Paul Capdevielle (January 15, 1842 – August 14, 1922) was

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

of New Orleans,

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

, from May 9, 1900, to December 5, 1904.

Biography

Of French descent, he was educated at the Jesuit College of New Orleans, graduating in 1861. He served in the

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, in the New Orleans Guard Regiment of

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, then in Boone's Louisiana

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. He was captured at Port Hudson, Louisiana in July, 1863. Paroled shortly afterward, and subsequently exchanged, he entered Legardeur's artillery battery, and continued in the Confederate service till the close of the war, when he surrendered at

Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte and Raleigh, the 69th-most populous city in the Un ...

, returning to New Orleans on foot. He read law at the

Tulane University Law School Tulane University Law School is the law school of Tulane University. It is located on Tulane's Uptown campus in New Orleans, Louisiana. Established in 1847, it is the 12th oldest law school in the United States. In addition to the usual common ...

, graduating in 1868, and served as an attorney until 1892. In 1892 he gave up the law to accept the presidency of the Merchants' Insurance Company, an important firm which was eventually liquidated. For thirteen years Capdevielle was its president. His political history began in 1877, when he was appointed to the State School Board by

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Nicholls. While he was a member of this body the entire state school system was reorganized and put into effective operation. Subsequently, he was appointed a member of the New Orleans Levee Board. In the election of 1900 he was the nominee of the Regular Democratic Organization; he won with 19,366 votes versus 13,099 for his predecessor Walter C. Flower. His tenure as mayor was marked by the installation of the modern sewage and drainage system, by the Robert Charles race riots, and a visit by President

William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in ...

(the first US president to visit the city while in office). After his mayoral term, Capdevielle served as president of the New Orleans Public Library Board and as State Auditor of Public Accounts. He is buried in St. Louis Cemetery No. 2.

Honors

Honors conferred to Mr Capdevielle: * Cross of the Legion of Honor 1902. * Cross of Commander of the Order of Saint Olaff, 1902. * Cross of Honor, United Daughters of the Confederacy. * Degree of LL, St Louis University, 1904.

References

External links

Paul Capdevielle, Mayor
(Kendall's ''History of New Orleans'', Chapter 34) {{DEFAULTSORT:Capdevielle, Paul Mayors of New Orleans American people of French descent 1845 births 1922 deaths Louisiana Creole people Tulane University alumni Tulane University Law School alumni