James E. Fontenot Collection
Collection 316
Fontenot, James E. (1944–2004). Papers, 1971–2003, n.d.
2 feet
James E. Fontenot made his home in Abbeville, Louisiana. His family consisted of Sue Fontenot of Abbeville, his brother Michael Fontenot of Kaplan, and several nieces and nephews.
Fontenot was an attorney and a former member of the Louisiana Senate. He was elected in 1971 at the age of 27, the youngest member at that time. He served one four-year term, and then resumed his law practice in Abbeville.
Fontenot graduated from the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now University of Louisiana at Lafayette) with a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts. He then attended the Louisiana State University Law Center and worked his way through as an organist and choir director at Sacred Heart Church in Baton Rouge. He was an accomplished musician, later serving as director of the boys choir at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Lafayette. He was a longtime board member of CODOFIL and was the host of “En Francais” on LPB. He was one of the incorporators of The Abbey Players, Abbeville’s theatre troupe, and was a member of its board of directors until his death.
Fontenot was a member of the Acadiana Pipe Band of Trinity Episcopal Church in Crowley. He is also remembered as a preservationist who restored several buildings in Vermilion and St. Landry parishes.
James E. Fontenot died on July 23, 2004 at his home at the age of 59.
This collection contains his working files while in office as a Louisiana Senator, arranged alphabetically by subject. It also contains some personal material, mostly related to genealogy.
Series:
| A. | Working Files: Listed alphabetically | Boxes 1 and 2 |
| B. | Personal Files: Listed by subject | Box 3 |
Inventory:
| Box 1 | |
| 1-01 | Abortion Laws, 1972 |
| 1-02 | Acadia Parish Office, 1972-1973 |
| 1-03 | Acadia Parish Police Jury, 1972-1973 |
| 1-04 | Acadiana Health Planning Council, 1972 |
| 1-05 | Agriculture, 1972-1974 |
| 1-06 | American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana, 1973-1974 |
| 1-07 | Capital Construction and Improvement Commission, 1972-1975 |
| 1-08 | Capital Construction and Improvement Commission, 1972-1975 |
| 1-09 | Capital Outlay Budget Board, 1972 |
| 1-10 | Coastal Commission, 1973 |
| 1-11 | CODOFIL (Council for the Development of French in Louisiana), 1975 |
| 1-12 | C.A.B.L. (Council for a Better Louisiana), n.d. |
| 1-13 | Civil Service, 1972-1974 |
| 1-14 | Committee to Study Juvenile Justice, 1974 |
| 1-15 | Constitutional Convention, 1973 |
| 1-16 | Co-Council - Higher Education, 1972 |
| 1-17 | Crowley Office Records, 1974 |
| 1-18 | Dairy Farming, n.d. |
| 1-19 | Department of Public Safety, 1975 |
| 1-20 | Department of Revenue, 1973 |
| 1-21 | Drug Abuse Committee, 1972-1975 |
| 1-22 | Drug Abuse Committee, 1972-1975 |
| 1-23 | Education Department, 1973 |
| 1-24 | Election Statistics, 1972 |
| 1-25 | Finance, 1971-1972 |
| 1-26 | Governor Edwin Edwards, 1972-1974 |
| 1-27 | Highway Department, 1972-1974 |
| 1-28 | Highway Department, 1972-1974 |
| 1-29 | Job Applicants, n.d. |
| 1-30 | Legislative Matters, 1972-1975 |
| 1-31 | Legislative Programs - radio, 1972 |
| 1-32 | Louisiana Military Department, 1973 |
| 1-33 | Miscellaneous, 1972-1975 |
| 1-34 | Natural Gas, 1972-1973 |
| 1-35 | No Fault Insurance, 1972 |
| 1-36 | Personal, 1972 (1 item) |
| 1-37 | Photos, n.d. |
| 1-38 | Policemen, n.d. |
| 1-39 | Press, 1972 (1 item) |
| 1-40 | Public Works Department, 1972-1974 |
