Landry, Paul B.

Submitted by Mike Miller

Paul Bernard Landry, M. D., has made in his chosen profession a record of distinctive success, with a personality and loyal stewardship that have gained to hint popular confidence and esteem and also a substantial practice of representative order in the various communities in which he has labored in his profession. He is now one of the prominent physicians and surgeons of West Baton Rouge Parish, where he maintains his residence at Port Allen, the judicial center of the parish.

Dr. Landry was born at Plaquemine, Iberville Parish, Louisiana, January 19, 1880, and is of French lineage on both the paternal-and maternal sides. His paternal grandfather, Joseph P. Landry, was born and reared in France, and upon coming to Louisiana established his residence in Iberville Parish, where he passed the remainder of his life, secure in the high regard of all who knew him. His son, Luke V., father of Doctor Landry of this review, has been a resident of Louisiana from the time of his birth to the present. He was born in 1842, and was reared to manhood in Iberville Parish, where he was a successful cotton planter and where he remained until 1919, since which year he has lived virtually retired in the City of Baton Rouge. He was a gallant soldier of the Confederacy during the entire period of the Civil war, and is actively affiliated with the United Confederate Veterans. He is a staunch supporter of the cause of the democratic party, and he and his wife are communicants of the Catholic Church. Mrs. Landry, whose maiden name was Ermance Lefeaux, was born in Iberville Parish, in 1849, and was there reared and educated. Of the children the eldest Was Ella, who died in New Orleans in December, 1917, she having been the wife of Marcus H. Booksh, and Mr. Booksh died January 25, 1925; Ada is the wife of August T. Miller, of Baton Rouge, who has charge of the coal works of the Baton Rouge Towing & Navigation Company; Luke V., Jr., holds a position in the government custom house at New Orleans, under civil service regulations; Clara became the wife of John N. Ourso, and her death occurred at Plaquemine in 1905, her husband having died at Jackson, this State; Eva, who resides in Baton Rouge, is the widow of Thomas W. Nash, who was engaged in the real estate business at the time of his death, in 1923; and Dr. Paul B., of this sketch, is the youngest of the children.

Doctor Landry was reared in his native parish, and after there profiting by the advantages of the public schools at Maringouin he advanced his education by there attending the high school at Plaquemine. After a three years' academic course in the University of Louisiana he entered the medical department of Tulane University, New Orleans, and in this institution he was graduated as a member of the class of 1904 and with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. At Tulane he became affiliated with the Alpha Kappa Kappa fraternity. For six months after his graduation the Doctor was in service as marine medical inspector for the Louisiana State Board of Health, his work in this connection extending from New Orleans to the Isthmus of Panama and also to Bocas, Costa Rico. He then engaged in the practice of his profession at White Castle, Iberville Parish, where he remained about four years, the ensuing four years having found him in successful general practice at Plaquemine, the judicial center of that parish. He then removed to Morley, West Baton Rouge Parish, and after there continuing his professional work five years he removed, in 1917, to Port Allen, where he has built up a large and representative practice that marks him as one of the leading physicians and surgeons of this parish. He is serving as coroner of the parish, a position to which he was elected in 1920 and to which he was re-elected in 1924, without opposition, for a second term of four years. He is an active member of the Sixth District Medical Society, is a democrat of outstanding loyalty, and he served one term as mayor of Port Allen, 1918-20, his administration being notably liberal and progressive. He and his wife are communicants of Holy Name Catholic Church at Port Allen, and he is affiliated with the Knights of Columbus.

In December, 1917, Doctor Landry volunteered for service in the World war, and at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, was commissioned a first lieutenant in the Medical Corps of the United States Army. Within a short time he was summoned to his home by the death of his wife, and thereafter was not in active service in the Medical Corps, though he found other avenues for effective patriotic service in his home parish.

August 22, 1906, recorded the marriage, at Plaquemine, of Doctor Landry and Miss Leona Barker, daughter of the late James L. and Elmire (Fau) Barker, both of whom died at that place, where Mr. Barker was engaged in the real estate business. Mrs. Landry, a devout communicant of the Catholic Church, was summoned to the life eternal on the 31st of December, 1917, and is survived by five children, all except the youngest of whom are attending school at the time of this writing: Jumel Barker, eldest of the children, graduated in June, 1924, at the Catholic Brothers School in Baton Rouge, and is now attending the Louisiana State University; Elmire is a student in the Port Allen High School; Paul Bernard, Jr., and Louis Vernon are in the grade schools of Port Allen; and Thomas Irwin is not yet of school age at the time of this writing.

On the 25th of January, 1921, was solemnized the marriage of Doctor Landry and Miss May Bourg, daughter of Samuel and Noalie (Ailette) Bourg, who reside at Brusly, West Baton Rouge Parish, where Mr. Bourg is a machinist by vocation. Doctor and Mrs. Landry have two winsome little daughters, Dorothy May and Marjorie.

A History of Louisiana, (vol. 2), pp. 109-110, by Henry E. Chambers. Published by The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, 1925.