Paul Hardy
Encyclopedia
Paul Jude Hardy is a Baton Rouge attorney
who was the first Republican
to have been elected lieutenant governor
of Louisiana
since Reconstruction. He served in the second-ranking post under Governor Buddy Roemer
from 1988 to 1992.
in St. Martin Parish
. Agnes Angelle was a homemaker, schoolteacher, and principal who was visited at school by former state education superintendents T. H. Harris
and Shelby M. Jackson
. Agnes's brother, Bob Angelle
, and hence the maternal uncle of Paul Hardy, was a Democratic
member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
from 1934 to 1964 and House Speaker from 1957 to 1960.
Agnes's father, and hence Paul Hardy's maternal grandfather, was Drauzin Angelle
, a constable, deputy sheriff, and a Democratic power broker in St. Martin Parish during much of the first half of the 20th century
. Paul Hardy has a sister, Mary Agnes Belleau and her husband, Dr. Charles Dewey Belleau, of Baton Rouge, and a brother, Florent Hardy, Jr., the Louisiana state archvist, also in Baton Rouge.
In 1960, Hardy graduated in 1960 from Cecilia High School. In 1965, he received his bachelor's degree from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
, then the University of Southwestern Louisiana, from which his mother also graduated. While Hardy was on the USL track team, he won the Gulf States Conference high jump
competition for two consecutive years.
In 1966, Hardy received his law degree from Loyola University College of Law
in New Orleans, and at the age of twenty-three, he began practicing law in St. Martinville
with the firm Willis and Hardy.
In 1975, he was elected, again as a Democrat, as Secretary of State of Louisiana
in another upset. An opening appeared when veteran Secretary of State Wade O. Martin, Jr.
, who was then a Democrat but later switched to the Republican Party, stepped down to launch an unsuccessful gubernatorial attempt. Hardy came from behind to beat his fellow Democratic opponent, State Representative P.J. Mills
of Shreveport. In the primary, Mills had led with 49 percent of the vote. Hardy prevailed in the runoff -- officially the general election
in Louisiana. He polled 388,780 votes (51.5 percent) to Mills' 366,510 (48.5 percent). Fluent in French
, Hardy was invited to represent the United States in an international government seminar in Quebec
, Canada
, in 1976.
, he carried eighteen parishes in the nonpartisan blanket primary, but he missed securing a general election
berth by 4 percentage points. Hardy finished in fourth place with 227,026 votes (16.6 percent). In a disputed third place was outgoing Lieutenant Governor James E. "Jimmy" Fitzmorris, Jr.
, of New Orleans, with 280,760 (20.6 percent). The general election would feature Republican David C. Treen
of Jefferson Parish, with 297,674 (21.8 percent), and Louisiana Public Service Commission
er Louis J. Lambert
of Ascension Parish, with 283,277 (20.7 percent). Hardy hence lost a general election slot by some 56,000 votes. Though he was still a Democrat, Hardy endorsed Treen. Thereafter, Treen, who narrowly defeated Lambert in the general election, appointed Hardy as Louisiana’s secretary of transportation. While there, he supervised the spending of a record $2 billion on highways. When Hardy resigned the transportation post, Treen elevated the assistant secretary, Tom Colten
, to the top position. Colten's tenure was one of the longest in the position: he served until his retirement in 1993.
When Hardy vacated the secretary of state's position, the two top votegetters, Sandra Thompson
, director of the Atchafalaya Basin
Culture, Recreation, and Tourism project, and State Senator James H. "Jim" Brown of Ferriday
, went into a general election showdown. Brown emerged a narrow winner.
Robert Louis "Bobby" Freeman of Plaquemine
in Iberville Parish. Also in the race with Freeman and Hardy was Democrat William Ford "Bill" Dodd of Baton Rouge, son of former Democratic Lieutenant Governor William J. "Bill" Dodd, who served from 1948 to 1952. Primary results gave Freeman 586,335 (40 percent), Hardy 429,906 (29 percent), and Dodd 242,519 (17 percent). Three other Democrats polled a total of 14 percent of the primary vote.
In the general election held on November 21, 1987, Hardy upset Freeman, 521,992 (53 percent) to 460,199 (47 percent). While Hardy was winning as lieutenant governor, State Representative W. Fox McKeithen
, son of John McKeithen, was elected to Hardy's former position as secretary of state. Incumbent Secretary of State James H. "Jim" Brown, originally from Ferriday
in Concordia Parish, who had succeeded Hardy in 1980, had vacated the post to make an ill-fated run for governor.
