Griffith, Preston H., St. Landry Parish, Louisiana Submitted by Mike Miller ******************************************************************************** ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** ******************************************************************************** Preston H. Griffith has been prominently identified with educational work in Louisiana as a successful and popular teacher, and, with official headquarters in the Capital City of Baton Rouge, he now holds the position of executive secretary of the Louisiana State Teachers Association. He is a scion of the third generation of the Griffith family in Louisiana, and the original American representatives of the family came from Wales and settled in Kentucky within a short time after the close of the war of the Revolution. John Clark Griffith, grandfather of him whose name initiates this paragraph, was born in Kentucky, hut passed the greater part of his life in that part of St. Landry Parish, Louisiana. that is now comprised in Evangeline Parish. He became an extensive and successful planter in the vicinity of Bayou Chicot, and there remained until the close of his long and useful life. Preston H. Griffith was born in St. Landry (now Evangeline) Parish, Louisiana. on the 27th of April, 1880, and is a son of Cary T. and Mary J. Grimball Griffith, the former of whom was born at Bayou Chicot, in 1853. and the latter of whom was born at St. Landry, in the same year, their home being now maintained at Opelousas. Cary T. Griffith was a young man when he established his residence at St. Landry, where his marriage occurred, and in that immediate vicinity he continued his operations as an agriculturist until 1895, when he removed to Opelousas. He still has successful alliance with farm industry and is engaged also in the real-estate business. His political allegiance is given to the democratic party. and he and his wife hold membership in the Baptist Church. Of the children the eldest is Evie, who is the wife of William W. Daniel, a prosperous farmer at Begg, St. Landry Parish; Olive is the wife of Floyd L. Phillips a fanner, and they reside at Opelousas. Preston H., of this review was the next in order of birth Annie May became the wife of the late Rev. T. M. Thomas, is a Baptist missionary in China, and she now resides in the State of Georgia, where her second husband is high-school principal; Gertrude is the wife of Willie Beall, a stock farmer at Garland, Louisiana; John C. remains at the parental home in Opelousas, and is there in the employ of a lumber company Mrs. Mamie Corkern resides at Dallas, Texas, where her husband is a moving-picture operator. Preston H. Griffith was graduated from the Opelousas High School as a member of the class of 1900. He then entered the University of Louisiana, in which he was graduated in 1903, with the degree of Bachelor of Science. At the university he became affiliated with the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. In the year of his graduation he became principal of New Hope Academy at Tubal, Arkansas. And after there continuing his effective service three years he was made principal of the high school at Grand Prairie Louisiana. which continued the stage of his successful professional activities during a period of four years. During the ensuing seven years he was principal of the high school in the City of Eunice, St. Landry Parish, and he then, in 1917, became principal of the public schools of Baton Rouge. He retained this position six years and then, in 1923, was appointed to his present important office, that of executive secretary of the Louisiana Teachers Association, this preferment, resultant upon the action of the executive council of the association, indicating the high estimate placed upon him by his professional confreres. His offices are established at 223 Wieck Building in the capital city, and his executive duties now demand the greater part of his time. The democratic party received the unqualified allegiance of Mr. Griffith, and he and his wife are zealous members of the First Baptist Church in their home city. Here also he is affiliated with St. James Lodge No. 47, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons ; Adib Ahmar Grotto No. 98, Veiled Prophets; Capital Lodge No. 29, Knights of Pythias, of which he is a past chancellor ; and Live Oak Camp No. 14, Woodmen of the World. Mr. Griffith is a member of the National Educational Association, and specially active in its department of superintendent of schools, and he is an influential member of the Louisiana Teachers Association, of which he is now executive secretary and of which he was the president in 1921-2. He owns his pleasant home place at 1916 America Street, Baton Rouge, and near the city is the owner of other real estate. In the World war period Mr. Griffith was alert and influential in local patriotic service, especially in connection with the public schools and in furthering the campaigns in support of government war loans, Red Cross work, etc. June 20, 1905, recorded the marriage of Mr. Griffith and Miss Alice Oliver, daughter of Zachary T. and Elizabeth ( Booker ) Oliver, the latter of whom is deceased. Mr. Oliver. a retired farmer, resides at Eunice, St. Landry Parish. Mrs. Griffith is a graduate of the Southwestern Louisiana Institute at Lafayette. Preston H., junior, the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Griffith, was born January 15, 1915. A History of Louisiana, (vol. 2), p. 99, by Henry E. Chambers. Published by The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, 1925.