David Glenn Thibodaux was for twenty-seven years an
EnglishEnglish studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
professorA professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
at the
University of Louisiana at LafayetteThe University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational, public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana...
, a member and officer of the
Lafayette ParishLafayette Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Lafayette. According to the 2010 Census, its population was recorded as 221,578....
School Board for twelve years, and a four-time
RepublicanThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidate for the
United States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from
Louisiana's 7th congressional districtLouisiana's 7th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Louisiana located in the southwestern part of the state. It contains the cities of Crowley, Eunice, Jennings, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Opelousas, Sulphur and Ville Platte....
.
He was also an
authorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of several
bookA book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
s, including
Political Correctness: The Cloning of the American Mind, and numerous articles and
editorialAn opinion piece is an article, published in a newspaper or magazine, that mainly reflects the author's opinion about the subject. Opinion pieces are featured in many periodicals.-Editorials:...
s.
School board service
Thibodaux was elected to the District 7 seat on the Lafayette school board without opposition in 1994. He was reelected over a fellow Republican, Michael H. Gallagher, in 1998, having polled 60 percent to Gallagher's 40 percent. In 2002, he defeated the Democrat James A. McGehee, Jr., 58 percent to 42 percent. He was unopposed for his fourth term in 2006. Thibodaux was elected by the board to serve as Board President twice, and had been elected to serve as Vice-President in January 2007, just months before his death.
He worked for a reduction in teacher student ratios, pay raises for teachers, and for additional construction and maintenance of parish schools. He was integral in procuring unitary status in the lingering 40-year-old
desegregationDesegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups usually referring to races. This is most commonly used in reference to the United States. Desegregation was long a focus of the American Civil Rights Movement, both before and after the United States Supreme Court's decision in...
lawsuit against the school board. He made an impassioned plea for unitary status before U.S. District
JudgeA judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
Richard Haik, a brother of another Louisiana Republican leader,
Suzanne Haik TerrellSuzanne Haik Terrell is a Louisiana lawyer who failed in a high-profile Republican bid for the U.S. Senate in 2002 and for state attorney general in 2003. She was the state's last commissioner of elections, having served from 2000 to 2004. In 2005, President George W...
of
New OrleansNew Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
.
Thibodaux stressed the need for money in the classroom, rather than expanded administration, which frequently placed him at odds with Lafayette
SuperintendentIn education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
James Easton.
Soon after his death, at the request of Thibodaux's family, the Lafayette Parish School Board appointed Mark Cockerham (born 1976), a former student of Thibodaux's who had worked in the 2004 Thibodaux congressional campaign, to fill the District 7 vacancy until a special election could be held in conjunction with the regular primary elections scheduled for October 20, 2007. With the support and endorsement of Thibodaux's family, Cockerham was re-elected to serve a full term in the election that fall.
Louisiana Republican pioneer
Thibodaux was a pioneer of the
GOPThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
in southwestern Louisiana. During the 1980s, he was elected to the Republican State Central Committee. He was a delegate to the
1988 Republican National ConventionThe 1988 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States was held in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana from August 15 to August 18, 1988. It was the second time that a major party held its conclave in one of the five states known as the Deep South, coming on the...
, which met in New Orleans.
In 1986 at the age of thiurty-two, Thibodaux ran for the U.S. House of Representatives from
Louisiana's 7th congressional districtLouisiana's 7th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Louisiana located in the southwestern part of the state. It contains the cities of Crowley, Eunice, Jennings, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Opelousas, Sulphur and Ville Platte....
. The seat had never been held by a Republican and was a known Democratic stronghold, famously held by
Edwin EdwardsEdwin Washington Edwards served as the Governor of Louisiana for four terms , twice as many terms as any other Louisiana chief executive has served. Edwards was also Louisiana's first Roman Catholic governor in the 20th century...
from 1965 to 1972, before he was elected to his first of four terms as governor of Louisiana. Edwards handpicked his protege,
John BreauxJohn Berlinger Breaux is a former United States senator from Louisiana who served from 1987 until 2005. He was also a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1972 to 1987. He was considered one of the more conservative national legislators from the Democratic Party...
, to run as his successor. Breaux held the seat for fifteen years before being elected to the U.S. Senate for the first of three terms in which he became one of the nation's most influential legislators. A young and inexperienced Thibodaux lost to Breaux's hand-picked successor
James "Jimmy" HayesJames Allison "Jimmy" Hayes is a Republican politician from the state of Louisiana.Born in Lafayette, Hayes graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette . He served in the Louisiana Air National Guard from 1968 to 1974...
of Lafayette. Thibodaux received only 12 percent of the vote. However, Thibodaux used the campaign to build his profile and ran again in 1990 against the incumbent Hayes. He received nearly 70,000 votes, a respectable 38 percent of the vote.
In 1995, Thibodaux launched his third campaign for the seat. With a United States Senate seat open, Hayes switched to Republican affiliation in December of that year and vacated his House seat to run for the U.S. Senate in 1996. With the 7th Congressional seat open, Thibodaux saw the opportunity for a Republican to carry the 7th district for the first time.
