Jack Breaux
Encyclopedia
Jack Louis Breaux, Sr. was the Republican
mayor of Zachary, Louisiana
, in East Baton Rouge Parish for nearly fourteen years — from his first election in 1966 until his death of a brain tumor
. He was also the first member of his party since Reconstruction to head the municipal government of a Louisiana city. Breaux (no relation to Democratic
U.S. Senator John Breaux
) was elected as a part-time mayor in the spring of 1966. In 1978 the Zachary municipal charter
was altered to provide for a full-time mayor, and Breaux was again chosen to lead his community.
Breaux was born in Carencro
, (Lafayette Parish), where his father, Lawrence L. Breaux, had been mayor. He graduated from Carencro High School
and thereafter served in the U.S. Navy in World War II
. After the war, he attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
(then the University of Southwestern Louisiana) from 1947 to 1950. He moved to Zachary in 1951. He was an industrial and labor relations supervisor at Copolymer Rubber and Chemical Corp., until his retirement to become Zachary's full-time mayor in 1978.
Under the Breaux administration, Zachary was named the "most progressive" city in Louisiana. Mayor Breaux initiated the expansion and improvement of many city projects and programs, including the widening of state Highway 64. As mayor, Breaux led the drive for annexation of several outlying areas of the city. In his last race for mayor, he cited his achievements as improvements in roads, water, and the city drainage system.
On Breaux's watch, Zachary became the first Louisiana city to elect delegates to draft a home-rule charter, which provided for the full-time mayor. The new charter took effect in the fall of 1978. It formally organized the departments of city government and clearly delineated the powers of the mayor and the city council.
Breaux was a member of the Capital District Law Enforcement Planning Council,, the Capital Economic Development District Council, Inc., Zachary Chamber of Commerce, Zachary Rotary Club, Capital Region Planning Commission, Recreation and Parks Commission, Louisiana Municipal Association (including a term as vice president), and the Republican State Central Committee.
of East Baton Rouge Parish and for the Baton Rouge
mayor-president position, a combined municipal-parish office. In the sheriff's race, Breaux, who was opposing Democratic incumbent J. Al Amiss , ran third with 19.6 percent and narrowly missed a general election
berth. Amiss led the field with 31.9 percent, and another Democrat, D.P. "Skip" D'Amico trailed with 22.9 percent in the primary. Amiss defeated D'Amico and served from 1972 until his death early in 1983. A Republican, Elmer Litchfield
, was subsequently the East Baton Rouge Parish sheriff from 1983 until his retirement in 2006 because of health problems and subsequent death.
Breaux ran third again in the 1976 primary for the mayor-presidency, having finished with 21.7 percent to the incumbent Democrat Mayor-President Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Dumas, who nearly prevailed outright with 47.3 percent of the ballots. The second-place candidate was the outgoing Democratic mayor of neighboring Baker
, Norman E. "Pete" Heine
, who polled 27 percent in the primary. In 2001, a Baker Republican, Bobby Simpson
, became mayor-president, but he was unseated after one term in 2004 by the African American
Democrat Kip Holden
, a former state representative. Simpson had succeeded a Democrat-turned-Republican Tom Ed McHugh
, who served three terms as mayor-president from 1989–2001 and was later the executive director of the Louisiana Municipal Association.
Breaux hence in a sense paved the way for the future breakthroughs by the Republicans Litchfield and Simpson.
Former state Republican chairman James H. Boyce said that Breaux "got his job done" and had a good relationship with the community. "The fact that a Republican could go into a community like Zachary and be reelected and get his program adopted is a great tribute to him," Boyce added.
Baker Mayor Mike Cross
, a Democrat who later served in the Louisiana State Senate
, lamented Breaux's death: "Zachary is going to be the one to lose . . . [he] did a tremendous amount to put Zachary on the map."
In November 1966, Tom Colten
, a member of the Republican State Executive Committee, was elected mayor of Minden
in Webster Parish. Colten hence joined Breaux as the first two Republican mayors in modern Louisiana history.
in November 1978, just after becoming the full-time mayor. He was readmitted to the hospital in August 1979. His illness led him to take a leave of absence from mayoral duties. He died in Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center in Baton Rouge.
Services were held on January 28, 1980, at Breaux's church, Plains Presbyterian in Zachary. Burial was at the Azalea Rest Cemetery.