As lieutenant governor, Hardy led the way to enact legislation creating "Tax Free Shopping," which still today gives foreigners an incentive to visit Louisiana. In turn, this concept has resulted in tremendous increases in tourism-related jobs, and in 1989 alone increased tourist spending by a record $1.2 billion.
In 1985, Hardy had assisted local entrepreneurs in the production of the full length feature film of the Cajun movie Belizaire the Cajun which was filmed in at Acadian Village in Lafayette. He was the associate producer and played a bit part in the movie. Under his leadership thereafter as lieutenant governor, the economic impact of the movie industry increased by $51 million.
In 1989, Phi Kappa Theta
national fraternal organization presented Hardy with the "Man of Achievement” award. In 1991, he was presented with "The Order of the Plimsoll," the highest award of the New Orleans World Trade Center.
of New Orleans, daughter-in-law of Jefferson Parish state legislator, gubernatorial candidate in 1971, and grocery mogul John G. Schwegmann, Jr.
, (1911–1995). In the jungle primary, Hardy and Schwegmann virtually tied, 624,371 (43 percent) for Schwegmann and 620,199 (also 43 percent) for Hardy.
In the general election, Schwegmann scored a large victory, 1,009,026 (59 percent) to Hardy's 693,412 (41 percent). There was speculation that Schwegmann benefited from coattails of Democratic gubernatorial nominee Edwin Washington Edwards, who won his fourth nonconsecutive term as governor in that same election over the controversial Republican David Duke
. Edwards polled 1,057,031 votes (61 percent) to Duke's 671,009 (39 percent). Hardy hence ran just some 22,000 votes above Duke's tabulation. Hardy thereafter retired from politics.
After she left the office of lieutenant governor, Schwegmann switched to the Republican Party. After a stint in the legislature, she attempted to regain the lieutenant governorship in the 2003 jungle primary but was badly defeated by Democrat Mitch Landrieu
, brother of U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu
. Jay Dardenne
, like Hardy a former state senator and secretary of state, became the second Republican to hold the position of lieutenant governor, the winner of a special election in 2010 to succeed Mitch Landrieu, who was elected mayor of New Orleans.
in north Louisiana. They have two children and two granddaughters. Gregory Paul Hardy (born 1966) and his wife, Dede, reside in Lafayette
, where he practices law. Daughter Yvette Rachal Hardy Gross is a ULL graduate residing in Baton Rouge with her husband, Darrell Gross.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
who was the first Republican
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...
to have been elected lieutenant governor
Lieutenant governor (United States)
In the United States, 43 of the 50 states have a separate, full-time office of lieutenant governor. In most cases, the lieutenant governor is the highest officer of state after the governor, standing in for that officer when he or she is absent from the state or temporarily incapacitated...
of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
since Reconstruction. He served in the second-ranking post under Governor Buddy Roemer
Buddy Roemer
Charles Elson "Buddy" Roemer III is an American politician who served as the 52nd Governor of Louisiana, from 1988 to 1992. He was elected as a Democrat but switched to the Republican Party on March 11, 1991...
from 1988 to 1992.
Background
Hardy's parents, who married in 1939, were Florent Hardy, Sr., (1913–2003) and the former Agnes Angelle (1904-2008) of CeciliaCecilia, Louisiana
Cecilia is a census-designated place in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,505 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Lafayette Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Cecilia is located at ....
in St. Martin Parish
St. Martin Parish, Louisiana
St. Martin Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is St. Martinville. As of the 2000 census, the population was 48,583.St...
. Agnes Angelle was a homemaker, schoolteacher, and principal who was visited at school by former state education superintendents T. H. Harris
T. H. Harris
Thomas H Harris was the dominant figure in Louisiana public education in the first half of the 20th century through his role as the state school superintendent from 1908-1940.-Early years and education:...
and Shelby M. Jackson
Shelby M. Jackson
Shelby M. Jackson was a Democratic superintendent of public education in Louisiana who served from 1948-1964. In the early 1960s, he tried in vain to block federally-authorized school desegregation. Jackson was posthumously honored in 1994, by the naming of the "Shelby M...
. Agnes's brother, Bob Angelle
Bob Angelle
Robert Joseph Angelle, known as Bob Angelle , was a businessman and politician from Breaux Bridge in St. Martin Parish, who was the Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1957-1960, the last term of Governor Earl Kemp Long. Angelle was part of the powerful Long faction of Louisiana...
, and hence the maternal uncle of Paul Hardy, was a 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...
member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
Louisiana House of Representatives
The Louisiana House of Representatives is the lower house in the Louisiana State Legislature, the state legislature of the US state of Louisiana. The House is composed of 105 Representatives, each of whom represents approximately 42,500 people . Members serve four-year terms with a term limit of...
from 1934 to 1964 and House Speaker from 1957 to 1960.
Agnes's father, and hence Paul Hardy's maternal grandfather, was Drauzin Angelle
Drauzin Angelle
Drauzin Angelle was a farmer and a politician from St. Martin Parish in south Louisiana. As the chief deputy sheriff from 1924 until his death, Angelle became a Democratic power broker in his largely rural sugar-producing parish.Born in the Fifth Ward of St...
, a constable, deputy sheriff, and a Democratic power broker in St. Martin Parish during much of the first half of the 20th century
20th century
Many people define the 20th century as running from January 1, 1901 to December 31, 2000, others would rather define it as beginning on January 1, 1900....
. Paul Hardy has a sister, Mary Agnes Belleau and her husband, Dr. Charles Dewey Belleau, of Baton Rouge, and a brother, Florent Hardy, Jr., the Louisiana state archvist, also in Baton Rouge.
In 1960, Hardy graduated in 1960 from Cecilia High School. In 1965, he received his bachelor's degree from 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 which his mother also graduated. While Hardy was on the USL track team, he won the Gulf States Conference high jump
High jump
The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
competition for two consecutive years.
In 1966, Hardy received his law degree from Loyola University College of Law
Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
Loyola University New Orleans College of Law is a private law school in New Orleans, Louisiana affiliated with Loyola University New Orleans. Loyola's law school opened in 1914 and is now located on the Broadway Campus of the University in the historic Audubon Park District of the city. The College...
in New Orleans, and at the age of twenty-three, he began practicing law in St. Martinville
St. Martinville, Louisiana
St. Martinville is a city in and the parish seat of St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on Bayou Teche, sixteen miles south of Breaux Bridge, eighteen miles southeast of Lafayette, and nine miles north of New Iberia. The population was 6,989 at the 2000 census. It is part of the...
with the firm Willis and Hardy.
State senator and secretary of state
In 1972, Hardy was elected in an upset as a Democratic state senator from Iberia and St. Martin parishes. The defunct Baton Rouge State Times named him the "Outstanding Newcomer" of the year after his first legislative session in 1972.In 1975, he was elected, again as a Democrat, as Secretary of State of Louisiana
Secretary of State of Louisiana
The Secretary of State of Louisiana is one of the elected constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Louisiana. The position was created by Article 4, Section 7 of the Louisiana Constitution.The current Secretary of State is Tom Schedler....
in another upset. An opening appeared when veteran Secretary of State Wade O. Martin, Jr.
Wade O. Martin, Jr.
Wade Omer Martin, Jr. was the Democratic Secretary of State of Louisiana under five governors, having served from 1944 to 1976...
, who was then a Democrat but later switched to the Republican Party, stepped down to launch an unsuccessful gubernatorial attempt. Hardy came from behind to beat his fellow Democratic opponent, State Representative P.J. Mills
P.J. Mills
Percy Joseph Mills, Jr., known as P. J. Mills , is a retired businessman residing in New Orleans, Louisiana, who served from 1968-1972 as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Shreveport, the seat of Caddo Parish in the northwestern corner of the state.Known as one of the...
of Shreveport. In the primary, Mills had led with 49 percent of the vote. Hardy prevailed in the runoff -- officially the 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...
in Louisiana. He polled 388,780 votes (51.5 percent) to Mills' 366,510 (48.5 percent). Fluent in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Hardy was invited to represent the United States in an international government seminar in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, in 1976.
Running for governor at 37
In 1979, Hardy ran for governor. Endorsed by former Governor John McKeithenJohn McKeithen
John Julian McKeithen was the 49th Governor of Louisiana, serving from 1964 to 1972. A Democrat from the town of Columbia, he was the first governor of his state in the twentieth century to serve two consecutive terms...
