Louisiana
Gov. Louis Aflred Wiltz
- January 13, 1880 - October 16, 1881
- Democratic
- January 21, 1843
- October 16, 1881
- Louisiana
- Married Mildred Michaela Bienvenu; seven children
- Pronounced Dead in Office
- National Guard
About
LOUIS A. WILTZ was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 21, 1843. His education was attained in the public schools of his native state. During the Civil War, he served as a private in the New Orleans Artillery, rising to the rank of captain. He later was captured, and then released in a prisoner exchange. Wiltz entered politics in 1868, serving as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, a position to which he was reelected in 1874. He also served as speaker of the house in 1875, was mayor of New Orleans from 1872 to 1874, and was the Louisiana lieutenant governor from 1877 to 1880. Wiltz won the 1879 Democratic gubernatorial nomination, and was elected governor by popular vote on December 2, 1879. He was sworn into office on January 13, 1880. During his tenure, bureaus of agriculture and immigration were created, public health programs were advanced, and railroad construction progressed. Also, a new constitution was ratified that changed legislative sessions from annual to biennial. While still in office, Governor Louis A. Wiltz, who suffered from tuberculosis, passed away on October 16, 1881. He was buried at the St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, in New Orleans.
Source
Dawson III, Joseph G. The Louisiana Governors: From Iberville to Edwards. Baton Rouge: Lousiana State University Press, 1990.
Louisiana Secretary of State: The Governors of Louisiana
Sobel, Robert, and John Raimo, eds. Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978, Vol. 2, Westport, Conn.; Meckler Books, 1978. 4 vols.
