De Pass, Hon. Phoenix O.

Submitted by Mike Miller

Hon. Phoenix 0. De Pass, member of the Louisiana state legislature from New Orleans, was born in this city in the month of March, 1843. On his father's side he is of French descent, his father, D. De Pass, having been born in Bordeaux, France, and his mother in Philadelphia, Penn. The parents immigrated to New Orleans about 1882, and in this city the father was called from life in 1850. His widow, who was born in 1811, still survives him, together with three sons and two daughters, the extent of their family. The subject of this sketch is purely a self-made man, having been thrown on his own resources at the age of thirteen years. He commenced the battle of life for himself as a clerk in the employ of John Ganche, in 1856, at which he faithfully did his duty until the opening of the Civil war, when, with the patriotism of the true Southerner for the land of his birth, he entered the confederate service to yield up his life, if necessary, for the Southern cause, for which he did battle for nearly four years. When the war closed he sheathed his sword and returned to domestic pursuits, finding employment with the firm of Shepherd, Abbott & Co. of New Orleans. In 1866 he entered the employ of Morris McGraw, remaining with him for fourteen consecutive years. Judiciously husbanding his means he concluded to enter business for himself and with this end in view opened a candy manufactory which met with the greatest success. The firm name is Jaeger & De Pass. Owing to the growth of their business they added the wholesale and retail wood and willow ware in 1885, which is the only complete business of the kind in the country. The business is very extensive and embraces in its latitude, a large section of the South. Mr. De Pass is a gentleman of high social standing and of great influence. He keeps abreast of the times in methods of thinking, and his ideas in municipal and state affairs are practical and sound. Because of his purity as a citizen and his progressiveness, his name was placed on the ticket as a candidate for the legislature by the Young Men's Democratic association of New Orleans and was duly elected. Mr. De Pass was married to Miss Eugenia Barnett, and their union has resulted in the birth of four daughter, and two sons, The eldest daughter is the wife of Dr. John Thomas, quarantine officer of Louisiana. Mr. De Pass, although still a young man, has been a grandfather for over two years.

Biographical and Historical Memoires of Louisiana, (vol. 1), p. 376. Published by the Goodspeed Publishing Company, Chicago, 1892.