, he carried eighteen parishes in the nonpartisan blanket primary, but he missed securing 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 by 4 percentage points. Hardy finished in fourth place with 227,026 votes (16.6 percent). In a disputed third place was outgoing Lieutenant Governor James E. "Jimmy" Fitzmorris, Jr.
Jimmy Fitzmorris
James Edward "Jimmy" Fitzmorris, Jr. , is a New Orleans businessman and civic leader who was the Democratic Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana from 1972–1980...
, of New Orleans, with 280,760 (20.6 percent). The general election would feature Republican David C. Treen
David C. Treen
David Conner "Dave" Treen, Sr. , was an American attorney and politician from Mandeville, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana – the first Republican Governor of the U.S. state of Louisiana since Reconstruction. He was the first Republican in modern times to have served in the U.S...
of Jefferson Parish, with 297,674 (21.8 percent), and Louisiana Public Service Commission
Louisiana Public Service Commission
Louisiana Public Service Commission is an independent regulatory agency which manages public utilities and motor carriers in Louisiana. The commission has five elected members chosen in single-member districts for staggered six-year terms...
er Louis J. Lambert
Louis Lambert
Louis Joseph Lambert, Jr. , is a Louisiana attorney, businessman, former member and chairman of the Louisiana Public Service Commission, and a former Louisiana state senator....
of Ascension Parish, with 283,277 (20.7 percent). Hardy hence lost a general election slot by some 56,000 votes. Though he was still a Democrat, Hardy endorsed Treen. Thereafter, Treen, who narrowly defeated Lambert in the general election, appointed Hardy as Louisiana’s secretary of transportation. While there, he supervised the spending of a record $2 billion on highways. When Hardy resigned the transportation post, Treen elevated the assistant secretary, 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...
, to the top position. Colten's tenure was one of the longest in the position: he served until his retirement in 1993.
When Hardy vacated the secretary of state's position, the two top votegetters, Sandra Thompson
Sandra Thompson
Sandra Smith "Sandy" Thompson is a veteran Louisiana politician and state administrator, who retired on August 3, 2007, from the directorship of the Atchafalaya Basin Program. She thereafter joined the successful gubernatorial campaign of Republican Bobby Jindal, then a U.S...
, director of the Atchafalaya Basin
Atchafalaya River
The Atchafalaya River is a distributary of the Mississippi River and Red River in south central Louisiana in the United States. It flows south, just west of the Mississippi River....
Culture, Recreation, and Tourism project, and State Senator James H. "Jim" Brown of Ferriday
Ferriday, Louisiana
Ferriday is a town in Concordia Parish in northeastern Louisiana, United States. The population, which is three-fourths African American, was 3,723 at the 2000 census....
, went into a general election showdown. Brown emerged a narrow winner.
Republican lieutenant governor
Hardy switched parties and ran for lieutenant governor as a Republican in 1987. Six candidates sought the position, including the two-term Democratic incumbentIncumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
Robert Louis "Bobby" Freeman of Plaquemine
Plaquemine, Louisiana
Plaquemine is a city in and the parish seat of Iberville Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 7,064 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area....
in Iberville Parish. Also in the race with Freeman and Hardy was Democrat William Ford "Bill" Dodd of Baton Rouge, son of former Democratic Lieutenant Governor William J. "Bill" Dodd, who served from 1948 to 1952. Primary results gave Freeman 586,335 (40 percent), Hardy 429,906 (29 percent), and Dodd 242,519 (17 percent). Three other Democrats polled a total of 14 percent of the primary vote.
In the general election held on November 21, 1987, Hardy upset Freeman, 521,992 (53 percent) to 460,199 (47 percent). While Hardy was winning as lieutenant governor, State Representative W. Fox McKeithen
W. Fox McKeithen
Walter Fox McKeithen served five terms as Secretary of State of Louisiana between 1988 and 2005. He is best remembered for merging the state's election divisions into one department and for the promotion of historical preservation.-Son of a governor:He was born Walter Fox McKeithen in Columbia in...
, son of John McKeithen, was elected to Hardy's former position as secretary of state. Incumbent Secretary of State James H. "Jim" Brown, originally from Ferriday
Ferriday, Louisiana
Ferriday is a town in Concordia Parish in northeastern Louisiana, United States. The population, which is three-fourths African American, was 3,723 at the 2000 census....
in Concordia Parish, who had succeeded Hardy in 1980, had vacated the post to make an ill-fated run for governor.
