“Preservation can take many forms.”
– Jules F. Landry, Class of 1932
Before it became the State National Life Building, the Reymond Building in downtown Baton Rouge was home to the first office space of Jules F. Landry. The St. Francisville native quit his job at an oil refinery to open his own practice after graduating from LSU Law in 1932 at the height of the Great Depression. By the time his wife Frances Leggio, the only woman to graduate from LSU Law in 1934 and take the Louisiana bar exam the same year, joined his practice, Jules got his “first big break” as a fee attorney for the Homeowners Loan Corporation. With the growing success of their law practice, and a little more disposable income, the Landrys embarked on a journey of restoring and revitalizing historic buildings, and life, in downtown Baton Rouge.
Preserving community and culture became a passion project that, as Jules put it, “can take many forms.” He was president of the Baton Rouge Symphony for three years, resurrecting the financial operations of the organization that had previously struggled with debt and a low public profile. In an interview for a feature with The Advocate, “Pioneers: Baton Rougeans Jules and Frances Landry: A 53-year contribution toward the arts, preservation, history and the in Baton Rouge,” Jules recalled how he would personally write checks to performers who refused to go on without being paid first.
“I fought this for three years, but when I left as president, the symphony was not in debt,” said Jules, who also dabbled in banking and finance.
He and his wife were also major supporters of the LSU Press, creating the Jules and Frances Landry Award. The award constitutes the most outstanding achievement in the field of southern studies.
Both Jules and Frances were as devoted to practicing law as they were to preserving history. Together they created the law firm of Landry and Landry that stood along the many buildings they restored on Lafayette Street.
Jules recalled in his feature with The Advocate what his boss at the oil refinery said when he announced he was quitting to start his own law practice, “I thought you were bright but you’re leaving security for insecurity.”
Leaving “security” led Jules to create a legal and cultural legacy that continues to this day, though under a different name with his grandsons Franz N. Borghardt (’06) and David P. Borghardt (’09). The Jules F. Landry Memorial Scholarship was established in honor and memory of Jules, and, in 1989, the LSU Board of Supervisors established the Jules F. and Frances L. Landry Professorship.
Anne Price with The Advocate in Baton Rouge, published a feature on Jules and Frances Landry, “Pioneers: Baton Rougeans Jules and Frances Landry: A 53-year contribution toward the arts, preservation, history and the in Baton Rouge.” Click here to read a text copy of the feature.
About this Scholarship:
This scholarship will be awarded by the Law Center Scholarship Committee, with preference being given to a student who has earned a Bachelor of Science or a master’s degree in finance or other banking related field with an interest in banking. A scholarship is awarded based on scholastic achievement and financial need. Preference is given to a student with a degree in finance or other bank-related field, and to one who has an interest in entering the banking profession. An overall GPA of a 3.0 or higher earned in undergraduate work is also preferred.
