Richard P. "Dick" Guidry

Richard P. "Dick" Guidry for his outstanding career as a Louisiana State Representative where he accomplished much for his south Lafourche Parish constituents. Born in the Lafourche Parish town of Galliano in 1929, Richard "Dick" Guidry never forgot his roots nor his people. After completing high school, he briefly entered the real estate business. In 1952 Dick became the youngest person ever to win a seat in the Louisiana House of Representatives. He served from 1952-1956 and from 1964-1976. Always looking to the future for Lafourche Parish, he won approval for the South Lafourche Levee District. This 48-mile ring levee in south Lafourche Parish has protected residents and structures of south Lafourche Parish many times over the years. When neighboring parishes flooded during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, south Lafourche remained dry - saving many lives and countless dollars in potential devastation. Dick had lift bridges built across Bayou Lafourche to connect both sides of the bayou communities. He was a driving force for the establishment of Port Fourchon - an instrumental part of the oil industry in the Gulf of Mexico and a source of much-needed jobs. He proposed the construction of the pump station that today brings Mississippi River water into Bayou Lafourche for drinking water, fisheries employment and recreation. Dick also secured funding for several buildings at Nicholls State University. Recognized by his fellow citizens for his tireless efforts to move Lafourche Parish forward, Richard Guidry was inducted into the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame in 2014. Many have said that his greatest political attribute was his foresight - looking to the future for his parish. Dick Guidry always believed in his country, believed in Acadiana and believed in the hard work ethic of the Cajun people. Dick passed away in 2014 - a year before his wife Phyllis. They had six children.