Frank A. Monroe

Frank Adair Monroe was born on August 30, 1844, in Annapolis, Maryland. His grandfather was Thomas Bell Monroe, who served as a judge of the United States District Court for the District of Kentucky. Monroe was raised in Frankfort, Kentucky.

During the American Civil War, Monroe was enrolled as a cadet at the Kentucky Military Institute. He served in the Confederate Army during the conflict, during which he was wounded in 1863. Following his injury, he was captured by Union forces and held as a prisoner for eight months.

In his judicial career, Monroe served as Judge of the Third District Court for one month in 1872 but was dispossessed of this position. He was involved with the White League, a white supremacist organization active during the Reconstruction era. Monroe was re-elected to a judicial position in 1876 and served as a judge of the Civil District Court from 1880 until 1899.

He participated in the Louisiana Constitutional Convention of 1898, contributing to the state's constitutional development. Monroe was appointed as a justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court on March 22, 1899. He succeeded Judge Breaux as Chief Justice through seniority in April 1914 and served in that capacity from that date. Monroe retired from the court in 1921.

In his personal life, Monroe married Alice Blane in 1878. The couple had ten children. Monroe passed away on January 16, 1927, in New Orleans.