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<blockquote>'''"Fifty years of being a doctor adds up into to lots of buggy trips on cold nights and hot days, long hours of waiting for babies to be born, tears, laughter, and a heap of satisfaction."''' - Dr. Lafargue​</blockquote>​

​===Parents=== Lafargue was born in Marksville, the seat of government of Aoyelles Parish in south central Louisiana.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Lafargue&GSfn=Alvan&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSob=n&GRid=23639492&df=all&|title=Dr. Alvan H. Lafargue (with gravestone photograph)|publisher=Findagrave.com|accessdate=December 10, 20152019}}</ref> He was from a prominent family originally from the [[Pyrenees]] Mountains of [[France]]. His father, Adolphe Jolna Lafargue (1855-1917), received his education at the former Jefferson College in Convent in St. James Parish in south Louisiana, and then studied law at what became [[Tulane University]] in [[New Orleans]]. He returned to Marksville and published and edited<ref name=archives/> what became ''The Marksville Weekly News,'' the oldest continuously operating [[newspaper ]] in Louisiana.<ref name=archives/>

 ===Education===Alvan Lafargue's grandfather, Pierre-Adolphe Lafargue (1818-1869), was an educator who served as educated in the school superintendent for Avoyelles Parish schools, [[Louisiana State University]], the [[Tulane University]] Medical School, and founded Marksville High the [[Memphis]] Hospital Medical School, since the [[University of Tennessee|University of Tennessee Medical Center]], from which he graduated in 1910. He was also a mayor married the former Florestine Richard (pronounced REE SHARD) of MarksvilleBaldwin in St. He started Mary Parish, a daughter of Arthur Richard, a [[sugar]] planter, and the newspaper then named ''former Blanche Dumesnil. The Pelican'' and later ''The Marksville Villagercouple had four children, Alvan, Jr.'' Lafargue's father(1913–1994), Judge Myron J. Lafargue(1914–1973), continued to publish the newspaper as the ''Marksville Weekly NewsIrene L. Owens (1917–1969), and Prudence L. Burns (1924–2009).''<ref name=doctorslahist>{{cite web|url=http://librarywww.mcneeselahistory.eduorg/depts/archive/FTBooks/reid%20doctorssite29.htmphp|title=Early Calcasieu DoctorsLafargue, Alvan Henry|publisher=McNeese State University''A Dictionary of Louisiana Biography,'' publication of the Louisiana Historical Association|accessdate=February 17December 10, 20112019}}</ref><ref>''A Dictionary of Louisiana Biography'' uses Erbon W. Wise (a Sulphur author), ''Brimstone! The History of Sulphur, Louisiana '' (1981) and the Lafargue family papers as the basis of its sketch of Dr. Lafargue.</ref>​ ===Other family members===

Lafargue's brothergrandfather, Walter Strong Pierre-Adolphe Lafargue (18791818-19511869) of Thibodaux,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Lafargue&GSfn=Walter&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSob=n&GRid=91541057&df=all&|title=Walter Strong Lafargue|publisher=findagrave.com|accessdate=February 13, 2015}}</ref> was first an educator who served as the assistant principal of Thibodaux College and thereafter the long-term school superintendent of schools in Lafourche for Avoyelles Parishand founded Marksville High School.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wwwHe was also a mayor of Marksville.louisianacajun.com/msg/louisiana-cajun-forum-message-show.asp?id=24789&fid=202&tid=0|title=Genealogy search for Lafargues|publisher=louisianacajun.com|accessdate=February 18, 2011}}</ref><ref>[[Henry E. Chambers]], He started the newspaper then named ''History of Louisiana,The Pelican'' Voland later ''The Marksville Villager. 1 (1925), pp 388-389.</ref>​''

Lafargue was educated in the Avoyelles Parish schools's father, [[Louisiana State University]]Judge Lafargue, continued to publish the [[Tulane University]] Medical School, and newspaper as the [[Memphis]] Hospital Medical School, since the [[University of Tennessee|University of Tennessee Medical Center]], from which he graduated in 1910. He married the former Florestine Richard (pronounced REE SHARD) of Baldwin in St. Mary Parish, a daughter of Arthur Richard, a [[sugar]] planter, and the former Blanche Dumesnil. The couple had four children, Alvan, Jr. (1913–1994), Myron J. Lafargue (1914–1973), Irene L. Owens (1917–1969), and Prudence L. Burns (1924–2009)''Marksville Weekly News.''<ref name=lahistdoctors>{{cite web|url=http://wwwlibrary.lahistorymcneese.orgedu/site29depts/archive/FTBooks/reid%20doctors.phphtm|title=Lafargue, Alvan HenryEarly Calcasieu Doctors|publisher=''A Dictionary of Louisiana Biography,'' publication of the Louisiana Historical AssociationMcNeese State University|accessdate=December 10, 2019}}</ref><ref>''A Dictionary of Louisiana Biography'' uses Erbon W. Wise (a Sulphur author), ''Brimstone! The History of Sulphur, Louisiana '' (1981) and the Lafargue family papers as the basis of its sketch of Dr. Lafargue.</ref>​

