Recognizing the Legacy of A Great Native Son and the Outstanding Life of the Late Victor John Labat

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. CARTER of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of Victor John Labat, born in New Orleans, Louisiana to parents Victor and Jeanne Victor Labat, on November 24, 1932. At the tender age of 91 in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, he recently passed away on Sunday, April 21, 2024. A proud graduate of Xavier Preparatory High School and Xavier University of Louisiana with a degree in mathematics, two key Catholic Institutions, both founded by Saint Katharine Drexel and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.

During his college days, he served as the artistic designer and director of the Xavier Yearbook, where he proudly displayed his unique passion for drawing and painting. His professional successes spanned across varying careers In his early years, he was a construction company owner, designing and building homes around the city of New Orleans. He later moved his family of five to Washington, D.C., with an assignment to desegregate court ordered schools through southern states under the Nixon Administration. His career included being appointed Assistant to Leon Panetta, Director of the Office of Civil Rights under the Secretary of U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources (HEW). The next assignment took him and his family to Dakar, Senegal, West Africa where he served as Director of the Peace Corps for five years.

With a wealth of international experience under his belt, he established Labat Anderson Inc., one of the country's most successful government contracting firms, creating offices and jobs throughout the U.S. and internationally. The success of Labat Anderson Inc. led to Labat Africa Ltd. in Johannesburg, South Africa. Labat Africa Ltd. is the first African American co-owned company to open upon Nelson Mandela's presidency and to trade on the South African Stock Exchange.

Victor retired to his family's hometown of Bay St. Louis, MS, though he spent a tremendous amount of time in his hometown, New Orleans, welcomed and cared for by family and friends. A vibrant man, that still enjoyed international travel until his passing, found peace in painting, fine dining and French wines, motorcycle riding, and laughing out loud with his family and friends. He had just completed his first soon to be published book on his family lineage titled, ``Is That So? From the Mississippi Gulf Coast, A Portrait of an American Family through Race, Education, Power, Politics, Religion and Class.''

Victor is preceded in death by his parents, and a younger brother, Michael L. Labat, Sr. He is survived by his three children, Carla Labat (George Dines), Lori Labat and Yancey Labat (Andrea Menotti), three granddaughters, Akira Scott, Eliza and Serenna Menotti Labat; a brother, Joseph A. Labat, MD (Dr. Deidre Dumas), sister-in-law, Constance ``Connie'' Ray Labat, Dorothy Martel Labat, Judi Gerhardt; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and associates.

I am proud to have spent time and growing up with mentors from this phenomenal family, as well as their children during my college days, always fascinated by their accomplishments. I am honored to document the incredible life of Victor J. Labat, a life well-lived.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source