, 1907 Miss Fannie Conrad, daughter of 
Abner L. D. and Mary (Dunn) Conrad.  Her parents are now deceased, her father 
having been a planter.  The children of Mr. and Mrs. Bailey are:  Fannie C., a 
student in the Peabody Institute at Baton Rouge, and  James J., Jr., attending 
the Junior High School at Baton Rouge.

A History of Louisiana, (vol. 2), p. 52, by Henry E. Chambers.  
Published by The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, 1925.