Survivors included his wife, the former Betty Ellis (born 1929), a Zachary teacher; his mother, Mrs. Lawrence L. Breaux of Lafayette
; two sons, Dr. Jack L. Breaux, Jr. (born 1951), and wife Carolyn Derbes Breaux (born 1948), of New Orleans, later of Baton Rouge, and Frank William Breaux (born 1954), then of Guadalajara
, Mexico
, and later of Baton Rouge; a brother, William R. Breaux (1924–1995) of Lafayette, and a granddaughter, Jennifer Ann Breaux of New Orleans.
Republican Party (United States)
The 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...
mayor of Zachary, Louisiana
Zachary, Louisiana
Zachary is a city in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States, in the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 11,275 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, in East Baton Rouge Parish for nearly fourteen years — from his first election in 1966 until his death of a brain tumor
Brain tumor
A brain tumor is an intracranial solid neoplasm, a tumor within the brain or the central spinal canal.Brain tumors include all tumors inside the cranium or in the central spinal canal...
. He was also the first member of his party since Reconstruction to head the municipal government of a Louisiana city. Breaux (no relation to Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
U.S. Senator John Breaux
John Breaux
John 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...
) was elected as a part-time mayor in the spring of 1966. In 1978 the Zachary municipal charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
was altered to provide for a full-time mayor, and Breaux was again chosen to lead his community.
Breaux was born in Carencro
Carencro, Louisiana
Carencro[p] is a small city in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is a suburb of the nearby city of Lafayette. The population was 6,120 at the 2000 census. Its name comes from the Louisiana Creole word for buzzard: the spot was one where large flocks of buzzards roosted in the bald...
, (Lafayette Parish), where his father, Lawrence L. Breaux, had been mayor. He graduated from Carencro High School
Carencro High School
Carencro High School is a Lafayette Parish high school located in Lafayette, Louisiana, United States. Carencro High School is one of six Lafayette Parish Public Schools. Geographically, the school is located approximately 3.5 miles north of Interstate 10 and approximately one mile west of...
and thereafter served in the U.S. Navy in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After the war, he attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational, public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana...
(then the University of Southwestern Louisiana) from 1947 to 1950. He moved to Zachary in 1951. He was an industrial and labor relations supervisor at Copolymer Rubber and Chemical Corp., until his retirement to become Zachary's full-time mayor in 1978.
Louisiana's "most progressive" city
When Breaux became mayor, Zachary had a population of about 4,000; the 2000 census showed the count at just under 12,000.Under the Breaux administration, Zachary was named the "most progressive" city in Louisiana. Mayor Breaux initiated the expansion and improvement of many city projects and programs, including the widening of state Highway 64. As mayor, Breaux led the drive for annexation of several outlying areas of the city. In his last race for mayor, he cited his achievements as improvements in roads, water, and the city drainage system.
On Breaux's watch, Zachary became the first Louisiana city to elect delegates to draft a home-rule charter, which provided for the full-time mayor. The new charter took effect in the fall of 1978. It formally organized the departments of city government and clearly delineated the powers of the mayor and the city council.
Breaux was a member of the Capital District Law Enforcement Planning Council,, the Capital Economic Development District Council, Inc., Zachary Chamber of Commerce, Zachary Rotary Club, Capital Region Planning Commission, Recreation and Parks Commission, Louisiana Municipal Association (including a term as vice president), and the Republican State Central Committee.
Running for sheriff and EBR mayor-president
In 1975 and 1976, Breaux unsuccessfully sought election as a Republican for sheriffSheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of East Baton Rouge Parish and for the Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
mayor-president position, a combined municipal-parish office. In the sheriff's race, Breaux, who was opposing Democratic incumbent J. Al Amiss , ran third with 19.6 percent and narrowly missed a general election
General election
In 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...
berth. Amiss led the field with 31.9 percent, and another Democrat, D.P. "Skip" D'Amico trailed with 22.9 percent in the primary. Amiss defeated D'Amico and served from 1972 until his death early in 1983. A Republican, Elmer Litchfield
Elmer Litchfield
Elmer B. Litchfield was a long-serving sheriff of populous East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, known for his modernization of law-enforcement procedures....
, was subsequently the East Baton Rouge Parish sheriff from 1983 until his retirement in 2006 because of health problems and subsequent death.
Breaux ran third again in the 1976 primary for the mayor-presidency, having finished with 21.7 percent to the incumbent Democrat Mayor-President Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Dumas, who nearly prevailed outright with 47.3 percent of the ballots. The second-place candidate was the outgoing Democratic mayor of neighboring Baker
Baker, Louisiana
Baker is a city in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States, and a part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,793 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Baker is located at...
