- Bob Angelle
Robert Joseph "Bob" Angelle (
August 26 ,1896 -December 22 ,1979 ) was abusinessman andpolitician from Breaux Bridge inSt. Martin Parish , who was the Speaker of theLouisiana House of Representatives from 1957-1960, the last term ofGovernor Earl Kemp Long . Angelle was part of the powerful Long faction ofLouisiana politics. He is probably best remembered for sponsoring the bill which declared Breaux Bridge "theCrawfish Capital of the World".Angelle was born in Cecilia in St. Martin Parish to
Drauzin Angelle and the former Agnes Guidry. He was educated in public schools in Cecilia and Breaux Bridge. He attended theUniversity of Louisiana at Lafayette (then "Southwest Louisiana Institute"). OnJuly 8 ,1919 , Angelle married the former Madge Germaine Begnaud (1899-1985). She was the daughter of P.L. Begnaud and the former Germaine Richard. They had four daughters.Angelle was the commission agent for
Standard Oil Company from 1921-1932. He operatedAcadian Lumber Company from 1936-1973. He was the organizer and the first president of the Breaux BridgeSugar Co-op. He was a license building contractor and operateddairy farms as well. He was the organizer and first president of the Breaux BridgeBank and Trust Company.He was a
town council member andmayor of Breaux Bridge in the early 1920s. One of Angelle's sons-in-law, Louis M. Kern (1922-2005), was elected mayor of Breaux Bridge in 1957. Angelle was also a member of the St. Martin Parish Democratic Executive Committee.Angelle won his first legislative race in a
special election in 1934 to fill the vacancy created by the death of RepresentativeGaston Thibodeaux . He served until 1964, another four years of service after his four years as Speaker. The last term was under the administration of Governor James Houston "Jimmie" Davis. Governor Long named Angelle to the Louisiana State Board of Liquidation in 1959.After he left the legislature, Angelle became involved in a dispute with Mrs. Litie B. Bienvenu who was in line to be appointed director of
public welfare for St. Martin Parish. Angelle went toBaton Rouge and told the commissioner of public welfare,Mary Evelyn Parker , the future Louisiana statetreasurer , that Mrs. Bienvenu had a questionable reputation in the community and should not be appointed. The appointment was withdrawn, and she sued to obtain the position. Civil service ordered that she be given the job. She then filed a personaldefamation suit against Angelle, alleging that his comments about her were made withmalice .He was a member of the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival Association from 1960 until his death. He was a charter member of the Breaux Bridge
Lions Club . He was a member of St. Bernard'sCatholic Church in Breaux Bridge and the men's organization theKnights of Columbus .Robert and Madge Angelle are interred in St. Bernard's cemetery. Angelle Hall, which houses the
music department at UL-L, is named for Robert Angelle.References
* "Robert Joseph "Bob" Angelle", "A Dictionary of Louisiana Biography", Vol. 1 (1988), pp. 16-17
* "Tribute: Robert Angelle", "St. Martinville Teche News", August 17, 1961
* "Lafayette Daily Advertiser", January 7, 1979
* Social Security Death Index, Robert and Madge Angelle
* fastcase.com/Yahoo/Start.aspx?C=70b07d3f10b61d95d622b94dd4f7e4c31af
* music.louisiana.edu - 11k
* http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
* AID=/20070427/BLOGS09/704270329/1002/NEWS01http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi?lastname=Kern&firstname=Louis&start=21
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