Spencer, Lucius Clay

Submitted by Mike Miller

Spencer, Lucius Clay, teacher, author, publisher, orange grower, and head of the Spencer business college, New Orleans, is a son of J. J. and Ann (Moore) Spencer, and was born in Jackson parish, La., at the plantation home of his parents, in the year 1868. J. J. Spencer, the father, born in 1820, was a physician and planter, and owner of a large cotton plantation. The descendants of the Spencer family, of English ancestry, came from England to New England, and later J. J. Spencer came south, first locating in the state of Alabama, from which locality he removed to Louisiana just prior to the Civil war. In the beginning of the war between the states he enlisted in the Confederate service, and took part in some of the engagements of the Virginia campaign, but was paroled after about 18 months' service, on account of defective hearing. He returned to Louisiana, and the later years of his life were passed on his plantation in Jackson parish, where he died in 1906, at the age of 86 years. He was an invalid during the last 2 years of his life, as a result of having been thrown from a horse when he was 84 years old. Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Spencer became the parents of 7 children, as follows: W. F., J. J., O. H., J. E., L. C., (subject of this sketch) Sallie and Cornelia. All of the sons, with the exception of L. C, are planters in Jackson and Lincoln parishes, and well-to-do. L. C. Spencer was educated at Keatchie college, in DeSoto parish, La., one of the oldest schools in the South, having been established long before the Civil war. During the war the college buildings were used for hospital purposes. Mr. Spencer graduated from Keatchie college in 1887, with the degree of A. B., and at once began teaching in the college, mostly English branches, continuing this work 4 years. Following this, he went to Texas, where he taught during 2 years and then returned to Louisiana, opening Spencer's business college at Shreveport in the year 1894. The Shreveport school was conducted by Mr. Spencer 3 years, but in 1897, in search of larger fields, he removed to New Orleans, just before the yellow fever epidemic of that year. It was in the latter year that he established Spencer business college in New Orleans beginning with 15 students. The school has steadily grown year after year, until in 1913 the enrollment reached 1,000. There are now 8 teachers employed in the school, working under Mr. Spencer's direction. The school hours are from 9 a. m. to 3 p. m., with an intermission from 12 to 1 o'clock, and the school is in continuous session throughout the year. In connection with this school, there has been established a system of free instruction for working boys and girls, who go direct from their employment and spend the hour from 5 to 6 o'clock in the school. There are now more than 200 in regular attendance in this department. Proprietors of department stores and other employers have taken great interest in this work, and encourage their clerks and other employees to avail themselves of the privileges and advantages thus so generously afforded them. The New Orleans Picayune also has taken great interest in this work, and has done much toward making it a success. Leading business and professional men give lectures at the college each Friday p. m. Mr. Spencer's teaching is not confined to this school, but on the contrary he, indirectly, is teaching in a number of other schools, through a series of books of which he is the author, all of which are published by the Spencerian Publishing Co., of New Orleans. One of these books is the Spencerian grammar, which was adopted by the Jesuit college as soon as published. Another is Spencerian shorthand, a book of 24 pages, in 9 lessons, containing 9 rules without a single exception. This system is now being taught in 400 business colleges, high schools, and Catholic institutions of learning. The system is so simple that newspapers all over the country have published the 9 lessons for the benefit of their readers. Other books of the Spencer series are the Spencerian English speller, Spencerian business arithmetic, which contains all the known short cuts for use in calculations; Spencerian touch typewriting, which has a sale in nearly every state in the Union. Another interesting book in this valuable series is called ''Fourteen Hundred Years in Court.'' This is designed as a dictation book, and treats grammar by means of questions and answers, compelling the student to study this subject while taking his dictation work. In addition to his arduous and varied activities as head of this important educational institution, and his accurate and extensive work as author and publisher, Mr. Spencer is owner of a 100-acre orange grove and truck farm situated 8 miles from the city of New Orleans. Orange trees in this grove number over 12,000 and are from 2 to 5 years old. During the season 1912-13 more than 5,000 hampers of lettuce, Irish potatoes, beans, cucumbers, etc., were shipped from this property. Besides affording a most attractive diversion from other labors, this "side line" has thus far proved very profitable. On the property there are now 100 bee hives, very simply arranged, and Mr. Spencer expects to increase these to 400 or 500 hives, as this also has been found attractively profitable. Mr. Spencer was first married in the year 1904 to Miss Lavinia Perkins of Nacogdoches, Texas. She died April 27, 1904. On Oct. 21, 1912, he was married to Miss Elizabeth Bennett, of Clinton, Wis. Mr. and Mrs. Spencer have 1 child, little Charlotte Anne Elise. Mr. Spencer, through his own unaided efforts, has comparatively early in life attained a position of well-deserved preëminence among his co-workers of the South and the nation as well. At New Orleans he enjoys the highest regard and esteem of the business community and an unusually large circle of friends and acquaintances. He has overcome obstacles and difficulties, in the successful upbuilding of his college that would have discouraged anyone less determined, but throughout the years he has persisted until long since the reputation of Spencer Business college has become co-extensive with a large part of the United States, throughout which broad territory his graduates find ready employment. In addition to his valuable work as an educator, and his hardly less important example in demonstrating the practicability and desirability of orange culture and truck growing in Louisiana, Mr. Spencer fully measures up to the best standards of modern, progressive, and public-spirited American citizenship, and accordingly takes an active interest in all public questions and their proper solution, especially of the immediate region in which the activities of his useful life are cast.

Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 411-413. Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.