Harvey Peltier Sr.

Harvey Andrew Peltier Sr.
Born	Template:Birth date Thibodaux, Louisiana, U.S.
Died	November 12, 1977(1977-11-12) (aged 78)
Occupation(s)	Lawyer, banker, entrepreneur, sugar planter, oilman, horse breeder, politician
Years active	1924–1970s
Known for	Louisiana state legislator; campaign manager for Huey P. Long; member of Louisiana State Board of Education

Harvey Andrew Peltier Sr. (October 20, 1899 – November 12, 1977) was a multifaceted professional from Thibodaux, Louisiana, known for his roles as a lawyer, banker, entrepreneur, sugar planter, oil industry participant, distinguished horse breeder, and political figure. He is especially recognized for managing the campaigns of Governor and U.S. Senator Huey Pierce Long, Jr.

Political life

Peltier held a seat as a Democratic representative for Lafourche Parish in the Louisiana House of Representatives between 1924 and 1929. Following this tenure, he represented both Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes in the Louisiana State Senate from 1930 until 1940.

During the 1960s, he secured election to the Louisiana State Board of Education representing the 3rd congressional district. In the election held on November 8, 1966, he won decisively against Republican candidate Charles deGravelles, obtaining 64.7% of the vote. DeGravelles later served as chairman of the Louisiana Republican Party from 1968 to 1972. At that period, the board was composed entirely of Democrats, with Bill Dodd serving as the appointed superintendent of education.

In an interview conducted amid his 1966 board campaign, Peltier characterized himself as a "jack-of-all-trades," emphasizing his consistent work ethic and determination despite possessing fewer financial resources than some rivals.

Family background

Born as the eighth child among nine siblings to Cajun Roman Catholic parents Ozeme Euzelien Peltier and Heloise Odelia Cancienne, Peltier experienced the loss of his mother at an early age. Subsequently, his father remarried Celeste Marie Lenain.

Peltier and his spouse, May Ayo, raised four children. Their son Harvey Peltier Jr. followed in his father's political footsteps by serving in the Louisiana State Senate from 1964 to 1976 and becoming the inaugural chairman of the University of Louisiana System Board of Trustees between 1975 and 1980—a successor entity to the education board on which his father had served. Other offspring include James R. Peltier Sr., a leading oral surgeon in Thibodaux who founded the Louisiana Society of Oral Surgeons and was active in governmental reform initiatives; Bernice P. Harang; Donald Louis Peltier; and Richard Benton Peltier. His son-in-law Warren Harang Jr. played a significant role in local business and politics as president of both the Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce and the American Sugar Cane League, while also serving on the school board and holding multiple terms as mayor of Thibodaux.

Peltier passed away in 1977 at age seventy-eight. Honoring his contributions to Thoroughbred horse racing, he was inducted posthumously into the Fair Grounds Racing Hall of Fame in 1994.