| Joachim Octave Fernández, Sr. | |
|---|---|
| File:Joachim O Fernández .jpg | |
| Joachim Fernández | |
| Member of the U. S. House of Representatives from Louisiana's 1st district | |
In office March 4, 1931 – January 3, 1941 | |
| Preceded by | James O'Connor |
| Succeeded by | Felix Edward Hébert |
| Louisiana State Representative from Orleans Parish (at-large delegation) | |
In office 1924–1928 | |
| Louisiana State Senator from Orleans Parish (at-large) | |
In office 1928–1930 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 14, 1896 New Orleans, Louisiana, USA |
| Died | August 8, 1978 (aged 81) New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Resting place | Metairie Cemetery of New Orleans |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Viola Murray Fernández (married 1920) |
| Children | Florau Joachim Fernández Mercedes Fernández Bradley |
| Occupation | Not available |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Rank | Lieutenant Commander |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Joachim Octave Fernández, Sr. (August 14, 1896 – August 8, 1978), was a member of the U. S. House of Representatives for Louisiana's 1st congressional district. Like all other members of his state's congressional delegation at the time of his tenure, Fernández was a Democrat.
Biography[]
Son of Octave Gonzales Fernández and Mary Benson, he was born, lived, and died in New Orleans, Louisiana. On June 3, 1920, he married Viola Murray, and the couple had two sons and two daughters. He began his political career as a member of the Old Regular political machine. He was a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1924 to 1928 and the State Senate from 1928 to 1930 at the time of the administration of Mayor T. Semmes Walmsley. In 1930, however, Fernández defected to the camp of Walmsley's enemy, Governor Huey Pierce Long, Jr. He became Long's Ninth Ward political boss and was elected to the House of Representatives in 1930 with Long's support. He lost his seat in 1940 to reform candidate Felix Edward Hébert, a former journalist for the New Orleans Times-Picayune
Fernández was a delegate to the Louisiana state constitutional convention in 1921, which wrote the document to govern his state until 1975. He was an alternate delegate to the 1936 Democratic National Convention, which renominated the Franklin D. Roosevelt-John Nance Garner ticket. In his forties, Fernández served in the United States Navy as a lieutenant commander during World War II. After his congressional service, Fernández was the U.S. collector of internal revenue in New Orleans.
In the election of 1946, Fernández briefly served as the reform candidate against Mayor Robert Maestri, but he withdrew from the race at the last minute after Maestri offered to pay his campaign expenses. Maestri was unseated, however, by the reformers' choice, deLesseps Story Morrison.
Personal life[]
Fernández was Roman Catholic and Hispanic. He was a member of the American Legion. He is interred at the large Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans.
Fernández was known as "Bathtub Joe" Fernández for his habit of avoiding calls from reporters by claiming he was taking a bath.
Children:
Florau Joachim Fernandez married Elizabeth (Betty) Abigail Richard > children
- JoAnn Fernandez Ponville married Minos Jame Ponville, Jr.
- Richard Murray Fernandez married Sherry Law
- Russell Joachim Fernandez married Darla Lucille Thomas
- Randall Robert Fernandez married Sarah (Sally) Evans
- Janet (Jan) Elizabeth Fernandez married Darrio (Dod) Berrio
Mercedes Fernandez married Milton Bradley
Junerose Fernandez married Chester (Chick) Keating
Joachim (Joe) Octave Fernandez, Jr. married Grace Bergeron in 1949 > 4 children | Married Beverly Wenger in 1970 > 5 children
- Allen Raymond Fernandez
- Carol Fernandez Montgomery married Tom Joel Montgomery
- David Andrew Fernandez married Mitzi Barbay
- Judy Fernandez Pomfrey married W. Anthony Pomfrey Jr.
- Daryl Andrew Fernandez
References[]
- 1 Political Graveyard
- Haas, Edward F. DeLesseps S. Morrison and the Image of Reform: New Orleans Politics, 1946-1961. Louisiana State University Press, 1974.
- Joachim O. Fernández at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
The original article can be found at Joachim O. Fernández and the edit history here.