Robert L. Frye
Encyclopedia
Robert Lafayette Frye was an educator and politician
from the U.S. state
of Louisiana
.
south of Springhill
in Webster Parish
in northwestern Louisiana, where at the age of sixteen he graduated from Shongaloo High School. He enrolled in Louisiana State University
in Baton Rouge
, from which he received in 1966 his Ph.D.
in education. On October 6, 1945, Frye wed the former Bettye Elmore (also born 1927), and left for stateside service in the United States Army
two months after the conclusion of World War II
.
His career began as a teacher/coach at Reeves High School in Reeves
in Allen Parish
in south Louisiana. He returned to his native region as a principal in three Webster Parish schools located in the Evergreen community north of the parish seat of Minden
, Dubberly
, and his native Shongaloo. He advanced to the Louisiana Department of Education in Baton Rouge and finally to Southeastern Louisiana University
in Hammond
, where he also served on the elected Tangipahoa Parish School Board
prior to 1990.
nomination over Otis Romaine Russell, 8,245 (81.4 percent) to 1,889 (18.6 percent). Russell is a former controversial Baton Rouge Teamsters Union attorney, who later confessed in 1980 during his legal disciplinary hearing to mental illness
.This was the last closed primary held for state and local offices in Louisiana because the state switched to the nonpartisan blanket primary four years later.
Frye had expected to face the two-term Democratic
incumbent
, Bill Dodd, but Dodd was instead unseated in the party primary in 1971 by Louis J. Michot
of Lafayette
, a businessman, former state representative
, and member of the State Board of Education. Frye ran against Michot on the GOP
ticket headed by gubernatorial standard-bearer David C. Treen
, then of Jefferson Parish
in the New Orleans
suburb
s, who was opposing Edwin Washington Edwards. Other Republicans running statewide in the February 1, 1972, general election
were former State Representative Morley A. Hudson
of Shreveport
, nominee for lieutenant governor
and Tom Stagg
of Shreveport, candidate for state attorney general
. All of the statewide Republican candidates went down to defeat, but Treen led his party slate by polling 42.8 percent against Edwards, winner of the first of his four nonconsecutive terms in the office.
After Michot unseated Dodd, Frye telephoned him to offer congratulations. A few weeks later, Frye alleged that Michot, along with a brother, was operating a bar in Lafayette. Frye also claimed that Michot had offered him a high level job in a new Michot education department if Frye would withdraw from the general election contest. Michot denied the charges and easily prevailed, 662,597 votes (63.5 percent) to Frye's 380,896 (36.5 percent). At the time Frye challenged Michot, the Republican Party in Louisiana numbered fewer than 38,000 registrants in the state; Frye henced polled ten times the votes of his own party base.Frye lost both his native Webster Parish as well as Tangipahoa, one of the Florida Parishes
, where he was residing at the time of that campaign. Frye polled majorities in East Baton Rouge Parish and five north Louisiana parishes: Caddo
, Ouachita
, LaSalle, Lincoln
, and Winn
, the former stronghold of the Long
political faction
.
state boundary. He died at the age of eighty-four. In addition to his wife, he is survived by four children, Robert Randal Frye (born 1947) of Tulsa
, Oklahoma
, Bettye Rene Frye (born 1951) of Baton Rouge, Deborah Jean Frye Ferachi (born 1952), and husband, Kenneth Raymond "Kenny" Ferachi (born 1950), of Plaquemine
in Iberville Parish
south of Baton Rouge, and Kevin Dale Frye (born 1957) and wife Janice of Benton
in Bossier Parish
; a sister, Nona Rhea Walker (born 1920) of Baton Rouge; six grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his brother, Dr. Jennings Bryan Frye, Jr. (1918-2005), of Baton Rouge.
Frye's obituary
describes his "greatest pride as the children he knew and educated in schools and colleges." Frye's funeral services were held on February 7, 2011, at his home church, the First Baptist
Church of Springhill. Interment followed in Springhill Cemetery.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
.
