East Baton Rouge County Louisiana Archives Biographies.....Walker, Richard February 16,
1868 -
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Author: Henry E Chambers
Hon. Richard Flournoy Walker. For many years before the public in various
public offices of importance, Hon. Richard Flournoy Walker, speaker of the
Louisiana House of Representatives, is likewise one of the leaders of the bar
of Baton Rouge, and has established an enviable private and public record
throughout the state.
Mr. Walker was born February 16, 1868, in Chickasaw County, Mississippi, a son
of Andrew Jackson and Elizabeth (Pound) Walker, and a member of a family which
was founded in this country by his great-great-grandfather, who came from
England. His grandfather, James F. (Rock) Walker, was born in Alabama, and
when a young man migrated to Chickasaw County, Mississippi. There he
accumulated large land holdings and many slaves, and operated extensively as a
planter and stock raiser until his death in 1880, when he was over seventy
years of age. He was likewise prominent in public life, and for many years was
a member of the Mississippi State Senate, representing what was then known as
Chickasaw territory. "Rock" Walker married a Miss Cooper, who was born in
Alabama and died in Chickasaw County.
Andrew Jackson Walker was born in Chickasaw County, Mississippi, where he was
reared, educated and married, and as a young man entered the ministry of the
Baptist Church. He occupied pulpits in various parts of Northeast Mississippi,
and was one of the well known and greatly beloved men of his cloth. About 1902
he retired from his ministerial labors and moved to Texas, where his death
occurred in 1908. In politics he was a democrat. During the war between the
states he saw active service throughout the struggle under the flag of the
Confederacy. Reverend Walker married Elizabeth Pound, who was born in Chickasaw
County, Mississippi, and died in Oktibbeha County, that state, in 1890. They
becaine the parents of the following children: W. Pierce, a farmer, who died
in Webster County, Mississippi; Bayless V., who is engaged in agricultural
pursuits in Arizona; James L., a farmer of Webster County, Mississippi;
Richard Flournoy; Andrew J., an employe of the Standard Oil Company of
Louisiana, now residing at Baton Rouge; Dodie, the widow of the late Jesse
Jones, a farmer of Dallas, Texas, where she makes her home; Dita, the wife of
James Spencer, a farmer of Texas; and Dalma, who died at the age of nineteen
years.
Richard Flournoy Walker was educated in the public and private schools of
Mississippi, and in 1891 was graduated from the Mississippi State Normal
College with the degree of Bachelor of Science. In the following year he moved
to Greensburg, St. Helena Parish, Louisiana, where he was elected president of
Norvilla College, and retained this post for three years. In 1896 he took up
his residence at Clinton, where he began reading law under the preceptorship of
the late Judge W. F. Kernan, subsequently entering Tulane University, from the
law department of which institution he was graduated in the class of 1897,
receiving the degree of Bachelor of Laws. He was admitted to the bar in May of
the same year and since that time has enjoyed a constantly increasing
reputation and clientele in the field of general civil and criminal law. His
offices in Clinton were situated on Courthouse Square.
On the 1st of November, 1924, Mr. Walker removed to Baton Rouge, where he has
residence at 629 North Street, and office in the Triad Building.
A democrat in politics, Mr. Walker was a member of the Town Council of Clinton,
Louisiana, for two terms, from 1898 until 1902, and in 1904 was elected a
member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, where he remained for one
term. He then again took up his law practice, to which he gave his undivided
attention until 1913, in which year he was elected to the constitutional
convention. As representative of East Feliciana Parish, he was elected to the
House of Representatives in 1920, and was chosen as speaker, which position he
holds at this time. He was a member of the constitutional convention of 1921,
which gave the state its present Constitution, and for the past four years has
been a member of the Sixth Congressional Committee of the democratic party.
His religious connection is with the Baptist Church, and as a fraternalist he
holds membership in Olive Lodge No. 52, F. and A. M., Clinton; Baton Rouge
Lodge No. 490, B. P. 0. E.; and Clinton Camp, W. 0. W. During the World war
Mr. Walker endeavored to enlist, but was not called into active service.
On June 15, 1898, at Clinton, Louisiana, Mr. Walker was united in marriage with
Miss Gertrude Knox, a graduate of Silliman College, Clinton, and a daughter of
James P. and Gertrude (Allspaugh) Knox, both deceased, Mr. Knox having been a
merchant at Clinton. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Walker: Elise
and James Knox. The former is the wife of Benjamin F. Appleby, a farmer and
stockman of Slaughter, this state. James Knox Walker is a student in the law
department of Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, and an employe of the
Standard Oil Company of Louisiana. During the World war he enlisted in the
United States Navy, and was in the service two years, subsequently being held
in reserve until 1923.
Additional Comments:
NOTE: The referenced source contains a black and white photograph of the
subject with his/her autograph.
A History of Louisiana, (vol. 2), pp. 239-240, by Henry E. Chambers. Published
by The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, 1925.
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