Gurley, Walter M.

Submitted by Mike Miller

Gurley, Walter Morgan, a notary public and vice-president and general manager of the Rural Credit Company, New Orleans, was born in New Orleans, La., and is a son of John Ward and Rosamund (Richards) Gurley, the former of whom was born in Baton Rouge, La., and early in life removed to New Orleans, which then became his permanent place of residence. He received his early education at Jefferson college, in his native state, and his legal education and training in the city of New Orleans, following the completion of which he entered upon and continued in the practice of law during the remainder of his active and useful career, in the course of which he served 20 years as United States district attorney. His wife, Rosamund Richards Gurley, was a descendant of Baron Richards, of England, and also of the Earl of Huntington. Walter Morgan Gurley, the son, was educated in New Orleans, chiefly by private tutor, Mr. Furmann, later attending Soule' college. Following the completion of his academic education, he for a time became identified with the cotton business; received his legal education at the law department of the University of Louisiana, now Tulane university. Since the completion of his professional education he was commissioned as a notary public, in which Mr. Gurley was a director of the Peoples Bank, and now chairman of the liquidation committee, elected by the stockholders, and is vice-president and general manager of the Rural Credit Co., of New Orleans, which he organized. Mr. Gurley has always taken an active and aggressive part in genuinely meritorious reform movements, local, state, and national, and in accord with these characteristics has taken a lively interest in the Young Men's Democratic association of New Orleans, and has been identified with every public movement he deemed worthy of his support. He is a member of the Pickwick, the Country, the Chess, Checkers and Whist clubs, the Knights of Pythias fraternity, all of New Orleans, and Woodmen of the World. He was one of the organizers of the Progressive Union, now the Chamber of Commerce. He was also one of the organizers of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Feb. 20, 1890, Mr. Gurley was married to Miss Marie White, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edmund White, of New Orleans, and a niece of Lady Fitzgerald, of Ireland. Her father was a member of the Irish gentry, and was a cousin to the famous orator, Robert Emmett. Mr. Gurley's paternal ancestors have been professional men throughout the past 6 generations, mostly engaged in the practice of law, but also including some in the ministry, and some in the medical profession. The paternal grandfather, Henry H. Gurley, served some time on the United States circuit court bench, and was a member of congress during 4 terms. The great grand-uncle of Walter Morgan Gurley, whose name was the same as that of his father, John Ward Gurley, was a close personal friend of the first governor of Louisiana, Gov. Claiborne, and was killed in a duel because lie declined to recommend to the governor the appointment of a gentleman whom he did not think fitted for the position sought. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Gurley, these being Walter M. Gurley, manager of the Bonhora Sales Co., Inc., in New Orleans, and Miss Marie Rosamund Gurley.

Source: Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form, volume 3, pp. 758-759. Edited by Alcee Fortier, Lit. D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.