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'''Adras Paul LaBorde, Sr.''' (December 12, 1912 – March 6, 1993), was a reporter, managing editor, and political columnist for the ''[[Alexandria Town Talk]],'' the largest [[newspaper]] in central [[Louisiana]].  

'''Adras Paul LaBorde, Sr.''' (December 12, 1912 – March 6, 1993), was a reporter, managing editor, and political columnist for the ''[[Alexandria Town Talk]],'' the largest [[newspaper]] in central [[Louisiana]].  

He was active from the mid-1940s into the early 1990s. Considered an authority on 20th-century Louisiana government and politics, he wrote some ten thousand columns under the title, "The Talk of the Town," a play on the name of the newspaper. LaBorde wrote about the strengths and the foibles of the states politicians.​<ref name=bio>"Bordelonville native among six to be inducted into the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame January 28", ''Avoyelles Today'', January 4, 2012.</ref>

He was active from the mid-1940s into the early 1990s. Considered an authority on 20th-century Louisiana government and politics, he wrote some ten thousand columns under the title, "The Talk of the Town," a play on the name of the newspaper. LaBorde wrote about the strengths and the foibles of the states politicians.​<ref name=bio>"Bordelonville native among six to be inducted into the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame January 28", ''Avoyelles Today,'' January 4, 2012.</ref>

==Background==

==Background==

LaBorde demanded integrity, accuracy, originality, and speed from his reporters and editors. Many of his reporters advanced in the fields of journalism and public relations.<ref name=bio/>

LaBorde demanded integrity, accuracy, originality, and speed from his reporters and editors. Many of his reporters advanced in the fields of journalism and public relations.<ref name=bio/>

He developed his staff and provided opportunities of women and minorities. Reporter Elizabeth Roberts Martin, a 1966 graduate of [[Louisiana State University]], was promoted as the first woman to hold editing positions at ''The Town ''Town Talk.' LaBorde hired Cleo Joffrion, an Alexandria native, as the first [[African-American]] reporter at the paper. He promoted [[Cecil Williams]], a native of the [[Kentucky]] [[coal]]-mining area, from assistant managing editor to business edito, from which position Williams won numerous awards.<ref name=bio/><ref>"Cecil Williams obituary," ''Alexandria Daily Town Talk'', May 4, 2008.</ref>​

He developed his staff and provided opportunities of women and minorities. Reporter Elizabeth Roberts Martin, a 1966 graduate of [[Louisiana State University]], was promoted as the first woman to hold editing positions at ''The Town ''Town Talk.' LaBorde hired Cleo Joffrion, an Alexandria native, as the first [[African-American]] reporter at the paper. He promoted [[Cecil Williams]], a native of the [[Kentucky]] [[coal]]-mining area, from assistant managing editor to business editor, from which position Williams won numerous awards.<ref name=bio/><ref>"Cecil Williams obituary," ''Alexandria Daily Town Talk'', May 4, 2008.</ref>​

LaBorde sent a young reporter Leonard Sanderson, Jr., to Baton Rouge in 1974 to cover the legislature. Later Sanderson moved to [[Washington, D.C.]], where he set up his own consulting firm.<ref name=bio/> Jeff Cowart, an Alexandria native and LSU graduate who began as a reporter under LaBorde, in 1988 was appointed as first press secretary to Governor Buddy Roemer and later established a  management consulting firm, Media National, in suburban Washington, DC.<ref>[http://www.medianational.com/ Media National], official website</ref>​

LaBorde sent a young reporter Leonard Sanderson, Jr., to Baton Rouge in 1974 to cover the legislature. Later Sanderson moved to [[Washington, D.C.]], where he set up his own consulting firm.<ref name=bio/> Jeff Cowart, an Alexandria native and LSU graduate who began as a reporter under LaBorde, in 1988 was appointed as first press secretary to Governor Buddy Roemer and later established a  management consulting firm, Media National, in suburban Washington, DC.<ref>[http://www.medianational.com/ Media National], official website</ref>​

==Ransdell biography==

==Ransdell biography==

In 1951, LaBorde published a biography, ''A National Southerner: Ransdell of Louisiana'' (Benziger Brothers), about the career of Democratic Senator Joseph Eugene Ransdell (1858–1954) of Louisiana. An Alexandria native, Ransdell was a lawyer and district attorney in Lake Providence in East Carroll Parish. He was elected  to the Senate in 1912, the year of LaBorde's birth.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=R000059|title=Senator Joseph Ransdell|publisher=bioguide.congress.gov|accessdate=January 11, 2012}}</ref> Ransdell was defeated for renomination in 1930 by Governor Huey Long.<ref name=bio/>

In 1951, LaBorde published a biography, ''A National Southerner: Ransdell of Louisiana'' (Benziger Brothers), about the career of Democratic Senator [[Joseph Ransdell|Joseph Eugene Ransdell]] of Louisiana. An Alexandria native, Ransdell was a lawyer and district attorney in Lake Providence in East Carroll Parish. He was elected  to the Senate in 1912, the year of LaBorde's birth.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=R000059|title=Senator Joseph Ransdell|publisher=bioguide.congress.gov|accessdate=January 11, 2012}}</ref> Ransdell was defeated for renomination in 1930 by Governor Huey Long.<ref name=bio/>

==Personal life and family==

==Personal life and family==