Under the unique Louisiana primary system, Thibodaux lost a spot in the
general electionIn a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
against Democrat
Chris JohnChristopher Charles "Chris" John is American politician who was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1997 to 2005, representing Louisiana's 7th congressional district.-Early life:...
by only twelve votes. On election night, Thibodaux was projected as finishing in second place, ensuring a spot in the general election, over 200 votes ahead of the third place finisher Democrat Hunter Lundy. After a week of ballot recounts, John led with 45,404 ballots (26 percent). Lundy trailed with 38,605 votes (22 percent), just 12 votes ahead of Thibodaux's 38,593 votes (also 22 percent). While Thibodaux was the endorsed Republican candidate, three other Republican candidates campaigned as well. Thibodaux's supporters felt that the presence of the three other Republicans, Jim Slatten, Peter Vidrine, and Charles "Charlie" Buckels, with a total of 25,840 votes (15 percent), undercut Thibodaux's opportunity to enter a face-to-face showdown with John in the general election and cost the Republicans a serious chance at the seat.
With only twelve votes separating Thibodaux from a spot in the runoff, the Republican Party urged Thibodaux to challenge the election results amid widespread reports of irregularities and election fraud across the state. In Louisiana's election for U.S. Senate that year, Republican
Woody JenkinsLouis Elwood "Woody" Jenkins is a newspaper editor in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who served as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1972–2000 and waged three unsuccessful races for the United States Senate....
contested the results of his narrow loss to Democrat
Mary LandrieuMary Loretta Landrieu is the senior United States Senator from the State of Louisiana and a member of the Democratic Party.Born in Arlington, Virginia, Landrieu was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana...
claiming massive election fraud, including ballot tampering, voter fraud, and illegal busing in precincts statewide, including those in the 7th District. Jenkins brought his challenge to the US Senate, arguing for a new election in front of the Senate Rules Committee. After a 10-month investigation revealed that fraud had occurred, the committee voted 8-7 along party lines to uphold the election results. With the Republican Party putting massive financial support behind Jenkins' challenge to the Senate race, Thibodaux was unable to fund his own challenge of the House election and decided not to contest the results of the race. Chris John went on to defeat Lundy in the general election and held the seat until he ran for the U.S. Senate in 2004, having been defeated by the Republican
David VitterDavid Vitter is the junior United States Senator from Louisiana and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, he served in the United States House of Representatives, representing the suburban Louisiana's 1st congressional district. He served as a member of the Louisiana House of...
.
When John vacated the seat, Thibodaux decided to launch his fourth bid for the seat. However, when a recently retired
physicianA physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
,
Charles Boustany, Jr.Charles William Boustany, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education, and medical career:...
, a longtime friend and supporter of Thibodaux in previous elections, decided to enter the race, the Republican hierarchy, including U.S. President
George W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, gave Boustany the Republican endorsement. Boustany led strongly in the primary with 39 percent of the vote. Democrat
Willie Landry MountWillie Landry Mount is an American politician from Louisiana. Mount is a Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate and has since 2000 represented District 27, which includes parts of Lake Charles and surrounding cities Sulphur and Westlake. From 1993 to 1999 she served as the first female...
, a former mayor of
Lake CharlesLake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...
and a state senator, trailed with 25 percent. Thibodaux finished in a disappointing fourth place behind Democratic African American leader Donald Cravins, Sr. While Cravins refused to endorse Mount in the general election, Thibodaux publicly campaigned for Boustany, who went on to defeat Mount with 55 percent of the vote, and became the first Republican elected to represent Louisiana's 7th District. In 2008, then State Senator
Donald R. Cravins, Jr.Donald R. "Don" Cravins, Jr. is a Democratic politician from the State of Louisiana.In the 2008 elections, Cravins unsuccessfully ran as the Democratic candidate for Louisiana's 7th congressional district seat held by Republican U.S. Representative Charles Boustany, Jr. In addition to Boustany,...
, lost his bid against Boustany.
After Thibodaux's passing, Boustany stated that Thibodaux's death was "a great loss for the people of Lafayette Parish, particularly for those of us who were proud to call him a friend. He will always be remembered for his passionate and relentless pursuit of improving public education for our communities in Lafayette Parish."
Roger F. Villere, Jr.Roger Francis Villere, Jr. is a businessman from Metairie in Jefferson Parish in suburban New Orleans who on March 26, 2004, was elected state chairman of the Louisiana Republican Party by the 144-member GOP State Central Committee. He succeeded Pat Brister of St...
, chairman of the Louisiana Republican Party, declared a statewide day of mourning and remembrance for Thibodaux, whom Villere described as: "a Republican pioneer in Acadiana". I ask all Louisiana citizens to join me in honoring Dr. David Thibodaux and the life he devoted to making Louisiana a better place. I ask all of you to keep David's family and friends in your prayers."
