Celebrating 200 Years

Frank Adair Monroe (1844-1927)

Associate Justice, Supreme Court of Louisiana, March 22, 1899, to April 4, 1914

Chief Justice, April 5, 1914, to January 2, 1922

Born August 30, 1844, in Annapolis, Maryland • Grandfather, Thomas Bell Monroe, was professor of law at the University of Louisiana (forerunner of Tulane) and judge of U.S. District Court for Kentucky • Spent youth in Frankfort, Kentucky, and was educated in Kentucky and Maryland • A cadet at Kentucky Military Institute when the Civil War broke out, left to join the Confederate Army • Badly wounded in 1863, was captured and imprisoned for eight months • After the war moved to New Orleans to read law • Admitted to the bar 1867 • Elected judge of Orleans Parish Court in 1872, but was soon removed by Reconstruction governor, P. B. S. Pinchback • Re-elected in 1876 • Married Alice Blanc 1878 and had five sons and five daughters • Under 1879 Constitution was appointed by Governor Wiltz as judge of new Civil District Court for Orleans Parish • Served in 1898 Constitutional Convention • Appointed associate justice of the Supreme Court 1899 • Elected associate justice 1908 • Through seniority became chief justice 1914 and was re-elected 1918 • Retired early in 1922 after 45 years of judicial service • Like his grandfather, was a professor of law at Tulane • Following retirement, associated with New Orleans firm of Monroe & Lemann • Died January 16, 1927 • Portrait painted by M. Adams