One day last week, I was looking around my bedroom and found an old thumb drive on my bookcase. I took the thumb drive to the office the next day and found some old pictures of my old boss Walter Lee.
Walter Lee first was elected clerk in 1955 defeating incumbent Richard Reed and took office June 1, 1956. Over the next 50-plus years, he faced opposition eight times and won the first election each time. He defeated such well-known names as Frank “Cazan” Fontenot; Hottel Fontenot; Harold Lafleur; Franklin D. Vidrine, Sr. and Jr.; and Bobby Dupre.
I entered the picture fresh out of college in August 2004 as a temporary employee scanning old court documents with Ralph Leday. One thing led to another, and I was deputized as a deputy clerk on June 1, 2005.
That is when I started working in the file room with Jannie Guidry and J.L. Brignac, our chief deputy. I probably told this story before, but it is worth repeating here. When Hurricane Katrina was approaching, we started unplugging everything in the office. Jannie told me to unplug the coffee pot. As I was unplugging it, J.L. started fussing and blurted out, “Don’t unplug the coffee pot.” So, I didn’t unplug it.
A year later, we celebrated Walter Lee’s 50th anniversary in office. That was a grand day. District court judges, appellate court judges, and a whole host of dignitaries came to the office to help celebrate a political icon not only in the parish but in the state. I was proud to be a small part of it.
In 2007, Walter Lee qualified to run unopposed for another term in office. Not long after, though, he suffered a debilitating stroke which left him confined to a wheelchair. This caused a strain on the office.
In the middle of this time, Walter Lee was inducted in the Louisiana Political Hall of Fame in Winnfield. That was a day I will never forget.
Some of the office made the trip to Winnfield that Saturday, and, for some reason, we got their six hours before everything started. We killed time looking around the museum which is worth a visit if you ever get a chance. Ultimately, it was time for the actual induction banquet. What stands out the most was Foster Campbell, who was also inducted that year, delivering one of his populist speeches. By the end of the night, I was so ready to come home. J.L. rode with me, and I told him I didn’t care if I got a ticket on the way home. I didn’t.
Not long after the induction ceremony, the strain on the office became worse. Factions broke out in the office, and it was like two alliances on Big Brother. I almost walked out and quit several times, but I stuck with it.
Walter Lee ran again in 2011, but finished third behind Randy Deshotel and Ben Soileau. That election night was one of the saddest of my life. A man who was a political stalwart for decades had gone down in defeat and had to announce it on the radio. I think we all had lumps in our throats that night. He left the office in 2012 after 56 years as clerk and passed away three years later.
Because of my time working for Walter Lee, I learned much that I will take with me the rest of my life. For example, I learned a strong work ethic and value of service to the community. Those are two things which kept him in office for so long. The most important thing I learned, however, came from his chief deputy. It is the first rule in golf... any ball that cannot be found is deemed to be lost.
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