Francis Dugas
| Francis F. Dugas, Sr. | |
Louisiana State Representative
for Lafourche Parish | |
| In office 1956–1960 | |
| Preceded by | R. J. Soignet Dick Guidry |
|---|---|
| Succeeded by | Dudley A. Bernard Woolen J. Falgout |
| Born | June 9, 1919 Rayne, Acadia Parish Louisiana |
| Died | September 2, 2008 (aged 89) Thibodaux, Louisiana |
| Resting place | St. Joseph Cemetery in Thibodaux |
| Political party | Democrat-later-Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Doris Valentine Bergeron Dugas |
| Children | Bridgett Dugas Harris Bernadette Frances Dugas |
| Residence | Thibodaux, Louisiana |
| Alma mater | Louisiana College Louisiana State University Law Center |
| Occupation | Attorney |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Military Service
| |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Francis F. Dugas, Sr. (June 9, 1919 – September 2, 2008),[1] was initially a Democratic politician and attorney from Thibodaux, Louisiana. However, he changed his party affiliation from Democratic to Republican during the presidency of Ronald W. Reagan.
Background
Born in Rayne in Acadia Parish in South Louisiana,[2] Dugas was one of eight children of Ulysse Vital Dugas (1882-1968) and the former Louise Marie Duhon (1887-1978). He was reared in Thibodaux in Lafourche Parish. Dugas wrote of his parents: "[We] were born and reared on a farm. Although [our] mother and father lacked formal education, they were endowed with an abundance of courage and foresight which provided the strength and determination necessary to guide all of their children through the hallowed halls of knowledge."[3]
A Roman Catholic, Dugas received his Bachelor of Arts from Southern Baptist-affiliated Louisiana College in Pineville and his legal credentials from Louisiana State University Law Center in Baton Rouge. From 1943 to 1946, he served in the United States Navy. He was affiliated with the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Kiwanis International.[4]
Political life
From 1956 to 1960, during the third administration of Governor Earl Kemp Long, Dugas was the state representative for Lafourche Parish.[5] In 1963, Dugas ran for lieutenant governor on the intraparty ticket of a Long opponent, former Governor Robert F. Kennon, formerly of Minden in Webster Parish in North Louisiana.[6] Both Kennon and Dugas lost their respective races. The governorship went to John J. McKeithen of Columbia in Caldwell Parish, also in North Louisiana; the lieutenant governorship to incumbent Clarence C. "Taddy" Aycock (1915-1987), also a former Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Franklin in St. Mary Parish in South Louisiana.[7]
Dugas family
Dugas and his wife, the former Doris Valentine Bergeron (1922-2001), had two daughters, Bridgett Dugas Harris (born 1942) and Bernadette Frances Dugas (born 1948) and a son, Francis "Rocky" Dugas, Jr. (born April 1953), all of Thibodaux. The Dugas' third daughter, Celeste, died at birth in 1964. Dugas died in 2008 at the age of eighty-nine in Thibodaux and is interredthere at St. Joseph Cemetery at 949 Menard Street in Thibodaux.[2]
Dugas was predeceased by a grandson, Jacob Meade Dugas (1977-2002), a great-granddaughter, Jada Frances Dugas (2002-2004),[1] and all four of his brothers, including Colonel Meade J. Dugas (1909-1965),[2] a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, and a decorated soldier of World War II and the Korean War. Dugas referred to his oldest brother as "a constant inspiration, a 'big brother' who was splendid in every way—a gentleman, a scholar, and a soldier who never compromised his honor or his dedication to duty."[3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Francis Dugas, Sr.. Findagrave.com. Retrieved on December 15, 2020.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Obituary of Francis Dugas, Sr., Triparishtimes.com, accessed February 2, 2014.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Meade J. Dugas. westpointaog.org. Retrieved on February 2, 2014.
- ↑ Lake Charles American-Press, December 3, 1963, p. 26
- ↑ Membership of the Louisiana House of Representatives, 1812-2024 (Lafourche Parish). Louisiana House of Representatives. Retrieved on December 15, 2020.
- ↑ The Lake Charles American-Press, November 10, 1963, p. 7.
- ↑ The Shreveport Times, January 12, 1964, p. 1.
