J. Emile Verret

J. Emile Verret (September 13, 1885 - February 9, 1965) was the Democratic lieutenant governor of Louisiana from 1944-1948, having served under James Houston "Jimmie" Davis in the first of Davis' two nonconsecutive terms in the state's highest constitutional office. Verret defeated former Governor Earl Kemp Long in the party's runoff primary for the second-ranking office. He and Clarence C. "Taddy" Aycock of Franklin in St. Mary Parish both denied Long victory in races for lieutenant governor: Verret in 1944 and Aycock in 1959. Earl Long had been elected lieutenant governor in 1936 and succeeded to the governorship for a year in 1939. Long was defeated for a full gubernatorial term in 1940 but staged comebacks to win the top office in 1948 and 1956.

Verret was born in Iberia Parish and educated in local schools. He graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 1905 (then Louisiana Industrial Institute). He also attended Soule Business College in New Orleans. He returned to New Iberia and opened a general store. He was also an independent insurance agent from 1928 until his death. He was married to the former Katherine Markham.

In politics, Verret was first elected to the Iberia Parish School Board in 1912 and was the board president from 1914-1943, when he ran for lieutenant governor. Many found it peculiar that a candidate whose only elective office had been on a school board could defeat a legendary Long to gain the state's second highest office. Verret ran second to Long in the first primary but defeated him in the second balloting, when anti-Long elements coalesced behind him.

Had Lewis L. Morgan, a judge from Covington, not entered a gubernatorial runoff against Jimmie Davis, Long would have automatically become the lieutenant governor nominee. At the time, Louisiana law provided that there would be no runoffs for "down-ballot" races if there was no second gubernatorial contest. Had Morgan deferred to Davis as the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, Long would have hence been slated for the general election ballot.

According to William J. "Bill" Dodd, a nearly lifelong observer of Louisiana politics, several Democratic figures, including Lucille May Grace, the register of the state lands, and Secretary of State Wade O. Martin, Jr., privately urged Morgan to make the race against Davis, not because they opposed Davis per se, but because they wanted Earl Long to face Verret, a largely unknown anti-Long candidate. Dodd said that "Miss Grace" and Martin believed that two consecutive defeats for Earl Long (governor in 1940 and lieutenant governor in 1944) might doom his political career. Morgan was indeed said to have seriously considered not pursuing the runoff, but his decision to enter the second round of balloting hurt Earl Long. Long, however, was undeterred by the defeat for lieutenant governor. He set his sights on the governorship again in 1948.

Verret was Roman Catholic and a Third Degree member of the Knights of Columbus. He was president of the Louisiana School Board Association and held membership in the Elks and Rotary clubs of New Iberia.

The Verrets are interred in St. Peter's Cemetery in New Iberia.

References

* "J. Emile Verret", "A Dictionary of Louisiana Biography", Vol. 2 (1988), p. 810
* William J. "Bill" Dodd, "Peapatch Politics: The Earl Long Era in Louisiana Politics", Baton Rouge: Claitor's, 1991
* "Lafayette Daily Advertiser", February 10, 1965
* http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi