Louisiana History Research Tools

General Works

Arthur, Stanley Clisby.
Old Families of Louisiana. 1931; 1971 reprint.
Chiefly 18th- and early 19th-century French and Spanish families.
F368 .A25 1971 REF

Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Louisiana. 1892.
F369 .B62 REF

Book of Louisiana, A Newspaper Reference Work. 1916.
F369 .N485

Chambers, Henry E.
A History of Louisiana. 1925.
Vols. 2 and 3 are a biographical dictionary. Index in volume 1.
F369 .C45 REF

Conrad, Glenn, ed.
A Dictionary of Louisiana Biography. 1988.
A Dictionary of Louisiana Biography Ten-Year Supplement 1988-1998. 1999.
F368 .D53 1988 REF
F368 .D53 1988 SUPPL. REF
Online at: http://lahistory.org/site16.php

Davis, Edward Adams.
The Story of Louisiana. 1960.
Vols. 2-4 are a biographical dictionary. Index in vol. 4.
F369 .D26 REF

Davis, Ellis Arthur.
The Historical Encyclopedia of Louisiana. 1940?
Mostly early 20th-century politicians, businessmen, and prominent farmers, planters, and cattlemen.
F369 .D27 REF

Fortier, Alcée.
Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, arranged in Cyclopedic Form. 1914.
Colonial period to early 20th century. Vols. 1-2, general historical biography; vol. 3, contemporary bios.
F367 .F75 REF

KnowLA Encyclopedia of Louisiana History, Culture, and Community.
Online at:  http://www.knowla.org/

Louisiana Biographical Dictionary: People of All Times and Places who have been Important to the History and Life of the State. 1999.
Mostly major politicians and early explorers.
F368 .L63 1999 REF

Louisiana Biography and Obituary Index
References obituaries and death notices published in New Orleans newspapers from 1804-1972 and biographical information published in older Louisiana collective biographies.
Online at:  http://neworleanspubliclibrary.org/obits/obits.htm

Louisiana Historical and Biographical Association.
"Louisianians and Their State": A Historical and Biographical Text Book of Louisiana, Its Notable Men and Leading Institutions. 1919.
F369 .L885

LSU Libraries Vertical File.
Microfilm of newspaper clippings and other ephemera related to Louisiana public figures.
Index at Reading Room reference desk.

Rand, Clayton.
Stars in their Eyes: Dreamers and Builders in Louisiana. 1953.
Spanish explorers to the early twentieth century.
F368 .R3 REF

Southern Editors Association.
The Southerner, a Biographical Encyclopedia of Southern People, Featuring Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Louisiana. 1944.
Primarily living businessmen, lawyers, physicians, educators, and clergy.
F208 .S6 REF

Rodriguez, Junius P.
The Louisiana Purchase: A Historical and Geographical Encyclopedia. 2002.
E333 .L69 2002

Who's Who in Louisiana and Mississippi. 1918.
F368 .W56

Who's Who in Louisiana. 1974.
F376 .U53 1974 REF

Region / Parish / City

[Louisiana, eastern.]
Williamson, Frederick William.
Eastern Louisiana: A History of the Watershed of the Ouachita River and the Florida Parishes. 1939.
Vols. 2-3 are a biographical dictionary.
F377 .O8 W55 REF

[Louisiana, northwest.]
Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northwest Louisiana. 1890.
Index to the Biographical Sketches in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northwest Louisiana. 1964.
F369 .B61 1890 REF
F369 .B61 INDEX 1964 REF

[Louisiana, northwest.]
Hardin, J. Fair.
Northwestern Louisiana: A History of the Watershed of the Red River, 1714-1937. 1939.
Vols. 2-3 are a biographical dictionary.
F377 .R3 H37 REF

[Louisiana, southwest.]
Perrin, William Henry.
Southwest Louisiana, Biographical and Historical. 1891, 1971.
F369 .P45
F369 .P45 1971 REF

[New Orleans.]
Jewell, Edwin L.
Jewell’s Crescent City Illustrated. 1873.
F379 .N54 J6 1873B FLAT

[New Orleans.]
Kendall, John Smith.
History of New Orleans. 1922.
Vols. 2-3 are a biographical dictionary.
F379 .N557 K34

[New Orleans.]
King, Grace.
Creole Families of New Orleans. 1921.
Covers the 18th and early 19th centuries.
F379 .N5 K45

[New Orleans.]
Land, John E.
Pen Illustrations of New Orleans, 1881-82. Trade, Commerce and Manufactures. 1882.
Primarily brief histories of businesses, but contains some information on individuals.
HC108 .N4 L2

[New Orleans.]
Landry, Stuart Omer.
History of the Boston Club, Organized in 1841. 1938.
Biographical sketches, p. 274-331.
HS2725 .N45 B625

[New Orleans.]
Leavitt, Mel
Great Characters of New Orleans. 1984.
Cameos of prominent statesmen, soldiers, entertainers, inventors, women, etc.
F379 .N553 l4 1984

