Hero, William S.

Submitted by Mike Miller Hero, William Sommer, attorney-at-law, was born in New Orleans, La., Dec. 31, 1870, a son of Andrew Hero, Jr., a life long native of that city, being born there in 1839, and Ottie R. Pugh, of Petersburg, Va. His grandfather, Andrew Hero, was a native of Sweden and was born in Gothenburg, Sweden, in the year 1808, came to the United States when quite a young man, landed in New York City, and then came to New Orleans, where he married Caroline M. Gray, of Newport, R. I., and where he was for many years connected with the '' Commercial Bulletin,'' under Col. Seymour, until its suspension in 1862. He was then appointed notary public, and was city notary of New Orleans, in 1863. Andrew Hero, Jr., was the eldest of 10 children of this union, and received his education in his home city. In April, 1861, he entered the Confederate army as a corporal of the 3rd company of the Washington artillery. He served during the entire period of the war, achieving an enviable reputation as a gallant and daring soldier and officer. He rose to be 1st lieutenant of his company, and participated in many of the foremost battles of that great conflict, in all of the campaigns of the army of northern Virginia, under Gens. Longstreet, ''Stonewall'" Jackson, and Robert E. Lee. He was wounded, first at Sharpsburg, or Antietam, and again in the siege of Petersburg. After the close of the war, he returned to New Orleans and qualified immediately for the responsible position under the system of Louisiana laws of notary public. In this he was soon on the road to success, and gained rapidly in profit and reputation until he became the leading notary public, by his active, zealous, and faithful attention to his clients' interests. He later was admitted to the bar, and enjoyed a lucrative practice as a lawyer in connection with his notarial profession, until his death. He retained his interest in the battalion Washington artillery after the war, and rose to the position of major in that command. Maj. Hero was active in Masonry from the time he was "initiated" an Entered Apprentice in Orient Lodge No. 173, New Orleans, Sept. 6, 1868. He rose to the rank of a 33rd degree Mason, and was coronetted inspector general honorary 33rd degree, April 9, 1887. He was also a life member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Maj. Hero left the following children: Maj. Andrew Hero, Jr., U. S. A., Charleston, S. C.; William Sommer Hero, of New Orleans; James Edward Hero, of Houston, Tex.; Lyndon Pugh Hero, of Baltimore, Md., and Miss Ann Hero, of New Orleans. His wife preceded him in death 7 years. His surviving brothers and sisters are George Alfred, Charles Morgan, Miss Matilda P., Miss Anna M., Mrs. Alice H. Cousins, all of New Orleans, and Mrs. Marie S. Hurd, of Denver, Colo. William Sommer Hero passed his boyhood in the city of his nativity, where he acquired his preliminary education. He later entered the academic department of the Tulane university of Louisiana, from which he graduated in the class of 1889 with the degree of bachelor of sciences. Following this he entered the law department of the same institution, and received his degree of LL. B., with the class of 1893, since which latter date he has practiced his profession in the city of New Orleans. Upon leaving college, he was employed as a sugar chemist, and from 1890 to 1894, he was employed in the office of the assistant treasurer of the United States, at New Orleans. He filled every position in that office up to the position of cashier. He was appointed cashier and acting assistant treasurer, in full charge, before he attained his 21st year. Shortly after entering upon the active practice of the law in his native city, young Hero built up a large and successful law business in the Civil courts, and later, associated himself with his father in his law and notarial office. He is an enthusiastic National guardsman, and was among the first who aided in the organization of the 1st troop cavalry of the Louisiana State National guard in Aug., 1897. He served continuously since that date; was commissioned 2nd lieutenant in 1901, and has held the position of captain and commanding officer of the troop since 1905. In the year 1910, Capt. Hero was married to Miss Laura Lacoul Cunningham, a daughter of Hon. M. J. Cunningham, elsewhere referred to in this work. To this union there has been born one daughter, Laura Cunningham Hero.

Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 531-532. Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.