Early years and education
Frye was born to Jennings Bryan Frye, Sr. (1896-1970), and the former Fannie Mae Coyle (1900-1994) in ShongalooShongaloo, 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....
south of Springhill
Springhill, Louisiana
Springhill is a city in northern Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,439 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Minden Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
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....
in northwestern Louisiana, where at the age of sixteen he graduated from Shongaloo High School. He enrolled in Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
in Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
, from which he received in 1966 his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in education. On October 6, 1945, Frye wed the former Bettye Elmore (also born 1927), and left for stateside service in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
two months after the conclusion of 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...
.
His career began as a teacher/coach at Reeves High School in Reeves
Reeves, Louisiana
Reeves is a village in Allen Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 209 at the 2000 census.Robert L. Frye, the Republican candidate for state education superintendent in 1972, began his educational career at Reeves High School in the late 1940s.-Geography:Reeves is located at ...
in Allen Parish
Allen Parish, Louisiana
Allen Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Oberlin. As of the 2000 census, the population was 25,440. Allen Parish is in southwestern Louisiana, southwest of Alexandria....
in south Louisiana. He returned to his native region as a principal in three Webster Parish schools located in the Evergreen community north of the parish seat of Minden
Minden, Louisiana
Minden is a city in the American state of Louisiana. It serves as the parish seat of Webster Parish and is located twenty-eight miles east of Shreveport, the seat of Caddo Parish. The population, which has been stable since 1960, was 13,027 at the 2000 census...
, Dubberly
Dubberly, Louisiana
Dubberly is a village in Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 290 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Minden Micropolitan Statistical Area....
, and his native Shongaloo. He advanced to the Louisiana Department of Education in Baton Rouge and finally to 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...
, where he also served on the elected Tangipahoa Parish School Board
Tangipahoa Parish School Board
Tangipahoa Parish School Board is a school district headquartered in unincorporated Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, United States.The district serves Tangipahoa Parish.Robert L...
prior to 1990.
Campaign for state superintendent
In 1972, Frye sought the then elected, and since appointed, position of Louisiana state education superintendent. He won the RepublicanRepublican 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...
nomination over Otis Romaine Russell, 8,245 (81.4 percent) to 1,889 (18.6 percent). Russell is a former controversial Baton Rouge Teamsters Union attorney, who later confessed in 1980 during his legal disciplinary hearing to mental illness
Mental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
.This was the last closed primary held for state and local offices in Louisiana because the state switched to the nonpartisan blanket primary four years later.
Frye had expected to face the two-term 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...
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...
, Bill Dodd, but Dodd was instead unseated in the party primary in 1971 by Louis J. Michot
Louis J. Michot
Louis Joseph Michot, Jr. , is a prominent Lafayette, Louisiana, businessman, entrepreneur of the former Burger Chef restaurant chain, philanthropist, and a former Democratic state representative , member of the Louisiana Board of Education , and Louisiana State Education Superintendent...
of Lafayette
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...
, a businessman, former 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...
, and member of the State Board of Education. Frye ran against Michot on the GOP
Republican 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...
ticket headed by gubernatorial standard-bearer David C. Treen
David C. Treen
David Conner "Dave" Treen, Sr. , was an American attorney and politician from Mandeville, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana – the first Republican Governor of the U.S. state of Louisiana since Reconstruction. He was the first Republican in modern times to have served in the U.S...
, then of Jefferson Parish
Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
Jefferson Parish is a parish in Louisiana, United States that includes most of the suburbs of New Orleans. The seat of parish government is Gretna....
in the New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s, who was opposing Edwin Washington Edwards. Other Republicans running statewide in the February 1, 1972, 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...
were former State Representative Morley A. Hudson
Morley A. Hudson
Morley Alvin Hudson , was a Shreveport businessman, engineer, civic leader, and a pioneer of the modern Republican Party in Louisiana.Hudson was born in San Antonio, Texas, the son of Oscar Hudson and the former Ruth Morley...
of Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, nominee for lieutenant governor
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
and Tom Stagg
Tom Stagg
Thomas Eaton "Tom" Stagg, Jr. , is a Louisiana attorney, businessman, politician, and jurist who has served as a United States federal judge for the Western District of Louisiana since his appointment by President Richard Nixon in the spring of 1974...
of Shreveport, candidate for state attorney general
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
. All of the statewide Republican candidates went down to defeat, but Treen led his party slate by polling 42.8 percent against Edwards, winner of the first of his four nonconsecutive terms in the office.