As lieutenant governor, Hardy led the way to enact legislation creating "Tax Free Shopping," which still today gives foreigners an incentive to visit Louisiana. In turn, this concept has resulted in tremendous increases in tourism-related jobs, and in 1989 alone increased tourist spending by a record $1.2 billion.
In 1985, Hardy had assisted local entrepreneurs in the production of the full length feature film of the Cajun movie Belizaire the Cajun which was filmed in at Acadian Village in Lafayette. He was the associate producer and played a bit part in the movie. Under his leadership thereafter as lieutenant governor, the economic impact of the movie industry increased by $51 million.
In 1989, Phi Kappa Theta
Phi Kappa Theta
Phi Kappa Theta is a national social fraternity with over 50 chapters and colonies at universities across the United States. "Phi Kaps", as they are commonly referred to colloquially, are known for diversity among their brothers and a dedication to service.-History:Phi Kappa Theta was established...
national fraternal organization presented Hardy with the "Man of Achievement” award. In 1991, he was presented with "The Order of the Plimsoll," the highest award of the New Orleans World Trade Center.
Stinging defeat in 1991
Hardy was defeated for reelection as lieutenant governor in 1991 by the Democrat Melinda SchwegmannMelinda Schwegmann
Melinda B. Schwegmann was the lieutenant governor of Louisiana from 1992–1996 – the first woman to hold the position. She made an unsuccessful run for governor of Louisiana in 1995...
of New Orleans, daughter-in-law of Jefferson Parish state legislator, gubernatorial candidate in 1971, and grocery mogul John G. Schwegmann, Jr.
John G. Schwegmann
John Gerald Schwegmann, Jr., was a pioneer in the development of the modern supermarket. He owned eighteen stores in the Greater New Orleans area, based from Metairie, a large unincorporated city in Jefferson Parish...
, (1911–1995). In the jungle primary, Hardy and Schwegmann virtually tied, 624,371 (43 percent) for Schwegmann and 620,199 (also 43 percent) for Hardy.
In the general election, Schwegmann scored a large victory, 1,009,026 (59 percent) to Hardy's 693,412 (41 percent). There was speculation that Schwegmann benefited from coattails of Democratic gubernatorial nominee Edwin Washington Edwards, who won his fourth nonconsecutive term as governor in that same election over the controversial Republican David Duke
David Duke
David Ernest Duke is a former Grand Wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan an American activist and writer, and former Republican Louisiana State Representative. He was also a former candidate in the Republican presidential primaries in 1992, and in the Democratic presidential primaries in...
. Edwards polled 1,057,031 votes (61 percent) to Duke's 671,009 (39 percent). Hardy hence ran just some 22,000 votes above Duke's tabulation. Hardy thereafter retired from politics.
After she left the office of lieutenant governor, Schwegmann switched to the Republican Party. After a stint in the legislature, she attempted to regain the lieutenant governorship in the 2003 jungle primary but was badly defeated by Democrat Mitch Landrieu
Mitch Landrieu
Mitchell Joseph "Mitch" Landrieu is the Mayor of New Orleans, former Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana, and a member of the Landrieu family. Landrieu is a member of the Democratic Party and a Roman Catholic. He is the son of former New Orleans mayor and Secretary of the United States Department of...
, brother of U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu
Mary Landrieu
Mary 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...
. Jay Dardenne
Jay Dardenne
John Leigh "Jay" Dardenne, Jr. , has been Louisiana's Republican lieutenant governor since November 22, 2010. He won a special election to the position held in conjunction with the regular November 2 general election. At the time, Dardenne was Louisiana secretary of state...
, like Hardy a former state senator and secretary of state, became the second Republican to hold the position of lieutenant governor, the winner of a special election in 2010 to succeed Mitch Landrieu, who was elected mayor of New Orleans.
Private life in Baton Rouge
Hardy is an attorney, banker, businessman, and political consultant residing in Baton Rouge with his wife Sandra "Sandi" Gatlin Hardy (also born 1943), a native of Grant ParishGrant Parish, Louisiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 18,698 people, 7,073 households, and 5,276 families residing in the parish. The population density was 29 people per square mile . There were 8,531 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
in north Louisiana. They have two children and two granddaughters. Gregory Paul Hardy (born 1966) and his wife, Dede, reside in 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...
, where he practices law. Daughter Yvette Rachal Hardy Gross is a ULL graduate residing in Baton Rouge with her husband, Darrell Gross.