Jack P. F. Gremillion

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Jack P.F. Gremillion
JPFG 1956 Winans Photo headshot (1).jpg
Gremillion in 1956
Attorney General of Louisiana
In office
May 1956 – May 1972
GovernorEarl K. Long
Jimmie Davis
John McKeithen
Preceded by
Succeeded byWilliam J. Guste
Personal details
Born
Jack Paul Faustin Gremillion

(1914-06-05)June 5, 1914
Ascension Parish, Louisiana, U.S.
DiedMarch 2, 2001(2001-03-02) (aged 86)
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)
  • Doris McDonald Gremillion (married 1942-1989, her death)
Children5
EducationAscension Catholic High School (High school)
Louisiana State University (BA)
LSU Law Center (JD)
ProfessionAttorney

Jack Paul Faustin Gremillion, Sr. (June 15, 1914 – March 2, 2001), was the Democratic Attorney General of Louisiana from 1956 to 1972. He was widely known for his political partnership with Governor Earl Long, his opposition to desegregation and the civil rights movement, and his federal conviction on perjury charges.[1]

Early life[]

Jack Gremillion was born on June 5, 1914 in Donaldsonville, Louisiana to parents, William Kossuth Gremillion (1881-1939) and Genoa Henderson Gremillion (1892-1969). His father was a telegraph operator and his mother was a teacher. Jack attended high school in his hometown of Donaldsonville at Ascension Catholic High School. Due Gremillion's French descent, he and his family spoke French fluently.

Law career[]

Upon graduating from Louisiana State University with a Bachelor's degree, Gremillion attended LSU Law. Gremillion worked in the local district attorney's office and was mentored by , whom he later succeeded as Attorney General of Louisiana. Gremillion was a member of the American Bar Association. However, his law career took a pause when he served in World War II through the United States Army. After the war, Gremillion continued his law career and worked as a prosecutor.

Military[]

Landing on D-day +4 Gremillion was an Infantry Company Commander, Company L, (3rd BN) Second Infantry Regiment, 5th Infantry Division. He was severely wounded near Le Perron France leading to the assault of St.Lo. Gremillion used his veteran status from World War II to attract veteran voters. At this day and age, it was rare for veterans to speak up about their time in the military. However, Gremillion talked about his war experience in numerous speeches. Gremillion received a Purple Heart for his bravery during World War II.

Political career[]

Gremillion's rise to Attorney General of Louisiana was a very unique progression. Earl Long tapped Gremillion to succeed his long-time mentor during his uncle's funeral, where Gremillion was attending as a pallbearer. Soon after, Gremillion defeated Leblanc and became Attorney General in 1952. Gremillion went on to serve 4 consecutive terms as Attorney General of Louisiana.

Segregation and civil rights[]

Even by Louisiana standards during the civil rights movement, Gremillion was a particularly virulent racist and white supremacist.[2] As attorney general, he led Louisiana's legal opposition to the federal government's efforts to enforce the civil rights of its African American citizens. He ordered all Louisiana public school teachers to drop any memberships they had in the National Education Association — or else lose their jobs — because the NEA was "advocating desegregation."[3]

When a federal court order sought to desegregate a parish's schools, Gremillion filed suit in state court seeking a restraining order against its enforcement.[4] In 1960, he gained national attention by "huffing and pounding a table" in a federal court hearing, calling it a "den of iniquity" and a "kangaroo court" and shouting, "The Negroes are running the country." He was charged and convicted of contempt of court.[5]

Criminal charges and conviction[]

In 1969, Gremillion was indicted on federal charges of fraud and conspiracy in connection with the bankrupt Louisiana Loan and Thrift Co. In 1971, a jury found him not guilty, but he was then convicted on five counts of perjury for lying to the grand jury investigating the fraud case. He was sentenced to three years in federal prison.[2] "Your offense cannot be condoned as one committed in ignorance of the law, or unwittingly, or in the heat of a momentary passion," U.S. Dist. Judge Fred Cassibry told Gremillion at sentencing.[6]

He declined to resign his office and ran for re-election again, but lost in the Democratic primary, finishing a distant fourth.[7] He was paroled after serving fifteen months in a federal facility.[2]

Personal life[]

Gremillion married Doris McDonald (1920-1989) and had four sons and one daughter; Jack P.F. Gremillion, Jr., William McDonald Gremillion, Wayne Francis Gremillion, Doris H. Gremillion, and Charles Mark Gremillion.

A few days after his federal sentencing, his son Jack Jr. — who had been on the attorney general's office payroll as a librarian while a full-time college student [8] — sued his father for $100,000 over the custody of the younger Gremillion's two children.[9] The next year, Jack Jr. was indicted in Texas on conspiracy to commit felony theft, for allegedly "attempting to obtain a $425,000 loan based on forged and fraudulent statements using non-existent land pledged as security."[10] He also faced theft charges in Louisiana.[11] Soon after being extradited to Texas, he was indicted back in Louisiana on federal charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice.[12] The younger Gremillion pled guilty to those charges in 1975 and was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison.[13][14]

References[]

  1. ^ '"Jack P. F. Gremillion," Who's Who in America, 1968.
  2. ^ a b c Cyril E. Vetter (November 1, 1995). Fonville Winans' Louisiana: Politics, People, and Places. LSU Press. ISBN 978-0-8071-1990-7. OCLC 1031623082. The campaign was notable for its racist rhetoric, and Gremillion was the foremost practitioner. His strategy was called "one of old fashioned 'n—— baiting' on a scale which was new to most Louisiana voters."
  3. ^ "Louisiana Reverses Stand on NEA Membership". The Phi Delta Kappan. 43 (3): 137. December 1961. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  4. ^ Henderson, Byron S. (2010). Negro Education in Donaldsonville, Louisiana Post Brown v. Board of Education, 1954–1970.
  5. ^ "Attorney General Gets Slapped With Criminal Contempt Citation". The (Lafayette, La.) Daily Advertiser. August 28, 1960. p. 1. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  6. ^ "Louisiana Attorney General, Once Called Best in Nation, Gets Prison". Los Angeles Times. United Press International. January 6, 1972. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  7. ^ "Gremillion Runs 3rd". The (Alexandria, La.) Town Talk. United Press International. November 7, 1971. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  8. ^ Harmon, G. Michael (February 12, 1969). "Gremillion's Son Received State Salary While at LSU". The (Alexandria, La.) Town Talk. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  9. ^ "Young Gremillion Files Suit Against Father". The (Lafayette, La.) Daily Advertiser. Associated Press. January 18, 1972.
  10. ^ "Jack Gremillion's Son Indicted in Houston". The (Alexandria, La.) Town Talk. Associated Press. May 31, 1972. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  11. ^ "Young Gremillion Faces Theft". The Crowley Post-Signal. United Press International. December 11, 1973. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  12. ^ "Partin, Gremillion, 10 Others Indicted". The (Alexandria, La.) Town Talk. Associated Press. October 19, 1973. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  13. ^ "Gremillion's Guilty Plea Surprises Lawyer". The Shreveport Journal. January 20, 1975. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  14. ^ "Gremillion's Son Draws 18-Month Jail Sentence". The Shreveport Journal. March 18, 1975. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
Legal offices
Preceded by
 Louisiana Attorney General
1956–1972 		Succeeded by
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