Edmond A. Boudreaux, Jr. Papers

Mr. Edmond Anthony Boudreaux Jr. was born on April 17, 1949 in Georgetown, South Carolina and spent most of his life in Biloxi, Mississippi. From 1957 to 1964 Mr. Boudreaux attended St. Michael Elementary School and attended high school at Notre Dame High School from 1964-1967. After graduation, he studied for three semesters at Jefferson Davis College, a branch of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College. Mr. Boudreaux married Virginia Louise Bertucci of Biloxi on August 10, 1969 and they had three children. He was also a Vietnam War veteran who served as a boiler technician for the Navy; he was honorably discharged as a Third Class Petit Officer in 1972. After his military service, Mr. Boudreaux worked as a medical information clerk for the Biloxi Veterans Administration in 1972. Then he started a long career as a service technician for AT&T and he work there until his retirement in 2010. Mr. Boudreaux was also involved in archaeological excavations, French Colonial re-enactments, historical research and writing. Mr. Boudreaux was the author of a historical article called “Time Traveler” for The Biloxi D’Iberville Press newspaper. Six of his articles are featured within this collection.

Mr. Boudreaux was active in civic activities and professional organizations such as the Mississippi Coast Historical and Genealogical Society since 1985 and where he acted as president from 1990 to 1997. Mr. Boudreaux was also vice-president of archaeology and treasurer. In 1987 he joined the Mississippi Archaeological Association and served as state president from 1994 to 1995. He was a member of the Telephone Pioneers of America, Mississippi Chapter #36 and was the chapter president from 1993 to 1994. He was awarded the Points of Light Award form President George Bush Sr. for “Project Aware.” In 1973 he became a United States Jaycees member and received Governorship in 1988. He became a member of the Board of Directors for the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum of Biloxi, Mississippi in 1986, served as president from 1990 to 1992, and later served as an Advisory Board member. In 1992 Mr. Boudreaux became an Advisory Board member for the Ohr/O’Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi. He served on the Biloxi Tri-Centennial Commission from 1997 to 1999 where he volunteered to help for the preparation and celebration of the 300th anniversary of the landing of the French explorer d’Iberville (1699). Mr. Boudreaux was appointed the Governor’s Commission on National and Community Service on January 7, 1994, which became the Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service. He also served as commission chairperson from 1996 to 1998; past chairperson 1998 to 1999 and chairperson from 1994.

Edmond Boudreaux Jr. also received several awards and honors for his work in the community and military such as the Calvin Brown Award in 1992 from the Mississippi Association of Professional Archaeologists. He was named Historian of the Year in 1993 from the City of Biloxi for his volunteer services to history. On March 4, 1989, he received citation in form of a resolution for the study of excavations of pre-historic and historical sites from the Mississippi Historical Society. He received the Craftsperson of the Year Award in 1990, and the Heritage Week Award in 1991 at the Biloxi’s Historic Preservation Awards. In 1995, Biloxi Public Schools awarded him the Outstanding Volunteer Award. He was awarded Community Volunteer of the Year in 1995 and 1999 from Biloxi. The governor of Mississippi gave him the Governor’s Initiative for Volunteer Excellence Award for Lifetime Achievement in Volunteer Service in 1998. In 1980 and 1987, the North Biloxi Jaycees awarded him the Distinguished Service Awards. He received two awards from the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi in 1985, the Bishop’s Service Cross and For God and Youth Award. While he was in the military, he received the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal and the Armed Forces Expedition Medal. Mr. Edmond Anthony Boudreaux, Jr. died on December 22, 2019 and his collection would be of interest for anyone interested in Mississippi Gulf Coast history.