Henry Luce Fuqua

Henry Fuqua was a member of the St. James Lodge No. 47. He was initiated, passed, and raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason in the summer of 1894. Fuqua served as Senior Warden for the lodge in 1896, as Worshipful Master in 1897, and presided over many masonic burial services throughout his membership.

Fuqua entered the workforce as an assistant to the civil engineer for the Engineering Corps constructing the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley Railroad from New Orleans to Memphis. When he returned to Baton Rouge, he worked as a clerk and salesman for a local hardware store for nine years before establishing the Fuqua Hardware Company in downtown Baton Rouge, which he managed for 18 years.

Fuqua was appointed manager of the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola by Governor Pleasant. In this role, he was responsible for management of the prison as well as its farms. It was under Fuqua's business savvy and management that Angola's farms for the first time began to operate at a profit. When Governor Pleasant left office, Fuqua was reappointed as Angola's manager by his successor, Governor Parker. He remained in this position until resigning in 1924 to run for governor.

During his term, Fuqua oversaw the passage of several pieces of anti-Klan legislation and increased funding for construction of the new LSU campus. In fact, Fuqua was a lifelong supporter of LSU, attending classes starting at the age of 10, with the assistance of his father's friend and university president David F. Boyd. On one occasion, Governor Fuqua called the LSU football team into his office for a pre-game meeting in preparation for a game against Tulane. Fuqua was also able to draw on his engineering and agricultural experience regarding levee and highway construction. Fuqua died in office in October 1926.