Coignet, Joseph Alfred Octave

Source: Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), p. 107.
Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.

Coignet, Joseph Alfred Octave, of Thibodaux, Lafourche parish, lawyer, was born in Lafourche, Sept. 28, 1878. His father, Guillaume A. Coignet, a native of France, emigrated to Lafourche parish with Jean Baptiste Coignet, grandfather of the subject of this sketch. They located in Lafourche and engaged in the planting business. Guillaume A. Coignet, who was 11 years of age when he came to this country, was reared and educated in the parish schools. At the death of his parent he succeeded him in the ownership of the Coignet plantation.

During the Civil war (1861-1865), he was a member of the Louisiana State militia. He died at Thibodaux in 1895, aged 64 years. After receiving a primary and grammar education in private schools, and attending Thibodaux college, Joseph A. O. Coignet entered Spring Hill college, near Mobile, Ala., in 1893, graduating 5 years later with the degree of B. A.; and in 1900 was honored with the degree of M. A. from Spring Hill college. Returning to Thibodaux after graduation, Mr. Coignet was appointed deputy clerk of court of Lafourche parish, serving from 1898 to 1901, meanwhile studying law, and following the courses in the law department of Tulane university, from which he graduated in June, 1902. Since that time he has been practicing his profession in his native parish.

A stanch Democrat, always taking active part in all political campaigns, Mr. Coignet achieved deserved popularity, and was often given proof of the esteem and confidence of his fellow-citizens by being elected to public offices. At the age of 26 years, in 1904, he was elected to the state senate, and had the distinction of being the youngest member of that branch of the legislature, and the youngest ever sent from his senatorial district. Although serving but 1 term in the senate, Mr. Coignet was a member of several weighty committees--the health and quarantine, judiciary, railroads, elective qualifications, and constitutions. Until 1908 he was secretary of the Lafourche parish democratic committee, and was its chairman until July, 1914, when he became chairman of the organization committee of the Progressive party for the parish of Lafourche.

He is a member of the Elks and of the Knights of Columbus. In Dec., 1904, Mr. Coignet married Miss Marie Antoinette Ducrocq, a native of France who had come to Louisiana to visit her brother, Dr, H. L. Ducrocq, now residing in Lafayette parish. Mr. and Mrs. Coignet have 4 children: Marie Antoinette, Alfred,
Gerard, and Henry. The family is Roman Catholic.