After Michot unseated Dodd, Frye telephoned him to offer congratulations. A few weeks later, Frye alleged that Michot, along with a brother, was operating a bar in Lafayette. Frye also claimed that Michot had offered him a high level job in a new Michot education department if Frye would withdraw from the general election contest. Michot denied the charges and easily prevailed, 662,597 votes (63.5 percent) to Frye's 380,896 (36.5 percent). At the time Frye challenged Michot, the Republican Party in Louisiana numbered fewer than 38,000 registrants in the state; Frye henced polled ten times the votes of his own party base.Frye lost both his native Webster Parish as well as Tangipahoa, one of the Florida Parishes
Florida Parishes
The Florida Parishes , also known as the North Shore region, are eight parishes in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Louisiana, which were part of West Florida in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Unlike much of Louisiana, this region was not part of the Louisiana Purchase, as it had been...
, where he was residing at the time of that campaign. Frye polled majorities in East Baton Rouge Parish and five north Louisiana parishes: Caddo
Caddo Parish, Louisiana
Caddo Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Shreveport; as of 2000, the population was 252,161...
, Ouachita
Ouachita Parish, Louisiana
-National protected areas:* Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge* D'Arbonne National Wildlife Refuge -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 147,250 people, 55,216 households, and 38,319 families residing in the parish. The population density was 241 people per square mile...
, LaSalle, Lincoln
Lincoln Parish, Louisiana
Lincoln Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Ruston. In 2004, its population was estimated to be 42,382...
, and Winn
Winn Parish, Louisiana
Winn Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Its seat is Winnfield. In 2000, its population was 16,894.The parish has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
, the former stronghold of the Long
Huey Long
Huey Pierce Long, Jr. , nicknamed The Kingfish, served as the 40th Governor of Louisiana from 1928–1932 and as a U.S. Senator from 1932 to 1935. A Democrat, he was noted for his radical populist policies. Though a backer of Franklin D...
political faction
Political faction
A political faction is a grouping of individuals, such as a political party, a trade union, or other group with a political purpose. A faction or political party may include fragmented sub-factions, “parties within a party," which may be referred to as power blocs, or voting blocs. The individuals...
.
Death and family
Years later, Frye retired to Springhill, located just south of the ArkansasArkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
state boundary. He died at the age of eighty-four. In addition to his wife, he is survived by four children, Robert Randal Frye (born 1947) of Tulsa
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, Bettye Rene Frye (born 1951) of Baton Rouge, Deborah Jean Frye Ferachi (born 1952), and husband, Kenneth Raymond "Kenny" Ferachi (born 1950), of Plaquemine
Plaquemine, Louisiana
Plaquemine is a city in and the parish seat of Iberville Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 7,064 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area....
in Iberville Parish
Iberville Parish, Louisiana
Iberville Parish is a parish located south of Baton Rouge in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Its seat is Plaquemine. The 2010 population of the parish was 33,387....
south of Baton Rouge, and Kevin Dale Frye (born 1957) and wife Janice of Benton
Benton, Louisiana
The town of Benton is the parish seat of Bossier Parish, in the US state of Louisiana. The population was 2,035 at the 2000 census. The larger Bossier City is located south of Benton...
in Bossier Parish
Bossier Parish, Louisiana
Bossier Parish is named for Pierre Bossier, a 19th-century Louisiana state senator and U.S. representative from Natchitoches Parish.Bossier Parish was spared fighting on its soil during the American Civil War...
; a sister, Nona Rhea Walker (born 1920) of Baton Rouge; six grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his brother, Dr. Jennings Bryan Frye, Jr. (1918-2005), of Baton Rouge.
Frye's obituary
Obituary
An obituary is a news article that reports the recent death of a person, typically along with an account of the person's life and information about the upcoming funeral. In large cities and larger newspapers, obituaries are written only for people considered significant...
describes his "greatest pride as the children he knew and educated in schools and colleges." Frye's funeral services were held on February 7, 2011, at his home church, the First Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Church of Springhill. Interment followed in Springhill Cemetery.