Louis J. Michot
Encyclopedia
Louis Joseph Michot, Jr. (born November 5, 1922), is a prominent Lafayette
, Louisiana
, businessman, entrepreneur
of the former Burger Chef restaurant
chain, philanthropist
, and a former Democratic
state representative
(1960–1964), member of the Louisiana Board of Education (1968–1972), and Louisiana State Education Superintendent (1972—1976). He is the Roman Catholic father of ten children, two of whom, Carolyn Rose Michot and Yvette Marie Michot, are deceased.
Michot was born to Louis Joseph Michot, Sr., and the former Adele Marie Domas (1898–1983), of Marksville
, the seat of Avoyelles Parish. He attended Cathedral High School in Lafayette and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
, then called "Southwest Louisiana Institute."
On September 7, 1946, Michot married the former Patricia Ann Smith (March 2, 1926–April 11, 2011), a native of Patterson
in St. Mary Parish
, and the daughter of William Bathe Smith, Sr., and the former Rita Maria Marin. She was reared along the banks of the lower Atchafalaya River
where her father managed Idlewild Farms, a dairy cattle and sugar cane operation for General Kemper Williams. She graduated in 1942 as valedictorian
of the Patterson High School. She had a longtime interest in tennis and painting. Mrs. Michot graduated with a degree in home economics
from ULL, where she was a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma
sorority. Mrs. Michot worked as a teacher in St. Landry Parish
, as a home service agent for Louisiana Power and Light Company in Donaldsonville
, and in various positions for her husband's businesses, including Lafayette Drive-In Theatre and Burger Chef. She was also the secretary of Louis J. Michot and Associates and of Michot Family LLC.
Michot himself dropped out of college to join the United States Marines in World War II
. From 1943 to 1945 Michot served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6)
. In 2008, Michot appeared in The History Channel
series Battle 360, in which he recounts many of his experiences as part of the Enterprises Marine Detachment.
professor taught him "how to form a corporation and start a business without a nickel," and that an individual "could be a success in life without having an educational diploma, if you work hard and you're determined in this country because of the free enterprise system. . . . In other words, college is not for everybody."
When he was twenty-four, Michot opened a drive-in theater
, his first business venture, then an appliance and sporting goods store, and a building cleaning business, then became manager of the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce
. In 1958, he purchased the Louisiana, Mississippi
, and east Texas
franchise for Burger-Chef Systems, a national fast food
chain. He opened his first restaurant in New Iberia
in 1958, and built forty-five outlets through 1978, when he sold the company.
Michot was offered positions with the Navy League of the United States as national secretary and with the Air Transport Association of America as vice president, which took him, his wife, and six children at the time to Washington, D.C.
, for two years. However, Michot noted that "we wanted to raise our children in Lafayette," and hence returned to Louisiana.
Michot then launched other business ventures after Burger Chef, including real estate development, insurance, cleaning, commercial air and water transportation, oil well drilling, oil tool manufacturing and sales, offshore and marine fabrication, textile manufacturing in Mexico
, communications and foreign trade, and cattle ranching in Central America
.
In his later years, Michot was the general manager of his Michot Family, L.L.C., a family-owned holding company
which deals principally in real estate sales, development, and rentals. He was one of the organizers of the Bank of Lafayette and served on its board of directors from 1975 to 1980.
music. Two of Louis Michot's grandsons, Louis (born 1979) and Andre (born 1975), have formed the Lost Bayou Ramblers
, an equally talented group of young musicians, who perform Cajun-style and revert back to western swing music of the 1930s and 1940s as well.
The Michots had family functions there when the brothers were young, and the brothers hosted Boy Scout camping trips in the adjacent bottomland hardwood forest. The camp was about ten miles from the Michot home in Pilette in Lafayette Parish, close enough so that, when the boys got older, they could ride horses or bicycles there for camping trips, hunting, frogging, hiking, and swimming. There was always plenty of music played at La Roue Qui Pend. The Michots often started a fire in the hearth, cooked gumbo on the stove, and listened to the fiddle, accordion, and guitar until late in the evening.
in 1960, when fellow Democrat Jimmie Davis
became governor.
In 1963, Michot, then forty-one, gave up his legislative seat to contest unsuccessful the Democratic nomination for governor. He ran as a critic of the outgoing Jimmie Davis
administration and said that he would consider supporting Republican Barry M. Goldwater for the presidency in the 1964 general election. Ironically son Michael John "Mike" Michot
, the District 23 state senator
from Lafayette, was born on December 12, 1963, just a week after the gubernatorial primary.
