1925 Biography - Charles V. Porter, Jr.

Charles Vernon Porter, Jr., in the successful practice of his profession in his native state Mr. Porter stages his activities in its capital city, Baton Rouge, where he is junior member of the representative law firm of Taylor & Porter, in which his coadjutor is Benjamin B. Taylor. He has made a record of splendid achievement in his profession, and has the further distinction of having served overseas with time American Expeditionary Forces in time great World war.

Mr. Porter was born at Natchitoches, the Judicial center of time Louisiana parish of that name, and the date of his nativity was April 29, 1883. His father, Charles Vernon Porter, Sr., who resided at Natchitoches, was reared in Natchitoches Parish, though his birth occurred in De Soto Parish, on the 1st of January, 1857. He was one of time prominent members of time bar of his parish, and served on the bench of the Louisiana Circuit Court of Appeals, a preferment which he held from the time of the establishing of this court, in 1906, until his death on November 21, 1924, at Shreveport. His death occurred suddenly and while engaged in the discharge of his judicial duties. Judge Porter was unswerving in his allegiance to time democratic party and was influential in its councils, in 1898-9 he served as district attorney of the Eleventh Judicial District, and from 1900 to 1906 he was in service on the bench of the court for that district. He was a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association and the American Bar Association, and he was an active member of time Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Judge Porter wedded Miss Violet Ladies, who was born at Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1862, and whose death occurred August 30, l~94, at Natchitoches, Louisiana. Of the children of this union Charles V., Jr., of this review, is the eldest; Harold holds a position in time postoffice at Natchitoches; Edith is employed as stenographer in the law office at Shreveport; and Joanna is the wife of Selser R., Harmonson, manager of the New Roads Cotton Oil Company at New Roads, Pointe Coupee Parish. The second marriage of Judge Porter was with Miss Lucia Lawless, who was born at Port Byron, Illinois, and their only child is Blanchard L., who works in Shreveport.

In 1903 Charles V. Porter, Jr., was graduated from the State Normal School at Natchitoches, and thereafter he took a position as stenographer in the offices of the Louisiana department of agriculture and immigration at Baton Rouge, where he served about one year. In 1905 he was appointed assistant secretary to Gov. Newton C. Blanchard, a position of which he continued the incumbent until 1907, when he resigned to take up the study of law at Yale University early in January, 1908, Governor Blanchard offered him the position as his private secretary, he having gotten a leave of absence from the Yale Law School to accept the position, an office which he retained six months, when the governor's term expired. In the meanwhile he took Special courses in law and economics at the University of Louisiana, and in 1908 he reentered time law department of historic old Yale University, in which he was graduated as a member of the class of 1910 and with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. At the Louisiana State University, Agricultural and Mechanical College, he became affiliated with Phi Chapter of time Sigma Nu fraternity, and at Yale his affiliation was with Corbey Court Chapter of the Phi Delta Phi law fraternity, besides which he served as a member of the editorial board of the Yale Law Journal, which assignment came after competitive law reviews submitted to the management of the Journal and the faculty.

On the 1st of November, 1910, Mr. Porter ~ admitted to the bar of his native state, and initiated the practice of his profession at Baton Rouge in partnership with H. P. Braazeale. In 1912 he became a member of the representative law firm of Taylor, Smitherman & Porter, and since 1914 the firm has been Taylor & Porter, with offices at 327 New Reymond Building. This firm controls a substantial and important law business of general order, and Mr. Porter has continuously been engaged in active practice in the capital city save for the period of his participation in the military activities incidental to the World war.

When the nation became involved in the World war Mr. Porter promptly volunteered for service, and he was given the rank of major in the judge advocate general's department. In this Capacity he served three months at Charleston, South Carolina, and he was then made division judge advocate of the Seventy-fifth Division at Camp Meade, Maryland, where he remained from November, 1917, until July, 1918, when he went with this division to France. With this division he there continued in service until the armistice brought active hostilities to a close, and in the meanwhile he had participated in the Meuse-Argonne offensive. On time 22d of October, 1918, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel, and on the 1st of January, 1919, he was transferred to General Headquarters at Chaumont, France. As a courier he returned to the United States at the end of the following month, and thereafter he continued in service in time office of time Judge Advocate General, Washington, District of Columbia, until May 17, 1919, when he received his honorable discharge.

Colonel Porter is influential in the local councils and campaign activities of the democratic party, and he and his wife are zealous communicants of St. James Church, Protestant Episcopal, he being a member of the vestry of this parish. He is affiliated with St. James Lodge No. 47, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, is a member of the Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce, and is a popular member of time Baton Rouge Golf and Country Club, of which he was president in 1922 and 1923. He is actively identified also with time local Rotary Club, is vice president of time Baton Rouge Transportation Company, and is a director of time Capital Building & Loan Association. The Colonel holds membership in the East Baton Rouge Parish Bar Association, the Louisiana State Bar Association and the American Bar Association. In the capital city he owns and occupies a very attractive and modern residence at 2230 Oleander Street.

On the 18th of June, 1914, was solemnized the marriage of Colonel Porter and Miss Jayne Lobdell, the daughter of James L, and Angie (Bird) Lobdell, the father having been a successful sugar planter and having been a resident of Baton Rouge at the time of his death. Mrs. Lobdell is now a loved member of time family circle of Colonel and Mrs. Porter, whose only child is a winsome little daughter, Jane L.

William Garrett Porter, grandfather of the of time Colonel, was of English lineage and became an extensive planter and slaveholder in Louisiana, and his death occurred in Natchitoches Parish shortly after the close of the Civil war.

Contributed 2021 Nov 04 by Mike Miller, from A History of Louisiana, by Henry E. Chambers, published in 1925, volume 2, pages 176-177.