1925 Biography - James G. Palmer

Judge James G. Palmer, of Shreveport, former judge of the Twelfth Judicial District, has achieved a distinctive success in his chosen profession, and has identified himself with many worthy causes in his community and state. He is one of Louisiana's most prominent Rotarians, being at the present time district governor of that organization.

He was born on a plantation in Claiborne Parish, November 27, 1875, son of W. H. and Mary Frances (Monk) Palmer. Reared on a plantation, he attended public schools and Homer College in his native parish, but his own labors and sacrifices paid for his higher education. He taught school a number of years, and from 1898 to 1904 was superintendent of schools of Vernon Parish. While teaching he studied law privately, and at New Orleans in March, 1901, was admitted to the Louisiana bar. His preceptor in his law studies was his cousin, James R. Monk, and for some time they practiced as the firm of Monk and Palmer at Leesville.

In 1908 Mr. Palmer was elected district attorney of the district comprising Vernon, Sabine and DeSoto parishes, known as the Twelfth Judicial District. He filled that office until 1912, when he was elected district judge of the same district.

Judge Palmer resigned his seat on the bench in 1914 to remove to Shreveport, where for the past decade he has handled an extensive and important practice in all the courts. Judge Palmer was elected to represent Caddo Parish in the Louisiana State Constitutional Convention of 1921, and performed some important services as a member of the judiciary committee.

Judge Palmer is former president of the Shreveport Rotary Club and in June, 1924, at the annual convention of the International Rotary at Toronto, was elected district governor of the Seventeenth District of International Rotary, comprising the states of Louisiana and the greater portion of Mississippi. He is also a thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason and Shriner, an Elk, a Woodman, a member of the Shreveport Chamber of Commerce and the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Judge Palmer married Miss Genevieve Stone. Their three children are: Albert Stone, Emily Frances and Virginia.

Contributed 2021 Nov 04 by Mike Miller, from A History of Louisiana, by Henry E. Chambers, published in 1925, volume 2, page 137.