Wogan, John Augustin

Submitted by Mike Miller

Wogan, John Augustin, assistant treasurer of the United States at New Orleans, La., was born in New Orleans, May 30, 1858; the son of Charles Nicholas and Adine (Augustin) Wogan, who were both natives of Louisiana. Charles N. Wogan, born March 8, 1826; was a sugar planter, also a merchant, in partnership with Theodore Brierre, and for many years owned the La Branche plantation in St. Charles parish. He retired from business in 1890, and died March 19, 1903. Gen. Jean Baptiste Donatien Augustin, maternal grandfather of John A. Wogan, was born on the Island of Santo Domingo, in 1800. When the negro slaves revolted and massacred the white settlers, the only members of the Augustin family that escaped death were Jean Augustin, with his wife and young son, J. B. Donatien. They found refuge, in Santiago de Cuba, where they resided a few years before coming to Louisiana. Reared and educated in New Orleans, J. B. Donatien Augustin became a prominent lawyer; was judge of the fifth district court, sheriff of Orleans parish, a general in the Mexican war and general commanding the battalion of Orleans guards in the state militia. His wife, Melazie La Branche was the daughter of Hermogene Le Branche, planter in St. Charles parish. They had 5 children: James Donatien, John Alcee, Adine (Mrs. Charles N. Wogan, mother of John A. Wogan), Louise, widow of Francois Fortier; Aimee, widow of Dr. Jean Francois Beugnot, and Marie. John A. Wogan was educated in private schools and at the Jesuits' college, New Orleans, and completed his classical studies at Spring Hill college, near Mobile, Ala. Soon after leaving college, he went in business with his father, in the sugar commission house of Brierre & Wogan, and on leaving that firm, entered into partnership with his brothers, Charles N. and Jules A. Wogan, for the conduct of a refinery in New Orleans. After the dissolution of the partnership, John A. Wogan continued in the sugar and molasses trade. For many years Mr. Wogan has been a leading member of the Louisiana White Republican party, and served on both the executive and the campaign committees. In 1904 he was candidate for the mayoralty of New Orleans, and in 1910 was the Republican nominee for the first congressional district. Because of eminent services rendered the republican party in Louisiana, Mr. Wogan was appointed assistant treasurer of the United States at New Orleans by Pres. Taft in 1911, and at this writing is still in office under a democratic administration. Mr. Wogan has been president of the Louisiana Sugar Exchange, director of the Germania National and the Whitney National banks, charter member and vice-president of the New Orleans Progressive union, now the New Orleans Association of Commerce, and during many years, a member of the exclusive social clubs, and of the carnival societies. March 18, 1914, Mr. Wogan was elected president of the Industrial Bank & Trust Co capitalized at $100,000, with a surplus of $50,000 a bank recently established in the interest of the laboring classes. April 28, 1884, occurred the marriage of John A. Wogan and Miss Marguerite Beugnot, the daughter of Dr. J. F. Beugnot and Josephine Schreiber Beugnot. The children of Mr. and Mrs. John A. Wogan, in order of birth, are; Jeanne, wife of Senor Gustavo Arguedas, of Guatemala City; Anita, wife of Arthur Wright Starlipen, residing at Pittsburg, Pa.; John B. student at West Point; Maurice, Marguerite, Rene and Sidney Wogan.

Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 473-474. Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.