Fortune Riard Explained

Office1:Louisiana State Senate
Term Start1:1876
Term End1:1878
Birth Date:1832/3
Birth Place:Louisiana
Death Date:February 28, 1889
Party:Republican

Alexander Fortune Riard (1832/3 – February 28, 1889), was a carpenter, merchant, lawyer and state legislator who served in the Louisiana State Senate from 1876 until 1878.[1]

Biography

Riard was born free in Louisiana in 1832 or 1833 and was described as mulatto.[2] He was educated in France where he also served as a naval officer.[3]

He was a Republican and was also the Lafayette agent for the New Orleans Republican newspaper which was the official journal of the Republican party.[4]

Riard first unsuccessfully ran for the Louisiana State Senate in 1868 contenting the seat for the 10th senatorial district.[5] In 1872 the Republican party nominated Riard again to run for the Senate against T. C. Anderson who ran as an independent and again was unsuccessful.[6]

He was a delegate to the Louisiana Constitutional Convention in 1868 representing Lafayette Parish, Louisiana[7] and was a signatory to the final published constitution.[8] Also in 1868 he had received threats and was forced to flee from the Lafayette Parish for a while. Riard owned property in the parish.

In the 1870 United States census he was listed as a carpenter.He later became a merchant in New Orleans owning and operating Riard's Employer's and Servants Intelligence Bureau and Claim Agency[9] The agency was located at 184 Poydras Street, New Orleans and became the biggest in Louisiana. He obtained a law degree from Straight University in 1876.[10] He was admitted to practice law in Louisiana in May 1876[11] and as a lawyer his agency then qualified as a United States Claim Agency.

He was a navel officer in New Orleans in 1877 and the Rutherford B. Hayes administration wanted to remove him asserting he was "unable to read or write" as he signed with an X, although others declared he was not illiterate.[12]

Riard was elected to serve on the Louisiana State Senate in 1876 and served until 1878. He was elected again to the senate in 1880 but did not take his seat. The election was challenged stating that R. S. Perry had received more votes and Riard was not eligible as he had not been a resident of the 11th senatorial district at the time of the election.[13] The vote went to Perry 25 yays to 5 nays and Perry was sworn in and seated.

He was appointed as a deputy revenue collector for the internal revenue in 1881.

Riard died at his home in Lafayette on February 28, 1889.[14]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Foner . Eric . Freedom's Lawmakers: A Directory of Black Officeholders During Reconstruction . 1 August 1996 . LSU Press . 978-0-8071-2082-8 . en . February 11, 2023. 181 .
  2. Web site: The Louisiana Convention. . MixedRaceStudies.org . 11 February 2023.
  3. Book: Vincent . Charles . Black Legislators in Louisiana during Reconstruction . 28 January 2011 . SIU Press . 978-0-8093-8581-2 . 53–54 . 11 February 2023 . en.
  4. News: Agents for the Republican . 11 February 2023 . New Orleans Republican . 26 March 1868 . 3.
  5. News: Qu'est-ce que Cela vent dire? . 11 February 2023 . The Opelousas Courier . 24 October 1868 . 1.
  6. News: The Opelousas Journal . 11 February 2023 . St. Landry Democrat . 5 June 1874 . 2.
  7. News: Important Military Order - Assembling of the State Convention . 11 February 2023 . The Times-Picayune . 22 October 1867 . 2.
  8. News: Constitution of the State of Louisiana . 11 February 2023 . The South-Western . 8 April 1868 . 5.
  9. News: Riard's Employer's and Servants Intelligence Bureau and Claim Agency . 11 February 2023 . The Weekly Louisianian . 27 September 1879 . 2.
  10. News: Straight University Exhibition . 11 February 2023 . New Orleans Republican . 10 June 1876 . 5.
  11. News: Court Record . 11 February 2023 . New Orleans Republican . 31 May 1876 . 1.
  12. News: What a Tribute special known about it . 11 February 2023 . New Orleans Republican . 16 March 1877 . 4.
  13. Book: Senate . United States Congress . Reports of Committees: 30th Congress, 1st Session - 48th Congress, 2nd Session . 1880 . 250 . 11 February 2023 . en.
  14. News: Obituary for Alexander Fortune Riard . 11 February 2023 . St. Landry Democrat . 2 March 1889 . 1.