Luitpold "Louis" Leonpacher Collection

Collection 76

Leonpacher, Luitpold “Louis” (1890–1960). Collection, 1908–1958

1 foot, 8 inches

Dr. Louis Leonpacher was born 25 February 1890 in Traunstein, Bavaria. He graduated from the University of Munich in 1914 with a degree in veterinary medicine. He married Fanny Mendel. They had five children, Erwin, Walter, Alfred, Robert and Margaret. Dr. Leonpacher died at his home in Lafayette on 5 September 1960 after a brief illness.

Following his military service in Germany, he was vacationing in Canada before returning to Germany to open his veterinary practice when World War I broke out in 1914. Not wishing to be interned by the Canadians, he went to the United States, which had not yet entered the war. He first went to Houston, then New Orleans, and then to Baton Rouge where he remained until 1926. He then came to Lafayette to do veterinary work in Southwest Louisiana.

Leonpacher was one of the earliest aviators in Lafayette. He began flying in 1931 and received his pilot’s license in 1940. He became known as the “Flying Vet”, using his plane to fly to farms not easily accessible by road. His wife began flying in 1931, and was the third woman in Louisiana to obtain a pilot’s license. Besides being a veterinarian and a pilot, Leonpacher was also an enthusiastic photographer. He took the earliest aerial photographs of Lafayette.

This collection consists of journals that cover the years between 1908 and 1920, documenting his experiences in Europe, Canada, and the United States. These handwritten journals, mainly in German, are illustrated with photographs and drawings done by Leonpacher. They also contain some correspondence and other added items. Furthermore, the collection consists of digitized copies of these journals, as well as a DVD of Louisiana Air Tours.

This collection was donated by Dr. Leonpacher’s widow Fanny (Mrs. John Doba), and son Robert J. Leonpacher. The diaries were digitized by Brian Butcher of Video 1 for Leslie Leonpacher, Louis’s granddaughter, who produced a documentary film on Dr. Leonpacher.

Series:

Inventory: