Mr. lOUIS j. mICHOT, JR.
1988 Recipient
International Achievement Award
Mr. Michot was named the first recipient of the “International Achievement Award” presented by the International Trade Development Group and Le Centre International de Lafayette.
A pioneer in Acadiana’s international trade, Mr. Michot was a founding partner of two import-export companies instrumental in furthering trade relations with Central and South America, and was personally responsible for the establishment of many contacts with business and political leaders of those countries.Mr. Michot’s business involvement has included the import of tomatoes from Honduras, a cattle ranch in Guatemala, road building projects in El Salvador and Mexico and a textile factory in Mexico City. He was invited to Brazil to study the production and use of gasohol as a substitute fuel. During the Nicaraguan earthquake, at Governor Edwards’ request, he coordinated Louisiana’s shipments of medicine and supplies from . He sponsored the official visit to Louisiana of Guatemalan President Romeo Lucas García. As State Superintendent of Education, Michot met with the Governor of Québec and education ministers of France and Belgium in support of the CODOFIL program. Louis and his wife Pat often travel with their sons’ Cajun band, “Les Frères Michot,” on tours of Europe to promote the music and culture of Southwest Louisiana.
Involved with the International Good Neighbor Council for many years, Mr. Michot’s efforts focus on furthering relations between the United States and Mexico. He took IGNC’s Acadiana Chapter (Louisiana’s sole chapter) from a small, strictly social organization to a very active service organization with over 200 members. Under his leadership, it has raised thousands of dollars to help the impoverished Tarahumara Indians of northwest Mexico. The chapter has become one of the largest support groups within the IGNC. Currently Secretary-Treasurer of the Acadiana Chapter and Vice President of the U.S. Region of IGNC International, Mr. Michot will serve as IGNC’s International President for 1998-99.
A pioneer in Acadiana’s international trade, Mr. Michot was a founding partner of two import-export companies instrumental in furthering trade relations with Central and South America, and was personally responsible for the establishment of many contacts with business and political leaders of those countries.
Mr. Michot’s business involvement has included the import of tomatoes from Honduras, a cattle ranch in Guatemala, road building projects in El Salvador and Mexico and a textile factory in Mexico City. He was invited to Brazil to study the production and use of gasohol as a substitute fuel. During the Nicaraguan earthquake, at Governor Edwards’ request, he coordinated Louisiana’s shipments of medicine and supplies. He sponsored the official visit to Louisiana of Guatemalan President Romeo Lucas García. As State Superintendent of Education, Michot met with the Governor of Québec and education ministers of France and Belgium in support of the CODOFIL program. Louis and his wife Pat often traveled with their sons’ Cajun band, “Les Frères Michot,” on tours of Europe to promote the music and culture of Southwest Louisiana.
Involved with the International Good Neighbor Council for many years, Mr. Michot’s efforts focused on furthering relations between the United States and Mexico. He took IGNC’s Acadiana Chapter (Louisiana’s sole chapter) from a small, strictly social organization to a very active service organization with over 200 members. Under his leadership, it has raised thousands of dollars to help the impoverished Tarahumara Indians of northwest Mexico. The chapter has become one of the largest support groups within the IGNC. Mr. Michot was Secretary-Treasurer of the Acadiana Chapter and Vice President of the U.S. Region of IGNC International, and served as IGNC’s International President for 1998-99.
Louis was born on November 5, 1922, in Lafayette, to Louis Joseph Michot, Sr., and Adele Marie Domas Michot, both from Avoyelles Parish. He was raised in Mamou, Evangeline Parish, and in Lafayette where he graduated from Cathedral High School in 1939, was an Eagle Scout and attended SLI (now University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Louis Michot was a native of Lafayette, Louisiana and lived there most of his 89 years, except for his 10 boyhood years in Youngsville and Mamou, Louisiana, where his father was a school teacher. He then joined the Civilian Conservation Corps and served six months as a firefighter and reforestation worker in northern California. Louis served four years in the Marines during World War II. While in the Marines he was an anti-aircraft battery gunner officer aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, and participated in 10 combat missions in the Pacific Theatre. Following military service he left college and ventured into the business world by building a drive-in theatre in Lafayette, eventually owning 2 theatres in Acadiana. His subsequent business ventures over the years covered a wide range such as: real estate development; 45 Burger Chef fast-food restaurants in Louisiana and Mississippi; commercial air and water transportation; oil well drilling; offshore and marine construction; general insurance; textile manufacturing in Mexico; foreign trade; and cattle ranching in Central America. He was one of the organizers of Bank of Lafayette, and served on its Board of Directors. He also served on the Board of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Lafayette; Conrad Industries in Morgan City, Louisiana; and as Chairman of Michot Family Partnership based in Lafayette. He was elected to the Louisiana Legislature from Lafayette Parish in 1959, was a candidate for Governor in 1963, was later elected to the Louisiana State Board of Education in 1968, and in 1971 elected statewide as Superintendent of Education. Besides his emphasis on “Career Education” where Louisiana established the system of Voc-Tech education and training to better equip youth for job skills, he provided start-up funds plus office and studio space for Louisiana Educational TV, which has become the very outstanding Louisiana Public Broadcasting Network, LPB.
Always active in civic and community affairs, he accepted an appointment as Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce in 1953, and in 1955 was a founder of the Louisiana Gulf Coast Oil Exposition (LAGCOE). He was a licensed pilot, served 2 years in Washington, D. C. as Assistant to the Vice President of the Air Transport Association of America, and later as President of the National Aerospace Education Association. He received the National Civil Air Patrol’s distinguished Brewer Award. He was a former Kiwanis International Governor of its Louisiana, Mississippi, West-Tennessee District; was Vice President of the USS Enterprise Association; a recipient of the Lafayette Civic Cup Award; The ULL Outstanding Alumni Award; Cathedral-Carmel Distinguished Graduate Citation; received the First International Achievement Award by the City of Lafayette’s International Center. He was named to the Acadiana Business Hall of Fame. He is a past International President of the International Good Neighbor Council, which promotes good will and better relations among the peoples of the United States and Mexico. He served on the Board of Directors of the Louisiana Military Hall of Fame and Museum located in Abbeville, Louisiana. For many years Mr. Michot provided assistance in the establishment and maintenance of a 75-bed free hospital, two schools, and drilling of seven pure water wells for the Tarahumara Indian children of northwest Mexico. Mr. Michot passed away March 6, 2012.