1925 Biography - Charles F. Trudeau

Charles F. Trudeau. With executive headquarters in the capital city of Baton Rouge, Mr. Trudeau is giving a most loyal and efficient administration as state high school inspector of Louisiana. He is a scion of one of the old and honored French families that was founded in Louisiana in the early part of the eighteenth century. The original American representatives of the Trudeau family came from Marseilles, France, and became pioneers in one of the very early French settlements in the eastern part of Canada. Members of the family later joined the exodus of Canadian French colonists to Louisiana, about the year 1700, and the name has been worthily linked with Louisiana history during the long intervening years. Louis H. Trudeau, grandfather of him whose name initiates this paragraph, was born at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1812, and became a prosperous merchant in his native city. Finally he removed to Waterloo, Pointe Coupee Parish, where he continued a leading merchant and influential citizen many years and where his death occurred in 1867. His wife, whose family name was Dauthier, was born in that parish, in 1822, and there her death occurred in 1898.

Charles F. Trudeau was born at Hermitage, West Baton Rouge Parish, December 11, 1873, and is a son of Hermes Eugene Trudeau, who was born at Waterloo, Pointe Coupee Parish, October 18, 1848, and whose death occurred at New Roads, that parish, in 1909. His early educational advantages included those of the Louisiana State University. With residence at Hermitage, he was long engaged in the receiving and forwarding business on the Mississippi River, and upon his retirement from active business, in 1894, he established his residence at Glynn. He passed the closing period of his life in the home of his son, Charles F., of this sketch, at New Roads. He was a strong supporter of the principles of the democratic party, and was an earnest communicant of the Catholic Church, as is also his widow. Mrs. Trudeau, whose maiden name was Louise Anna Mullett, was born in Cook's Landing, Louisiana, November 29, 1851, and she now is a loved member of the family circle of her son, Charles F., the one surviving child. Hermes the first child, died at the age of five years. The maternal grandfather of Charles F. Trudeau was Thomas Argent Mullett, born, reared and educated in London, England. Mr. Mullett was born June 4, 1817, and came to America while yet a young man. By profession he was a civil engineer. Charles F. Trudeau's maternal grandmother was Julia Bertonniere, born in Cook's Landing, Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana, October 10, 1827, and died at Hermitage, Louisiana, May 13, 1887.

The public schools of West Baton Rouge Parish afforded Charles F. Trudeau his early education, and in 1894 he was graduated from the Louisiana State University with the degree of Bachelor of Science. At the university he became affiliated with the Kappa Sigma fraternity. His military record at the university was most excellent. At the time of his graduation he occupied the second ranking position in the military corps, with the rank of captain of Company B. After leaving the university Mr. Trudeau served a sear as a teacher in a rural school in Pointe Coupee Parish, and he then entered the Louisiana State Normal School at Natchitoches in which he completed the entire pedagogic course in a single year and was graduated as a member of the class of 1896. During the ensuing three years he was principal of the high school at Lafayette, and the next year he held a similar position in the high school at Houma. He then accepted the Position of principal of Poydras Academy at New Roads, and after one year of effective administration in this connection he became principal of the high school at Marksville. He retained this position three years, and from October 14, 1904, to September 1914, he held the office of superintendent of school for Pointe Coupee Parish. His effective work as a teacher had attracted official attention, and led to his appointment to the position of assistant rural school supervisor of Louisiana, this appointment having been made by the State Board of Education. Two years later he was advanced to the office of assistant state high school inspector, and his admirable service in this capacity resulted in his promotion to his present office, that of state high school inspector, in the summer of 1923. Under his official supervision are 303 approved senior high schools, twenty-five senior high schools that are seeking to become similarly accredited or approved, twenty-six approved junior high schools and fourteen junior high schools that are awaiting approval. The official headquarters of Mr. Trudeau are in the New Reymond Building, in the City of Baton Rouge. He is an influential and popular member of the Louisiana State Teachers' Association, and has membership also in the National Education Association.

The political allegiance of Mr. Trudeau is given to the democratic party, and in the capital city he and his 'vile are active communicants of St. Joseph's Catholic Church. He is affiliated with the Woodmen of the World, and is a stockholder of the Bank of New Roads and also the Union Bank & Trust Company of Baton Rouge, as well as of the Union Bank at Marksville. In Baton Rouge he owns and occupies an attractive residence at 909 Goldenroad Avenue.

Mr. Trudeau married Miss Frances Dora Edwards, of Marksville. daughter of Judge James Madison Edwards and Louisa (Elmer) Edwards Judge Edwards was a leading lawyer at Marksville and also served with ability and distinction On bench of the District Court. His death occurred at Marksville, in 1908, and his widow now resides ~ the home of one of her daughters, at Hammond. She is a daughter of the late Doctor Elmer, a prominent physician of the State of New Jersey. May Dora, the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Trudeau died in infancy. The Edwards family of which Trudeau is a member are direct descendants Of eminent and distinguished philosopher and dir Jonathan Edwards. On her mother's side Charles F. Trudeau is a descendant of John Elmer, a graduate of Oxford, chaplain to Henry Duke of Suffolk, and tutor to Lady Jane Grey. In 1563 John Elmer was made Lord Bishop of London. The life work of Mr. Trudeau has been in the of education, and his most earnest wish during term of service has always been that he might render the people of his native state the best of which he is capable.

Contributed 2021 Nov 04 by Mike Miller, from A History of Louisiana, by Henry E. Chambers, published in 1925, volume 2, page 104.