Walter O. Bigby

Walter O. Bigby
Walter O. Bigby
	Bigby in 1976
Member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
	In office; 1968–1979
Preceded by	Ford E. Stinson
Succeeded by	Robert R. Adley
Judge of the Louisiana Court Appeal for the Second Circuit
	In office; 1979–1980
Personal details
Born	Walter Oliver Bigby; April 10, 1927; Vernon Parish, Louisiana, U.S.
Died	January 2, 1980 (aged 52); Bossier City, Louisiana, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Relatives	V. V. Whittington (father-in-law)
Alma mater	Louisiana State University
Occupation	Judge

Walter Oliver Bigby (April 10, 1927 – January 2, 1980), nicknamed "Dean of the House",^[1]^[2] was an American judge and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1968 to 1979 and as judge of the Louisiana Court Appeal for the Second Circuit from 1979 to 1980.^[2]^[3]

Life and career

Bigby was born in Vernon Parish, Louisiana, the son of Harvey Bigby and Ethel Swindle.^[4] He attended Benton High School, graduating in 1944. After graduating, he served in the United States Navy, which after his discharge, he attended Louisiana State University, earning his Juris Doctor degree in 1952.^[5]

Bigby served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1968 until his resignation in 1979.^[3] After resigning from the House, he served as judge of the Louisiana Court Appeal for the Second Circuit from 1979 to 1980.^[2]

Bigby died on January 2, 1980, of lung cancer at the Bossier City General Hospital in Bossier City, Louisiana, at the age of 52.^[1]^[6]

^ ^a ^b "Former Legislator Walter Bigby Dies". The Shreveport Journal. Shreveport, Louisiana. January 2, 1980. p. 1. Retrieved June 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Walter O. Bigby (1927-1980) Papers, 1967-1988". Louisiana State University Archives & Special Collections. Archived from the original on September 14, 2006. Retrieved June 28, 2025 – via Wayback Machine.
^ ^a ^b "Membership In The Louisiana House Of Representatives 1812 - 2012" (PDF). David R. Poynter Legislative Research Library. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 31, 2010. Retrieved June 28, 2025 – via Wayback Machine.
^ "Walter Oliver Bigby". U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007. Retrieved June 28, 2025 – via Ancestry.com. (subscription required)
^ "Ordinance No.41 Of 2017". Bossier City, LA. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
^ "Walter Bigby: Personification of Gentleman". Daily World. Opelousas, Louisiana. January 3, 1980. p. 12. Retrieved June 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.