In 1967–1968, Michot reentered the political arena and won a seat on the then 11-member Louisiana State Board of Education. He represented the former Second Louisiana Public Service Commission
District on the education board.
In 1971, Michot challenged incumbent
Education Superintendent William J. "Bill" Dodd, who had also once been in the state legislature (1940–1948), lieutenant governor (1948–1952), auditor (1956–1960), and a member of the Louisiana Board of Education (1960–1964). Michot and Dodd hence had both been in the legislature and on the State Board of Education.
Michot charged that Dodd had injected "cronyism" in the department and overloaded it with useless administrators. Michot used an apple as his logo, with the intention of putting students and teachers first in the educational process. He led in the primary balloting and forced Dodd into a second primary. The discouraged Dodd, however, withdrew from the runoff primary, and Michot became the automatic Democratic nominee. Michot then faced only the second Republican ever to contest the superintendency.
Michot's opponent in the general election
was Republican Robert L. Frye
(1927-2011), a native of Shongaloo
in Webster Parish
and an education professor at Southeastern Louisiana University
in Hammond
. After Michot unseated Dodd, Frye telephoned him to offer congratulations. A few weeks later, Frye alleged that Michot had operated with his brother a bar in Lafayette and had offered Frye a high level job in a new Michot education department if Frye would withdraw from the contest. Michot denied the charges and easily prevailed, 662,597 votes (63.5 percent) to Frye's 380,896 (36.5 percent). Frye carried East Baton Rouge Parish and five north Louisiana parishes, including the Long stronghold of Winn Parish.
According to his faith in free enterprise, Michot promoted "career education" as superintendent. He was defeated for a second term in 1975 by his fellow Democrat, J. Kelly Nix, originally from Monroe
.
. Rick Michot is a 15th District state judge in Lafayette Parish, and Mike Michot has been a state senator since 2000. He is also a former state representative (1996–2000). Mike Michot was elected to the lower house of the legislature as a Democrat but switched parties on June 23, 1997.
He has received the "Lifetime Achievement Award" from the Lafayette (city and parish) consolidated government International Center for his leadership and support of international trade.
Michot's involvement with the International Good Neighbor Council as past president has taken him into Mexico for the past three decades. He is a fundraiser for Tarahumara Children's Hospital and a strong supporter of private and religious charities worldwide.
He is a past president of Lafayette Kiwanis
and former district governor of Kiwanis International. He was awarded the Lafayette Outstanding Citizen (Civic Cup) in 1994.
Michot said that he is especially inspired by the life of James Cash Penney
, who succeeded in business without a formal education. Michot said that his own philosophy
is essentially this: "Promote the general welfare of the people through the private enterprise system. That's what I believe in, because businesses create jobs." He also cites hard work, determination, and taking advantage of the opportunities that one is offered.
Lafayette businesswoman and University Official, Jean T. Kreamer, said that Michot has "been an inspiration to so many people of all ages in the community." She described his entrepreneurship as "astute" and his business ventures as a "sense of fun. He has certainly inspired me with his feeling of giving back to the community."
Now semiretired, Michot takes time out two days a week to play tennis
, and he fishes almost as often. Michot is the father of eight living children: Marilyn Ann Michot Breaux (husband Steve Breaux), Patrick Louis "Rick" Michot Sr. (wife Suzanne Lafleur Michot), Thomas Claud Michot (wife Katharine Meleton Michot), David Luke Michot (wife Colette Conway Michot), Timothy Paul Michot (wife Pam Herring Michot), Robert James Michot (wife Beatrice Guwang Michot), Michael John Michot (wife Monique Broussard Michot), and Yvonne Marie Michot Reaux (husband Randy Reaux). As of 2011, he had nineteen grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, businessman, entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
of the former Burger Chef restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
chain, philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
, and a former Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
state representative
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
(1960–1964), member of the Louisiana Board of Education (1968–1972), and Louisiana State Education Superintendent (1972—1976). He is the Roman Catholic father of ten children, two of whom, Carolyn Rose Michot and Yvette Marie Michot, are deceased.
Michot was born to Louis Joseph Michot, Sr., and the former Adele Marie Domas (1898–1983), of Marksville
Marksville, Louisiana
Marksville is a city in and the parish seat of Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,537 at the 2000 census. Louisiana's first land-based casino, Paragon Casino Resort, opened in Marksville in June 1994...
, the seat of Avoyelles Parish. He attended Cathedral High School in Lafayette and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational, public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana...
, then called "Southwest Louisiana Institute."
On September 7, 1946, Michot married the former Patricia Ann Smith (March 2, 1926–April 11, 2011), a native of Patterson
Patterson, Louisiana
Patterson is a small city in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 6,530 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Morgan City Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
in St. Mary Parish
St. Mary Parish, Louisiana
St. Mary Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Franklin. As of 2000, the population was 53,500.The Morgan City Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of St. Mary Parish.-Geography:...
, and the daughter of William Bathe Smith, Sr., and the former Rita Maria Marin. She was reared along the banks of the lower Atchafalaya River
Atchafalaya River
The Atchafalaya River is a distributary of the Mississippi River and Red River in south central Louisiana in the United States. It flows south, just west of the Mississippi River....
where her father managed Idlewild Farms, a dairy cattle and sugar cane operation for General Kemper Williams. She graduated in 1942 as valedictorian
Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
of the Patterson High School. She had a longtime interest in tennis and painting. Mrs. Michot graduated with a degree in home economics
Home Economics
Home economics is the profession and field of study that deals with the economics and management of the home and community...
from ULL, where she was a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma
Sigma Sigma Sigma
Sigma Sigma Sigma , also known as Tri Sigma, is a national American women’s sorority with membership of more than 100,000 members. Sigma Sigma Sigma is a member of the National Panhellenic Conference and hosts chapters on more than 110 college campuses and 89 alumnae chapters in communities all...
sorority. Mrs. Michot worked as a teacher in St. Landry Parish
St. Landry Parish, Louisiana
St. Landry Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is at the heart of Acadian/Cajun culture and heritage in Louisiana. The parish seat is Opelousas. According to the 2010 census, the population of St. Landry Parish is 83,384.St...
, as a home service agent for Louisiana Power and Light Company in Donaldsonville
Donaldsonville, Louisiana
Donaldsonville is a city in and the parish seat of Ascension Parish, Louisiana, United States, along the west bank of the Mississippi River. The population was 7,605 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:Acadians began to settle in the area in...
, and in various positions for her husband's businesses, including Lafayette Drive-In Theatre and Burger Chef. She was also the secretary of Louis J. Michot and Associates and of Michot Family LLC.
Michot himself dropped out of college to join the United States Marines in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. From 1943 to 1945 Michot served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6)
USS Enterprise (CV-6)
USS Enterprise , colloquially referred to as the "Big E," was the sixth aircraft carrier of the United States Navy and the seventh U.S. Navy ship to bear the name. Launched in 1936, she was a ship of the Yorktown class, and one of only three American carriers commissioned prior to World War II to...
. In 2008, Michot appeared in The History Channel
The History Channel
History, formerly known as The History Channel, is an American-based international satellite and cable TV channel that broadcasts a variety of reality shows and documentary programs including those of fictional and non-fictional historical content, together with speculation about the future.-...
series Battle 360, in which he recounts many of his experiences as part of the Enterprises Marine Detachment.
Super businessman
Michot left the classroom after marriage and entered business with a passion. Michot said that a political sciencePolitical science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
professor taught him "how to form a corporation and start a business without a nickel," and that an individual "could be a success in life without having an educational diploma, if you work hard and you're determined in this country because of the free enterprise system. . . . In other words, college is not for everybody."
When he was twenty-four, Michot opened a drive-in theater
Drive-in theater
A drive-in theater is a form of cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor screen, a projection booth, a concession stand and a large parking area for automobiles. Within this enclosed area, customers can view movies from the privacy and comfort of their cars.The screen can be as simple as a...
, his first business venture, then an appliance and sporting goods store, and a building cleaning business, then became manager of the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
. In 1958, he purchased the Louisiana, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, and east Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
franchise for Burger-Chef Systems, a national fast food
Fast food
Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a...
chain. He opened his first restaurant in New Iberia
New Iberia, Louisiana
New Iberia is a city in and the parish seat of Iberia Parish, Louisiana, United States, 30 miles southeast of Lafayette. In 1900, 6,815 people lived in New Iberia; in 1910, 7,499; and in 1940, 13,747...
in 1958, and built forty-five outlets through 1978, when he sold the company.
Michot was offered positions with the Navy League of the United States as national secretary and with the Air Transport Association of America as vice president, which took him, his wife, and six children at the time to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, for two years. However, Michot noted that "we wanted to raise our children in Lafayette," and hence returned to Louisiana.
Michot then launched other business ventures after Burger Chef, including real estate development, insurance, cleaning, commercial air and water transportation, oil well drilling, oil tool manufacturing and sales, offshore and marine fabrication, textile manufacturing in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, communications and foreign trade, and cattle ranching in Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
.