Meyer, Robert.
Names Over New Orleans Public Schools. 1975.
LA297 .N4 M49

[New Orleans.]
Mount, May W.
Some Notables of New Orleans. Biographical and Descriptive Sketches of the Artists of New Orleans, and their Work. 1896.
F379 .N553 A255

[New Orleans.]
Rose, Al.
Born in New Orleans: Notables of Two Centuries. 1983.
F379 .N553 A28 1983

[Shreveport.]
McLure, Mary Lilla.
History of Shreveport and Shreveport Builders. 1937-51.
F379 .S4 H65

[Shreveport.]
O'Pry, Maude Hearn.
Chronicles of Shreveport. 1928.
Biographies, p. 328-399.
F379 .S4 O6

[Shreveport.]
Shreveport Men and Women Builders. 1931.
F379 .S4 S5

African Americans

The Blue Book of Outstanding Blacks in Louisiana, 1981-1982. 1982.
E185.93 .L6 B58

Charters, Samuel Barclay.
Jazz: New Orleans, 1885-1963. An Index to the Negro Musicians of New Orleans. 1963.
ML3561 .J3 C43

Foner, Eric.
Freedom's Lawmakers: A Directory of Black Officeholders during Reconstruction. 1996
E185.96 .F64 1996

Smith, Norman R.
Footprints of Black Louisiana. 2010.
E185.93 .L6 S58 2010

Perkins, Archie Ebenezer.
Who’s Who in Colored Louisiana, 1930.
E185.93 .L6 W5 REF

Art

Cline, Isaac Monroe.
Art and Artists in New Orleans during the Last Century. 1922.
ND235 .N4 C6

Karel, David.
Dictionnaire des artistes de langue française en Amérique du Nord. 1992.
N6503 .K37 1992

Louisiana Painters and Paintings from the Collection of W.E. Groves. 1970?
ND230 .L8 L77 1970

Mahe, John A.
Encyclopaedia of New Orleans Artists, 1718-1918
NX511 .N39 E53 1987 REF

Mount, May W.
Some Notables of New Orleans. Biographical and Descriptive Sketches of the Artists of New Orleans, and their Work. 1896.
F379 .N553 A255

Business

[See also the general histories listed above.]

Land, John E.
Pen Illustrations of New Orleans, 1881-82. Trade, Commerce and Manufactures. 1882.
Chiefly sketches of businesses, but contains some information on individuals.
HC108 .N4 L2

Southern Editors Association.
The Southerner, a Biographical Encyclopedia of Southern People, Featuring Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Louisiana. 1944.
Includes many profiles of businessmen and financiers.
F208 .S6 REF

Education

Agate, Grace Bordelon.
Pioneer Women Teachers of Louisiana. 1954?
LA2315 .L6 A43

Barbre, Charles S.
LSU: A Legacy of Leaders. 2006.
LD3112 .B37 2006

Cline, Rodney.
Builders of Louisiana Education. 1963.
LA295 .C55

Cline, William Rodney.
Pioneer Leaders and Early Institutions in Louisiana Education. 1969.
LA295 .C56

De Felice, Dave John.
Outstanding Louisiana Educators. 1981.
LA2315 .L6 D4 1981

LSU Office of Public Relations Faculty Files. 1930s-1980s.
University Archives A0020

Ethnicities

Merrill, Ellen C.
Germans of Louisiana. 2005.
Biographical sketches of prominent individuals, p. 307-352.
F380 .G3 M47 2005

Voss, Louis.
History of the German Society of New Orleans. 1927.
Includes biographical sketches of prominent German-Americans of New Orleans.
F380 .G3 V94

Government / Law

Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-present.
Online at:  http://bioguide.congress.gov/biosearch/biosearch.asp

Brown, Dave H.
A History of Who’s Who in Louisiana Politics in 1916. 1916.
F375 .B87 REF

Cowan, Walter G.
Louisiana Governors: Rulers, Rascals, and Reformers. 2008.
F368 .C69 2008                           

Dawson, Joseph G.
The Louisiana Governors from Iberville to Edwards. 1990.
F368 .L68 1990 REF

Deacon, William A.
Martin Behrman Administration Biography, 1904-1916. 1917.
Includes section on “Prominent Orleanians.”
HC108 .N4 M3

Deacon, William Maden.
Reference Biography of Louisiana Bench and Bar, 1922.
Profiles limited to living individuals.
KF354 .L6 D4 REF

Democracy's Choice. Biographical Sketches of the Men Selected by the Democratic Party as their Nominees for State Officials, and for the State Senate and House of Representatives from Orleans Parish. 1904?
F368 .S69

Louisiana District Judges Association.
Biographies of Louisiana Judges. 1962, 1965, 1971.
Profiles limited to living judges.
KF354 .L6 L63

McLure, Mary Lilla.
Louisiana Leaders, 1830-1860. 1935.
F368 .M24

Louisiana Legislature Grass Roots Guide. 1992-current.
JK4774.5 .L686

Miller, Minos D.
Biographies of Judges of Louisiana. 1971.
KF354 .L6 M5 1971

Reeves, Miriam G.
The Governors of Louisiana. 2004.
F368 .R4

Warner, Ezra J.
Biographical Register of the Confederate Congress. 1975.
JK9663 .W3 REF