| 1-41 | Radio and Television, 1973, 1975 |
| 1-42 | Retail Food Establishments, 1970, 1975 |
| 1-43 | Roads, 1972, 1975 |
| 1-44 | Social Security Claims, 1973-1974 |
| 1-45 | Senatorial Campaign, 1971 |
| 1-46 | Senatorial Personal Letters, 1971-1974 |
| 1-47 | Senatorial Personal Letters, 1971-1975 |
| Box 2 | |
| 2-01 | Senatorial Race, 1971-72 |
| 2-02 | South Central Bell, 1972-1974 |
| 2-03 | Student Aid, 1971-1975 |
| 2-04 | Teachers, retired, 1974-1975 |
| 2-05 | Teachers, 1972-1973 |
| 2-06 | Tourist Development Commission, 1971-1972 |
| 2-07 | Tri-Parish, 1973 |
| 2-08 | Task Force on Teacher Certification, 1970-1972 |
| 2-09 | University of Southwestern Louisiana, 1971 |
| 2-10 | Vermilion Parish Office, 1973 |
| 2-11 | Vermilion Parish Police Jury, 1973-1975 |
| 2-12 | Vermilion Parish School Board, 1974-1975 |
| 2-13 | Vocational Education, 1973 |
| 2-14 | Welfare Department, 1972-1974 |
| 2-15 | Wildlife and Fisheries, 1974 |
| Box 3 | |
| 3-01 | Genealogy: Fontenot research project contributors, 1984 |
| 3-02 | Same: Fontenot family material mostly from St. Landry & Evangeline Parish. Includes pedigree charts, Publication: Fontenots Since the Civil War, typed and Handwritten material dealing with the Fontenots of Ville Platte, etc. |
| 3-03 | Same: Marceau family: bulletin De La Societe Archeologique D’Eure-Et-Loir. No. 22.3rd semester, 1989. Article, pp. 32-48 (2 copies) |
| 3-04 | Same: Marceau, by Roger Joly (publication) |
| 3-05 | Same: Marceau. Association General Marceau “Le courier De Sambre Et Meuse, 1997, 2000-2003. Bulletin Annual De Liaison. |
| 3-06 | Same: Marceau, Pamphlets: Le bicentenaire, Altenkirchen Hochstenbach DoblenzDeutschland, 21-22 septembre 1996; General Marceau, parish 1-2 octobre 1988. Xvanniversaire de la promotion General Marceau; Bulletin D’Information. Promotion,Marceau, 1972-1973 |
| 3-07 | Same: Marceau Pamphlets: Association General Marceau “Le courier De Sambre et meuse, 1988-1989, 1991-1996. |
| 3-08 | Same: Marceau . Le Bicentennial, 1976, Altenkirchen Hochstenbach Koblenz DEUTSCHLAND, 21-22 septembre 1996; Aniversaire de la promotion General Marceau, parish 1-2 octobre, 1988 |
| 3-09 | Same: Marceau. Promotion General Marceau material. 1972-73; Family group reports (genealogy) |
| 3-10 | Same: Marceau. Promotional and Reunion material, 1970s-1990s |
| 3-11 | Same: Marceau. Coat of Arms; Certificate; Chartreres, n.d. |
| 3-12 | Same: Marceau. History material on family. Mostly early records |
| 3-13 | Same: Marceau. History material on family. Mostly early records |
| 3-14 | Same: Marceau. News clippings and articles, mostly 1980s, n.d. |
| 3-15 | Same: Marceau. correspondence: James E. Fontenot. Incoming/outgoing pertaining to family |
| 3-16 | Same: Marceau. photos and postcards, n.d. |
| 3-17 | Same: Marceau. sheet music, n.d. |
| 3-18 | Same: Greenwell family: includes pedigree chart, correspondence, marriage bond between Greenwell and Fontenot. (1851) |
| 3-19 | Same: Broussard family: pedigree charts, baptismal record; death certificate, correspondence, 1900, 1995, n.d. |
| 3-20 | Same: Guillory family: descendants of Francois Guillory (12 generations) |
| 3-21 | Same: Granger family tree, beginning 1637-1833 |
| 3-22 | Same: Tiere family. Genealogy material. |
| 3-23 | Same: McDaniel family. Copy of map showing McDaniel; Entry from Southwest Louisiana Records, volume 1. McDaniel and Cochran marriage. |
| 3-24 | Correspondence: James Fontenot, miscellaneous, 1966, 1991-2002 |
| 3-25 | Same: military correspondence, incoming/outgoing, 1993 |