Lafargue's brother, Walter Strong Lafargue (1879-1951) of Thibodaux,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Lafargue&GSfn=Walter&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSob=n&GRid=91541057&df=all&|title=Walter Strong Lafargue|publisher=findagrave.com|accessdate=December 10, 2019}}</ref> was first the assistant principal of Thibodaux College and thereafter the long-term superintendent of schools in Lafourche Parish.<ref>[[Henry E. Chambers]], ''History of Louisiana,'' Vol. 1 (1925), pp 388-389.</ref>​ A Lafargue nephew, Malcolm Lafargue, a son of Edwin Louis Lafargue, was from 1941 to 1950 the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, based in [[Shreveport]]. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the [[United States Senate]] in the Democratic primary but lost to the then two-year incumbent, [[Russell Long]]. Dr. Lafargue and his nephew died six weeks apart in 1963.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=103311402|title=M. E. Lafargue, Former [U.S.] Attorney, Dies – Succumbs in Sleep Here at Age 54; Services Saturday|publisher=''[[Shreveport Journal]]''|date=March 28, 1963|pages=1-A, 4-A|accessdate=February December 10, 20152019}}</ref>​ ==Medical practice==

In Lake Charles, Lafargue was the Calcasieu Parish health officer from 1934 to 1938. He thereafter served as the Sulphur municipal health officer. He was a director of the Lake Charles Charity Hospital, later known as the W. O. Moss Regional Medical Center, which was merged in 2013 into the Lake Charles Memorial Health System. Dr. Lafargue served on the staff of both St. Patrick and Memorial hospitals. He was instrumental in building the West Calcasieu-Cameron Hospital in Sulphur, of which he was the first president. He was the physician of the Southern Pacific Railroad. In 1960, he was honored by the Louisiana Medical Society in Baton Rouge for fifty years of physician service, A memorial light was placed on the Sulphur water tower to recognize his delivery of five thousand babies.<ref name=lahist/> At the ceremony, Lafargue said, "Fifty years of being a doctor adds up into lots of buggy trips on cold nights and hot days, long hours of waiting for babies to be born, tears, laughter, and a heap of satisfaction."<ref name=doctors/>

At the ceremony, Lafargue said, "Fifty years of being a doctor adds up into lots of buggy trips on cold nights ==Political and hot days, long hours of waiting for babies to be born, tears, laughter, and a heap of satisfaction."<ref namecivic matters==doctors/>​

A [[Roman Catholic]], Lafargue was a member of the men's organization, the [[Knights of Columbus]]. He was also active in Rotary International and the Woodmen of the World. In 1925, Dr. Lafargue founded the bi-parish Calcasieu-Cameron Fair and served many years afterwards as president of the organization. From 1932 to 1934 and again in 1949, Dr. Lafargue was president of the Louisiana Association of Fairs and Festivals. He was the founding president of the organization in 1932. His daughter, Prudence Burns, was the state fair president in 1984.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.laffnet.org/history.html|title=Past Presidents of the Louisiana Association of Fairs and Festivals|publisher=laffnet.org|accessdate=February 15December 10, 20152019}}</ref>

In 2008, a Lafargue grandson, Gerold J. LaFargue (with capital "F"), a former assistant attorney general of Louisiana, was named grand marshal of the parade.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sulphurdailynews.com/article/20081012/NEWS/310129997|title=LaFargue named Grand Marshal of Cal-Cam fair|publisher=''The Sulphur Daily News''|date=October 12, 2008|author=Susan LaFargue Kyle|accessdate=February 13, 2015; no longer on-line}}</ref> In 2014, the fair begun by Dr. Lafargue was moved from its 12-acre site at 923 Lewis Street in Sulpuur to the West Calcasieu Events Center near Interstate 10.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sulphurdailynews.com/article/20141013/News/141019932|title=Cal-Cam Fair's move to new site a 'challenge'|publisher=''The Sulphur Daily News''|date=October 14, 2014|author=Heather Regan-White|accessdate=February 15, 2015; no longer on-line}}</ref>​

[[Category:Catholic Politicians]]]​