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- Gervais Born January 12, 1897 (Tuesday) at Natchhoches, Louisiana. Died February 12 1978, and is buried at Prien Memorial Park in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He served in the army during WWI, and saw duty overseas. He later served as Commander of W.B. Williamson Post #1 of the American Legion. During World War II, he was a member of the Louisiana State Guard serving as Lt. Colonel. He received an AB degree from Louisiana State Normal College (now Northwestern State University) in Natchitoches, Louisiana, attended summer schools at Tulane University in New Orleans, and received an MA degree from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. He taught in both elementary and secondary schools in the city of Lake Charles, Louisiana. He was principal of Lake Charles High School for twenty-one years and superintendent of the Lake Charles City School System from 1948-1967. In all, he gave fifty years of service to the Lake Charles Public Schools. He had no middle name, but took the initial "W" when he started teaching as he felt it would look more professional. He belonged to numerous organizations:
Chairman for seven years of Louisiana Committee of Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.
Lake Charles Teachers Association
Louisiana Superintendents Association
National Education Association
American Association of School Administrators
President, Retired Teachers Association
Calcasieu Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, member for thirty-five years, and served as president of the Council.
Sowela Area Council, Comp Fire Girls, served as president of Council and helped select the campsite.
Lake Charles Public Library, served as president of the executive board.
Louisiana Chapter, National Easter Seal Society for Crippled Children president, and executive board member. Organized class at Hamilton School for handicapped children.
Lake Charles Civil Defense, member of executive board
Y.M.C.A, executive board member
Kiwanis Club, member and past president
Calcasieu-Cameron Parish Tuberculosis Association board member
Superintendents Association Chairman of 7th District
Calcasieu United Appeals, Board of Directors
Salvation Army, member of executive board
Historical Association, President
He was selected by the Young Men's Business Club as "Outstanding Citizen of 1963", and was presented with many other awards and plaques for his service to his community. [2]
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