Thibodaux as a "movement conservative"
Bill Decker of the
Lafayette Daily AdvertiserThe Daily Advertiser is a Gannett daily newspaper based in Lafayette, the fourth largest city in Louisiana. The Daily Advertiser covers international, national, state, and local news in the six parishes of Lafayette, Acadia, Iberia, St. Landry, St. Martin, and Vermilion. The publication circulates...
described Thibodaux thus:
"[He was] a movement conservative who might not appreciate the appropriation of Democrat Al Smith’s nickname. But Thibodaux was a happy warrior. [He] taught English at ULL, took on mamby-pamby language and knee-jerk
liberalsLiberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
in a pair of books, the latest of which is called
Beyond Political Correctness: Are There Limits to This Lunacy? At the time of his death, he was locked in the battle for which he may be remembered most: his duel with U.S. District Judge Richard Haik over school desegregation. Thibodaux fought Haik every way he knew how.
"His opposition was about the proper role of the
judiciaryThe judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
, not about indifference to the kids. His push for reduced class sizes, lovingly detailed in half a dozen conversations over the years, was about improving
educationEducation in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
in Lafayette schools that serve low-income students. And his biggest allies in the fight against the court-ordered desegregation measures were the two black school board members, [Democrats] Ed Sam and Rickey Hardy, who resented the closure of schools in black neighborhoods."
Mrs. Thibodaux told the
Daily Advertiser that her husband "gave everything that he could. He was the only person I knew that lost sleep over someone else’s children."
Personal life
Thibodaux was born in
New IberiaNew Iberia is a city in and the parish seat of Iberia Parish, Louisiana, United States, 30 miles southeast of Lafayette. In 1900, 6,815 people lived in New Iberia; in 1910, 7,499; and in 1940, 13,747...
, the seat of Iberia Parish, to Albert Joseph Thibodaux and Charlie Janet Thibodaux (November 15, 1932 - January 27, 2006). He graduated from the Roman Catholic Cathedral Carmel High School in Lafayette. He received his
Bachelor of ArtsA Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and
Master of ArtsA Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degrees from ULL, then known as the University of Southwestern Louisiana). He obtained his
Ph.D.A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from
Kansas State UniversityKansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
in
ManhattanManhattan is a city located in the northeastern part of the state of Kansas in the United States, at the junction of the Kansas River and Big Blue River. It is the county seat of Riley County and the city extends into Pottawatomie County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 52,281...
,
KansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. He joined the UL Lafayette faculty in 1980 and attained the rank of associate professor.
In addition to his father, Thibodaux was survived by his second wife of nineteen years, the former Melody Faul; five children, Benjamin Albert Thibodaux and his wife, the former Wendi Robertson, Shannon Ashley Thibodaux, Jeremy David Thibodaux, Claire Michaelle Thibodaux, and Rachel Christine Thibodaux; one grandson; two sisters, and two brothers. In addition to his mother, he was preceded in death by two brothers.
Death and remembrances
Thibodaux died in 2007 in a Lafayette area
hospitalA hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
after sustaining injuries in a motor vehicle accident in
ScottScott is the second largest municipality in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population rose to over 8,000 according to the 2010 census results.Scott is a suburb of Lafayette and is part of the Lafayette Metropolitan Statistical Area....
on Highway 90. The accident occurred at an intersection where
multiple fatalitiesBlack Spot or black spot may refer to:* Black Spot , a plant disease caused by a fungus* Black Spot , a literary device in Treasure Island, a novel by Robert Louis Stevenson...
had occurred previously. After Thibodaux's death, the Lafayette City Council had a stop light placed at the intersection to prevent further loss of life.
School board president Carl LaCombe, a Democrat and close friend who served as a pallbearer along with Thibodaux's two sons and brothers, said that Thibodaux "worked tirelessly to help the children of Lafayette Parish. He never stopped.”
According to his
obituaryAn obituary is a news article that reports the recent death of a person, typically along with an account of the person's life and information about the upcoming funeral. In large cities and larger newspapers, obituaries are written only for people considered significant...
in the
Daily Advertiser, the passionate Thibodaux was a man of the people and for the people. Dedicated to single-handedly making a difference in the world, he served in public office and actively participated in his community. Family values and education were his passions and this showed in all of his endeavors. He was not afraid to fight for everything he believed in, even against great odds. . . . "
Services were held on March 28, 2007, at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Lafayette. Thibodaux's
eulogistA eulogy is a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing, especially one recently deceased or retired. Eulogies may be given as part of funeral services. However, some denominations either discourage or do not permit eulogies at services to maintain respect for traditions...
, Alfred Boustany, Jr., his best friend since elementary school, and cousin of
Charles Boustany, Jr.Charles William Boustany, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education, and medical career:...
, and
JudgeA judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
Richard Haik, told those in attendance: "You are David's eulogy. People from all walks of life came here out of respect and love."
Thibodaux was
crematedCremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
and placed in his family tomb located in the cemetery of St. John's Cathedral.