In his later years, Michot was the general manager of his Michot Family, L.L.C., a family-owned holding company
Holding company
A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...
which deals principally in real estate sales, development, and rentals. He was one of the organizers of the Bank of Lafayette and served on its board of directors from 1975 to 1980.
The musical Michots
Several of his sons formed the "Les Freres Michot" (Michot brothers) band in the middle 1980s. The brothers perform CajunCajun
Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
music. Two of Louis Michot's grandsons, Louis (born 1979) and Andre (born 1975), have formed the Lost Bayou Ramblers
Lost Bayou Ramblers
The Lost Bayou Ramblers are a Grammy-nominated Cajun music band from Pilette, Louisiana.-Career:The Lost Bayou Ramblers were formed in 1999 by Louis Michot and his brother Andre Michot...
, an equally talented group of young musicians, who perform Cajun-style and revert back to western swing music of the 1930s and 1940s as well.
La Roue Qui Pend (The Hanging Wheel)
La Roue Qui Pend is the French name of the Michot family camp, a secondary residence located in a natural landscape. The camp is used for outdoor recreation, social functions, and as a refuge from urban life or the workplace. It is located in southern Lafayette Parish, near the Vermilion Parish line on the banks of Bayou Vermilion.The Michots had family functions there when the brothers were young, and the brothers hosted Boy Scout camping trips in the adjacent bottomland hardwood forest. The camp was about ten miles from the Michot home in Pilette in Lafayette Parish, close enough so that, when the boys got older, they could ride horses or bicycles there for camping trips, hunting, frogging, hiking, and swimming. There was always plenty of music played at La Roue Qui Pend. The Michots often started a fire in the hearth, cooked gumbo on the stove, and listened to the fiddle, accordion, and guitar until late in the evening.
Democrat Louis J. Michot
Michot was elected to the Louisiana House of RepresentativesLouisiana House of Representatives
The Louisiana House of Representatives is the lower house in the Louisiana State Legislature, the state legislature of the US state of Louisiana. The House is composed of 105 Representatives, each of whom represents approximately 42,500 people . Members serve four-year terms with a term limit of...
in 1960, when fellow Democrat Jimmie Davis
Jimmie Davis
James Houston Davis , better known as Jimmie Davis, was a noted singer of both sacred and popular songs who served two nonconsecutive terms as the 47th Governor of Louisiana...
became governor.
In 1963, Michot, then forty-one, gave up his legislative seat to contest unsuccessful the Democratic nomination for governor. He ran as a critic of the outgoing Jimmie Davis
Jimmie Davis
James Houston Davis , better known as Jimmie Davis, was a noted singer of both sacred and popular songs who served two nonconsecutive terms as the 47th Governor of Louisiana...
administration and said that he would consider supporting Republican Barry M. Goldwater for the presidency in the 1964 general election. Ironically son Michael John "Mike" Michot
Michael J. Michot
Michael John "Mike" Michot is the departing senior Republican member of the Louisiana State Senate, having represented District 23 since the year 2000. He is the outgoing hairman of the Senate Finance Committee. Michot was unopposed for his third Senate term in the nonpartisan blanket primary...
, the District 23 state senator
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
from Lafayette, was born on December 12, 1963, just a week after the gubernatorial primary.
In 1967–1968, Michot reentered the political arena and won a seat on the then 11-member Louisiana State Board of Education. He represented the former Second Louisiana Public Service Commission
Louisiana Public Service Commission
Louisiana Public Service Commission is an independent regulatory agency which manages public utilities and motor carriers in Louisiana. The commission has five elected members chosen in single-member districts for staggered six-year terms...
District on the education board.
In 1971, Michot challenged incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
Education Superintendent William J. "Bill" Dodd, who had also once been in the state legislature (1940–1948), lieutenant governor (1948–1952), auditor (1956–1960), and a member of the Louisiana Board of Education (1960–1964). Michot and Dodd hence had both been in the legislature and on the State Board of Education.
Michot charged that Dodd had injected "cronyism" in the department and overloaded it with useless administrators. Michot used an apple as his logo, with the intention of putting students and teachers first in the educational process. He led in the primary balloting and forced Dodd into a second primary. The discouraged Dodd, however, withdrew from the runoff primary, and Michot became the automatic Democratic nominee. Michot then faced only the second Republican ever to contest the superintendency.
Michot's opponent in the general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
was Republican Robert L. Frye
Robert L. Frye
Robert Lafayette Frye was an educator and politician from the U.S. state of Louisiana.-Early years and education:Frye was born to Jennings Bryan Frye, Sr...
(1927-2011), a native of Shongaloo
Shongaloo, Louisiana
Shongaloo is a village in Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States.West of Shongaloo on Louisiana Highway 2 is Munn Hill, a homestead of Daniel and Rebecca Munn, established on July 26, 1900....
in Webster Parish
Webster Parish, Louisiana
Webster Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The seat of the parish is Minden. In 2010, its population was 41,207....
and an education professor at Southeastern Louisiana University
Southeastern Louisiana University
Southeastern Louisiana University is a state-funded public university in Hammond, Louisiana, United States. It was founded in 1925 by Linus A. Sims, the principal of Hammond High School, as Hammond Junior College, located in a wing of the high school building. Sims succeeded in getting the campus...
in Hammond
Hammond, Louisiana
Hammond is the largest city in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,049 at the 2009 census. It is home to Southeastern Louisiana University...
. After Michot unseated Dodd, Frye telephoned him to offer congratulations. A few weeks later, Frye alleged that Michot had operated with his brother a bar in Lafayette and had offered Frye a high level job in a new Michot education department if Frye would withdraw from the contest. Michot denied the charges and easily prevailed, 662,597 votes (63.5 percent) to Frye's 380,896 (36.5 percent). Frye carried East Baton Rouge Parish and five north Louisiana parishes, including the Long stronghold of Winn Parish.
According to his faith in free enterprise, Michot promoted "career education" as superintendent. He was defeated for a second term in 1975 by his fellow Democrat, J. Kelly Nix, originally from Monroe
Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 51,208, but 51,636...
.
The Republican Michots
Two sons of Louis J. Michot, Patrick Louis "Rick" Michot (born 1948) and Mike Michot, both of whom are in the brothers' band, have followed their father into politics as well, but as RepublicansRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. Rick Michot is a 15th District state judge in Lafayette Parish, and Mike Michot has been a state senator since 2000. He is also a former state representative (1996–2000). Mike Michot was elected to the lower house of the legislature as a Democrat but switched parties on June 23, 1997.
Michot's legacy
In 1997, Louis J. Michot was named an "outstanding alumnus" of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette though he never graduated. There is an endowed memorial scholarship at the university in the name of Michot's father, who attended this college in 1922 and was later president of its alumni association.He has received the "Lifetime Achievement Award" from the Lafayette (city and parish) consolidated government International Center for his leadership and support of international trade.
Michot's involvement with the International Good Neighbor Council as past president has taken him into Mexico for the past three decades. He is a fundraiser for Tarahumara Children's Hospital and a strong supporter of private and religious charities worldwide.
He is a past president of Lafayette Kiwanis
Kiwanis
Kiwanis International is an international, coeducational service club founded in 1915. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Current membership is 240,000 members in 7,700 clubs in 80 nations...
and former district governor of Kiwanis International. He was awarded the Lafayette Outstanding Citizen (Civic Cup) in 1994.
Michot said that he is especially inspired by the life of James Cash Penney
J.C. Penney
J. C. Penney Company, Inc. is a chain of American mid-range department stores based in Plano, Texas, a suburb north of Dallas. The company operates 1,107 department stores in all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. JCPenney also operates catalog sales merchant offices nationwide in many...
, who succeeded in business without a formal education. Michot said that his own philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
is essentially this: "Promote the general welfare of the people through the private enterprise system. That's what I believe in, because businesses create jobs." He also cites hard work, determination, and taking advantage of the opportunities that one is offered.
Lafayette businesswoman and University Official, Jean T. Kreamer, said that Michot has "been an inspiration to so many people of all ages in the community." She described his entrepreneurship as "astute" and his business ventures as a "sense of fun. He has certainly inspired me with his feeling of giving back to the community."
Now semiretired, Michot takes time out two days a week to play tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, and he fishes almost as often. Michot is the father of eight living children: Marilyn Ann Michot Breaux (husband Steve Breaux), Patrick Louis "Rick" Michot Sr. (wife Suzanne Lafleur Michot), Thomas Claud Michot (wife Katharine Meleton Michot), David Luke Michot (wife Colette Conway Michot), Timothy Paul Michot (wife Pam Herring Michot), Robert James Michot (wife Beatrice Guwang Michot), Michael John Michot (wife Monique Broussard Michot), and Yvonne Marie Michot Reaux (husband Randy Reaux). As of 2011, he had nineteen grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.