Famous Residents at Roselawn

The winding roads established long ago now pass majestic oaks and several graves that mark the resting places of some famous and notable names in Louisiana's history.

Roselawn lists names and information of more than 26,000 cemetery residents at the website, www.findagrave.com.

A partial list of legendary residents at Roselawn, arranged by burial dates, includes:

Dr. George Tichenor

Born February 12, 1837   |   Died January 14, 1923

Tichenor, who pioneered the use of antiseptic surgery during the Civil War, practiced in Baton Rouge from 1869 – 1887. Over 500,000,000 bottles of his antiseptic have been sold.

General John McGrath

Born in 1836   |   Died April 28, 1924

McGrath's historical notes, which can be found in LSU Library's Special Collections, not only recount war stories, but also describe social life in Baton Rouge, Mardi Gras balls, parades, a resort hotel in Greenwell Springs, cockfighting and horse racing (1861‐1949).

Governor Henry Fuqua

Born November 8, 1865   |   Died October 11, 1926

The much beloved governor who beat Huey Long in 1924, died halfway into his term and is credited with cracking down on the Ku Klux Klan through harsher penalties for crimes while the perpetrators were in KKK costumes.

Mayor Jesse Webb

October 10, 1923   |   Died April 28, 1956

Elected Mayor of Baton Rouge in 1952, Webb was known as a moderate for the time, having desegregated Baton Rouge busses before he was killed in a plane crash during his first term.

EBR Sheriff Bryan Clemmons

Born April 2, 1907   |   Died July 5, 1976

East Baton Rouge Sheriff Bryan Clemmons took office July 1, 1948 and served for many years until July of 1972. Clemmons was sheriff when demonstrations by self‐described Black Muslims on North Boulevard earlier that year made national news. The riot ended with the deaths of two police officers, two African Americans and serious injury of several persons.

Alvin Roy

Born April 24, 1920   |   Died April 27, 1979

Credited with bringing weightlifing to LSU football players like Billy Cannon, Roy hosted a Saturday television program for a number of years on WAFB‐TV, called "Future Champions."

T. Harry Williams

Born May 19, 1909   |   Died July 6, 1979

An American historian who taught at Louisiana State University from 1941 to 1979, Williams is perhaps best known for "American Civil War Study, Lincoln and His Generals," a Book of the Month Club selection in 1952; and "Huey Long, a Study of Louisiana Politician Huey Pierce Long, Jr.," a 1970 winner of both the National Book Award in History and Biography and the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography.

Bill Evans

Born August 16, 1929   |   Died September 8, 1980

An innovative American jazz pianist and composer who mostly worked in a trio setting, Evans was honored with 31 Grammy nominations and seven awards. He was inducted in the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame and wrote "Kind of Blue," the best‐selling jazz album of all time.

EBR Parish Sheriff Al Amiss

Born April 27, 1929   |   Died February 6, 1983

Taking office July 1, 1972, Amiss is credited with transforming the parish's law force from one with only a few African Americans to one with a more racially proportionate number of deputies. Amiss, who died in office after serving many terms, has been recognized for building more substations, particularly in high‐crime areas of the parish.

Ben Peabody

Born February 23, 1912   |   Died August 19, 1983

A Baton Rouge City Councilor during the Pat Screen Administration, Peabody participated in the recodification and consolidation of Baton Rouge's 1951 City Code, effective October 12, 1983.

James "Jake" Staples

Born September 23, 1914   |   Died December 16, 1984

Sensation Salad is credited to The Place, Staples' popular restaurant on Government Street for many years. Identified as a Baton Rouge salad, the recipe can be found in many cook books and on Internet cooking sites today.

Brooks Read

Born August 4, 1926   |   Died August 6, 1991

W. Brooks Read, an early television reporter and advertising executive turned actor, appeared as Rep. Fruge in "The Life and Assassination of the Kingfish,"(1977); a reporter in "Blaze," (1989) and a judge courrier in "Doublecrossed," (1991).

Claude B. Pennington

Born March 30, 1900   |   Died August 7, 1997

Starting out in the 1920's as a laborer in the oil and gas industry, Pennington bought the Mount Pleasant Plantation in May of 1957. Twenty years later, AMOCO drilled a well on that property, which turned into one of the largest oil and gas finds in Louisiana history. In 1980, Pennington and his wife Irene gave $125 million to Louisiana State University to create the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, then formed a philanthropic foundation two years later that is still in operation today.

Harold G. Herthum

Born April 11, 1929   |   Died July 4, 1998

A Baton Rouge insurance company owner turned actor, Herthum appeared as the coroner in "JFK," (1991); the doctor in "Forrest Gump," (1994) and the bartender in "Tin Cup," (1996).

William D. "Willie" Davenport

Born June 8, 1943   |   Died June 17, 2002

Davenport competed in the 1964, 1968, 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics as a 110‐meter hurdler and in the 1980 Winter Olympics as a runner for the bobsled team. He won a gold metal in 1968, a bronze in 1976 and finished fourth place in 1972. Because of the boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics, he was the only U.S. Track and Field Competitor to participate in the 1980 Olympics—and the only African‐American to compete in any Winter Olympics. He was a Colonel in the United States National Guard when he had a heart attack and died at the age of 59.

U.S. Senator Russell Long

Born November 3, 1918   |   Died May 9, 2003

Only 17 when his father Huey Long was killed, Long was a Navy Lieutenant in World War II. He served in the U. S. Senate for 38 years and as Democratic Whip from 1965 to 1969.

Raful Neal

Born June 6, 1936   |   Died September 1, 2004

Picking up a harmonica at age 14, African‐American Raful Neal was one of the key architects of Baton Rouge Blues and R&B sound. On the international blues scene, Neal was recognized as a singer, harmonicist and songwriter.

Jackie Neal

Born July 7, 1967   |   Died March 10, 2005

Daughter of famous father, Raful, Jackie was one of eight of her ten siblings, including brother Kenny, who were blues musicians. She was best known for her hit single, "Right Thang, Wrong Man, The Way We Roll." A rising star, Jackie also was a beautician, who owned her own salon until her tragic death at age 38.

Trevor Sims

Born October 12, 2002   |   Died October 16, 2013

The 11‐year old cancer sufferer sparked a Baton Rouge Food Bank drive, called "Trevor's Wish," to feed the homeless in Baton Rouge. Before he died, Trevor said he would like to end hunger for others, because "nobody should have to be hungry." His courageous spirit provided more than 350,000 meals that year and the event became an annual food drive.