Ernest Lagarde

Ernest Lagarde (September 4, 1836 – October 25, 1914) was a mixed race Creole author, journalist, professor, publisher, and linguist. He spoke many languages including Greek, following his Greek-American heritage. Lagarde was a member of the prominent Creole Dimitry family of New Orleans. The family was involved in a large number of controversial incidents that involved racism. He was a faculty member at Mount St. Mary's University for over 45 years. He served as chairman of the university's Department of Modern Languages and Literature. Lagarde worked for several newspapers and also wrote several scholarly books, including one on William Shakespeare entitled ''Shakespeare A Lecture''. He started a newspaper for Mount Saint Mary's College called ''The Mountain Echo''. Lagarde was born to parents Jean Baptist Lagarde and Marie Francesca Athenais Dimitry. His father died while Lagarde was a young child, and so his uncle Alexander Dimitry took on an important role in Lagarde's upbringing. Lagarde initially studied law and medicine at the University of Louisiana (now known as Tulane University), although he switched to journalism and later teaching. He received both a bachelor's degree and master's degree from Georgetown University. After 1869, Lagarde became a tenured professor at Mount St. Mary's University.

Lagarde built an elaborate estate one mile south of Mount Saint Mary's College called the ''Inglewood Estate'' where he raised his children. The house has remained well-preserved. College of Saint Francis Xavier (New York) conferred on Lagarde a Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) as an honorary degree. Lagarde was a member of the Modern Language Association of America, the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, and the Louisiana Historical Society. He was also a member of the Phonetic and Philological Association of the United States which honored him during the 1876 centennial of the United States. Lagarde's son Ernest Lagarde Jr. was on the commission of the Panama Canal. His daughter Alice Lagarde married Italian-American composer Giuseppe Ferrata. Lagarde died in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and had a well-attended funeral. Provided by Wikipedia