, Norman E. "Pete" Heine
Pete Heine
Norman E. Heine, known as Pete Heine , is a former Democratic mayor of the East Baton Rouge Parish city of Baker, located east of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, having served from 1964–1976 and again from 1981-1992...
, who polled 27 percent in the primary. In 2001, a Baker Republican, Bobby Simpson
Bobby Simpson (Louisiana politician)
Bobby Ray Simpson is an educator who served as the Republican Mayor-President, a combined municipal-parish office of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, from 2001-2004...
, became mayor-president, but he was unseated after one term in 2004 by the African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
Democrat Kip Holden
Kip Holden
Melvin L. "Kip" Holden is the Democratic Mayor-President of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. The parish includes the state capitol of Baton Rouge and smaller suburban cities like Baker, Central City and Zachary. He was elected the city's mayor on November 3, 2004. He unseated the Republican...
, a former state representative. Simpson had succeeded a Democrat-turned-Republican Tom Ed McHugh
Tom Ed McHugh
Thomas Edward McHugh, known as Tom Ed McHugh , has since 2001 been the executive director of the Louisiana Municipal Association. McHugh is a former Mayor-President, a combined municipal-parish position, of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. A resident of Zachary in East Baton Rouge Parish, McHugh...
, who served three terms as mayor-president from 1989–2001 and was later the executive director of the Louisiana Municipal Association.
Breaux hence in a sense paved the way for the future breakthroughs by the Republicans Litchfield and Simpson.
Breaux's legacy to Zachary and Louisiana
Tom Ed McHugh, who chaired the charter commission, said that Breaux saw the change in government as "another opportunity to serve the community." He said that Breaux's death was a great loss to the Republican Party: "I think it's a very tragic thing; we hate to lose our oldest Republican mayor in terms of service. He was a great asset to the community, not only as a mayor, but as an individual."Former state Republican chairman James H. Boyce said that Breaux "got his job done" and had a good relationship with the community. "The fact that a Republican could go into a community like Zachary and be reelected and get his program adopted is a great tribute to him," Boyce added.
Baker Mayor Mike Cross
Mike Cross (Louisiana politician)
Michael Aduron Cross, known as Mike Cross is an American businessman who served from 1981 to 1996 as a Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate from District 13 in Greater Baton Rouge, Louisiana...
, a Democrat who later served in the Louisiana State Senate
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
, lamented Breaux's death: "Zachary is going to be the one to lose . . . [he] did a tremendous amount to put Zachary on the map."
In November 1966, Tom Colten
Tom Colten
Arthur Thomas Colten, known as Tom Colten , was a Louisiana politician from the 1960s to the 1990s who rose from a small-town mayoralty position to head his state's Department of Transportation and Development under three governors from both parties...
, a member of the Republican State Executive Committee, was elected mayor of Minden
Minden, Louisiana
Minden is a city in the American state of Louisiana. It serves as the parish seat of Webster Parish and is located twenty-eight miles east of Shreveport, the seat of Caddo Parish. The population, which has been stable since 1960, was 13,027 at the 2000 census...
in Webster Parish. Colten hence joined Breaux as the first two Republican mayors in modern Louisiana history.
Breaux's obituary
Breaux underwent neurosurgeryNeurosurgery
Neurosurgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spine, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and extra-cranial cerebrovascular system.-In the United States:In...
in November 1978, just after becoming the full-time mayor. He was readmitted to the hospital in August 1979. His illness led him to take a leave of absence from mayoral duties. He died in Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center in Baton Rouge.
Services were held on January 28, 1980, at Breaux's church, Plains Presbyterian in Zachary. Burial was at the Azalea Rest Cemetery.
Survivors included his wife, the former Betty Ellis (born 1929), a Zachary teacher; his mother, Mrs. Lawrence L. Breaux of Lafayette
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
; two sons, Dr. Jack L. Breaux, Jr. (born 1951), and wife Carolyn Derbes Breaux (born 1948), of New Orleans, later of Baton Rouge, and Frank William Breaux (born 1954), then of Guadalajara
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Guadalajara is the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, and later of Baton Rouge; a brother, William R. Breaux (1924–1995) of Lafayette, and a granddaughter, Jennifer Ann Breaux of New Orleans.