Whitaker, J. M.
Sketches of Life and Character in Louisiana: the Portraits Selected Principally from the Bench and Bar. 1847.
Early 19th-century lawyers and judges.
F368 .W57

Literature

Brown, Dorothy H.
Louisiana Women Writers. 1992.
PS266 .L8 L68 1992

De Menil, Alexander Nicolas.
The Literature of the Louisiana Territory. 1904.
PS275 .D4

Gunby, A. A.
Louisiana Authors: Proceedings of a Round Table Held at the Louisiana State Chautauqua on July 19, 1893. 1893.
PS266 .L8 L67

Morse, Mignon.
Northwest Louisiana Authors. 1988, 1989.
PS266 .L8 M67 1988
PS266 .L8 M67 1989

Mount, May W.
Some Notables of New Orleans. Biographical and Descriptive Sketches of the Artists of New Orleans, and their Work. 1896.
F379 .N553 A255

Testut, Charles.
Portraits litteraires de la Nouvelle-Orleans. 1850.
PQ3937 .L7 T47 LARA

Tinker, Edward Larocque.
Les écrits de langue française en Louisiane au XIXe siècle. 1933.
Z1289 .T59

Medicine

Hornsby, Will Sidney.
Veterinary Medicine in Louisiana, 1889 to 1979. 1993.
SF624 .L6 V48 1993

Reid, Maude.
Early Calcasieu Doctors, 1850-1912. 1969.
R234 .C2 R4

Southern Editors Association.
The Southerner, a Biographical Encyclopedia of Southern People, Featuring Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Louisiana. 1944.
Includes many profiles of medical doctors.
F208 .S6 REF

Music

Charters, Samuel Barclay.
Jazz: New Orleans, 1885-1963. An Index to the Negro Musicians of New Orleans. 1963.
ML3561 .J3 C43

Mount, May W.
Some Notables of New Orleans. Biographical and Descriptive Sketches of the Artists of New Orleans, and their Work. 1896.
F379 .N553 A255

Panzeri, Louis.
Louisiana Composers. 1972.
Covers both contemporary and historical figures.
ML390 .P196

Yule, Ron.
Louisiana Fiddlers. 2009.
Covers both contemporary and historical figures.
ML398 .Y83 2009

Religion

Baudier, Roger.
The Catholic Church in Louisiana. 1939.
Biographies of bishops and other major figures only.
BX1415 .L9 B3

Bell, B. Charles.
Presbyterianism in North Louisiana to 1929. 1930.
BX8947 .L8 B45

Durham, John Pinckney.
Baptist Builders in Louisiana. 1934.
BX6248 .L6 D8

Hicks, William.
History of Louisiana Negro Baptists from 1804 to 1914. 1914?
BX6248 .L6 H5

The Israelites of Louisiana. 1905?
Includes biographical sketches of prominent Jews in Louisiana’s major cities and some small towns.
F380 .J5 I7 OVER

Korn, Bertram Wallace.
The Early Jews of New Orleans. 1969.
F379 .N5 K6

Paxton, W. E.
A History of the Baptists of Louisiana. 1888.
Biographical sketches, p. 493-617.
BX6248 .L6 P3

Voss, Louis.
Presbyterianism in New Orleans and Adjacent Points. 1931.
BX8947 .L8 V63

Sports

Broussard, Bernard.
Football Greats of Louisiana History. 1981.
GV939 .A1 B76 1981

Byrd, Jerry.
Louisiana Sports Legends: the Men and Women of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. 1992.
GV697 .A1 B7 1992

Mulé, Marty.
Louisiana Athletes: The Top Twenty. 1981.
GV697 .A1 M8

University of Southwestern Louisiana.
Prides of Acadiana. 1992.
Brief sketches of prominent athletes from Lafayette and vicinity.
GV697 .A1 P75 1992

Where Heroes Play. 1978.
Sketches of LSU / Baton Rouge athletes.
GV697 .A1 W43

Theater

Mount, May W.
Some Notables of New Orleans. Biographical and Descriptive Sketches of the Artists of New Orleans, and their Work. 1896.
F379 .N553 A255

Ludlow, Noah Miller.
Dramatic Life as I Found It: A Record of Personal Experience, with an Account of the Rise and Progress of the Drama in the West and South, with Anecdotes and Biographical Sketches of the Principal Actors and Actresses who have at Times Appeared upon the Stage in the Mississippi Valley. 1880.
PN2273 .S5 L8

Women

Allured, Janet.
Louisiana Women: Their Lives and Times. 2009.
CT3262 .L6 L68 2009                      

Brown, Dorothy H.
Louisiana Women Writers. 1992.
PS266 .L8 L68 1992

National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Louisiana.
First Ladies of Louisiana. 2000.
F368 .F54 2000