Billy Boles

William Russell "Billy" Boles, Sr.​
Louisiana State Senator for Richland, Franklin, and Catahoula parishes​
In office 1952 – 1956​
Preceded by	Dr. Ralph E. King, Sr.​
Succeeded by	Dr. Ralph E. King, Sr.​
Born	April 30, 1927​ Rayville, Richland Parish​
Died	August 16, 2008 (aged 81)​ Monroe, Ouachita Parish
Resting place	Mulhearn Memorial Park Mausoleum​
Political party	Democrat​
Spouse(s)	Catherine Furlow Boles​
Children	Linda Boles Campbell ​ Diane Boles Kirtland ​ Janet Boles Crawford ​ William R. Boles, Jr.​
Occupation	Attorney and banker in Monroe​
Religion	Southern Baptist Parents: Vernon and Ruth Boles

​ William Russell Boles, Sr., known as Billy Boles (April 30, 1927 – August 16, 2008), was an attorney and banker who, at the age of twenty-four, served a single term as a Louisiana state senator for his native Richland Parish and neighboring Franklin and Catahoula parishes in the northeastern part of the state. His term extended from 1952 to 1956 during the administration of Governor Robert F. Kennon, his fellow Democrat. Boles succeeded and preceded the pro-Long state senator, [[Ralph E. King, Sr], a physician from Winnsboro in Franklin Parish.​ ​ ==Background==​ ​ Boles was born on Louisiana Statehood Day to Vernon and Ruth Boles in Rayville east of Monroe, where he was engaged in his law practice and banking. He attended the University of Louisiana at Monroe (then Northeast Junior College) on a basketball scholarship and then served eighteen months in the United States Navy. Thereafter, he procured his Bachelor of Arts from Louisiana Tech University in Ruston in Lincoln Parish]]. He was student body president of his law class at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.​ ​

Career

Boles and a close friend, State Senator Jamar William Adcock (1917-1991) of Monroe (service: 1960-1972), co-founded what is now Regions Bank of North Louisiana, originally the American Bank in Monroe. Adcock and Boles also started Fidelity Bank in Slidell in St. Tammany Parish, the Colonial Bank in New Orleans, and Progressive Bank in Metairie in Jefferson Parish. They bought into the former Bossier Bank and Trust Company in Bossier City and the Jena Bank in Jena in La Salle Parish. Boles met Adcock when they were LSU students. Their First Fidelity Mortgage Company was later part of Chase Bank. At the time of his death, Boles was semi-retired in Monroe in the practice of law with his son, William Boles, Jr. (born 1956).​ ​

Personal life

Boles was married until his death for sixty years to the former Mary Catherine Furlow (ca. 1928-2010), a native of Elizabeth in Allen Parish, and the daughter of Adelaide and John Furlow. She was a Roman Catholic. The couple is remembered for their philanthropy through the Catherine and William R. "Billy" Boles Terrace on the seventh floor of the library at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.​ ​ In addition to his wife, Boles left behind three daughters and a son: Linda Boles Campbell (born 1949) and husband George M. Campbell, Sr. (born 1948) of Monroe, Diane Boles Kirtland (born 1951) and husband Walter Kirtland (born 1946) of Baton Rouge, attorney Janet Boles Crawford (born 1954) and husband, Baton Rouge attorney-lobbyist Scott Holland Crawford (born 1953), originally from Minden in Webster Parish and a grandson of Minden banker Castle Overstreet "C. O." Holland (1895-1981), and attorney William R. Boles, Jr. Boles had eleven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Services were to be held on August 19 in the First Baptist Church of West Monroe, with entombment at Mulhearn Memorial Park Mausoleum.​ ​ ==References==​

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​​​ [[Category:Inductees of the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame}}