J. Burton Angelle

James Burton Angelle, Sr., known as J. Burton Angelle or Burt Angelle (July 26, 1924 – August 27, 1997), was a businessman and Democratic politician from Breaux Bridge in St. Martin Parish in South Louisiana, who served from 1964 to 1972 as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives during the two administrations of Governor John McKeithen.^[1] He was the father of Scott Angelle, a Republican member of the Louisiana Public Service Commission and a 2015 candidate for governor of Louisiana.

Biography

The son of Mr. and Mrs. Will Angelle, he served in the United States Navy during World War II. In 1948, he graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, then known as Southwestern Louisiana Institute. In 1949, he began a two-year position as the assistant county agent in Natchitoches Parish in northwestern Louisiana. From 1951 to 1984, he was the president of the Angelle Ford dealership in Breaux Bridge. He was elected to the St. Martin Parish Police Jury in 1952 and served for two terms until 1960.^[2]

Angelle was elected in 1964 as state representative, a position which he held until 1972. Representative Angelle helped to establish the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana, known as CODOFIL.^[3] In 1967, he defeated the comeback attempt waged by his predecessor as representative, Bob Angelle,^[4] the House Speaker from 1957 to 1960. In his last year in office, 1972, he represented Iberia Parish, as well as his own St. Martin.^[1] After his legislative terms, Angelle joined the new administration of Governor Edwin Washington Edwards as the director/secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. He held the Cabinet position during the first three of Edwards' four nonconsecutive terms as governor, 1972 to 1980 and 1984 to 1988.^[2] Coincidentally, Angelle was first succeeded in both the state House and at Wildlife and Fisheries by the same man, Jesse J. Guidry, a fellow Democrat from Cecilia in St. Martin Parish.

Angelle was a Roman Catholic father of nine children by his wife, the former Shirley Dauterive (1930-2010). One of their daughters, Catherine Louise "Cathy" Angelle (1964-1983) was killed while driving her brother Scott's car en route from Lafayette to Breaux Bridge while he had gone on a fishing trip with a friend.^[3] At the time of Angelle's death, the couple had three other sons, Burton, Jr., and wife, Shan, of Sunset in St. Landry Parish, Glenn Angelle and wife, Becky, and Brian Angelle, all of Breaux Bridge, and four other daughters, Sharon Thomassee and husband, Phillip, of Lafayette, Brenda Garrett of Scottsdale, Arizona, Julie Theriot and husband, Neil, of Kingwood, Houston, and Nanette Angelle of Omaha, Nebraska. He was a past board member of the St. Bernard Roman Catholic Elementary School and was long affiliated with the Breaux Bridge Volunteer Fire Company, his local Lions International, and the St. Martin Parish Cattleman's Association.^[2]

Angelle, his wife, and daughter are interred at St. Bernard Cemetery and Mausoleum No. 2 in Breaux Bridge.^[2]

References