Senator Says Brown Park Name Remains

Senator Says Brown Park Name Remains

BOBBY ARDOIN

Editor/Consulting Writer

An amended Louisiana State Senate bill that easily moved through committee action on Wednesday indicates the creation of a new recreational facility will apparently not change the name of Graham Brown Park in Lafayette, according to District 24 Senator Gerald Boudreaux.

Boudreaux, said during a Tuesday phone interview with St. Landry Now.com, that he never intended to rename Graham Brown Park, which includes 10 acres donated to the City of Lafayette in 1982 as part of a private corporation sale with Charles Castille and Herbert Brown, an internationally recognized businessman whose family roots are in Opelousas.

It’s obvious, Boudreaux said, that the park was named after Graham Brown Jr. when the city purchased the property.

Boudreaux noted in the interview that when the bill was first introduced, he received a strong response from individuals living in Opelousas and St. Landry, who told him they opposed any name change for Graham Brown Park.

“I would never do anything that would disrespect a family. The park is a legal entity and will remain Graham Brown Park,” Boudreaux said.

Herbert Graham Brown, Jr. the son of Herbert and Diane Fontenot Brown, was 15 when he died in 1971 during a boating accident in Clearwater, Fla., where the family was living at the time.

Boudreaux represents a multi-parish district that includes parts of St. Landry, Lafayette and St. Martin.

The City of Lafayette purchased the 40 acres of property for the park in 1982, records obtained by St. Landry Now.com show. The records also show that the sale included a donation of 10 acres from the corporation which listed Herbert Brown as secretary.

The recreational facility which will be located within Graham Park is scheduled to honor Merlin Leger, who Boudreaux has said volunteered for Graham Park events for at least 40 years.

“There was never a proposed change for the naming of Graham Brown Park or any of the other city parks in Lafayette. All the parks in Lafayette will retain their legal names. It’s only the (recreational) entities inside the parks that will be named for individuals that have made impacts for recreation in Lafayette,” Boudreaux said during the interview.

Boudreaux added that the Lafayette City And Parish Council approved a resolution about five years ago that allows naming recreational complexes within several city parks.

“The resolution never intended to change the imprint or the names of the existing parks. The legislation pending in the Senate codifies the actions of the two (Lafayette) Councils,” Boudreaux said.

Herbert Brown was 100 when he died in Clearwater, Fla. in 2024. Diane Fontenot Brown, the daughter of former St. Landry Parish District Attorney J.Y. