Jacques Dupré

From Wikipedia:

Jacques Dupre (1773 - September 14 , 1846) was a Lousiana State Representative, State Senator and Acting Governor. Born in New Orleans the eldest son of Laurent Dupre de Terrebonne and Marie Josephe Fontenot, Dupre grew up in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana . When he was ten years old, his father died and his mother remarried.

In 1791, he and his brothers received Royal Spanish grants on Bayou Boeuf. The next year Dupre married Theotoste Roy of Pointe Coupee Parish in Opelousas . They raised seven children on a ranch northwest of Opelousas. Beginning in 1815, Dupre served as a Major in the 16th Regiment of the Louisiana Militia. He saw combat at the Battle of New Orleans along with two of his sons.

First elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in 1816, Dupre was re-elected in 1822 and 1824. In 1828, Dupre was elected to the Louisiana Senate. In 1830, Dupre was chosen as President of the Senate when Governor Pierre Derbigny died and Senate President Armand Beauvais assumed the duties of Acting Governor. When Beauvais resigned two months later, Dupre became Acting Governor. He was the second Acting Governor within the year and there was constitutional crisis over the lack of an elected Governor. The result was that a special election was called in 1831. The dispute over who succeeds the governor in case of his death would not be solved until the office of Lt. Governor was created by a new constitution in 1845 .

As governor, Dupre oversaw the incorporation of the first railroad, a canal company and a bayou improvement company, the Merchant?s Insurance Company of New Orleans and a company to granulate sugar by a new process. During his administration there is also a prohibition of further immigration of free persons of color into the state and the expulsion of all those who entered since 1825. Also in 1830, the seat of government returned to New Orleans from Donaldsonville.

Dupre did not run for Governor in 1831 and when Andre B. Roman was elected, Dupre returned to the State Senate where he served 16 more years.

On September 14 , 1846 , Dupre died and was buried in Opelousas.

Jacques Dupre was elected President of the Senate, an office left vacant after Arnaud Beauvais assumed the duties of Governor when Pierre Derbigny died in office. Upon-his election as Senate President, Dupre then became Acting Governor because Beauvais had resigned. This complicated series of successions later caused a political crisis in Louisiana.

Dupre's short term featured continued improvements in the young state's infrastructure. The legislature incorporated a railroad company, a canal company and other companies to improve navigation on state waters. A Merchant's Insurance Company begun in New Orleans protected the assets of that growing segment of society. A new company instituted to refine sugar by a new process began operating as well.

To deal with what they saw as a serious social problem, the legislature passed strict slave codes at this time in response to the work of northern abolitionists and southern slave insurrectionists.

was a Louisiana State Representative, State Senator and the eighth Governor.

Beginning in 1815, Dupré served as a Major in the 16th Regiment of the Louisiana Militia. He saw combat at the Battle of New Orleans along with two of his sons.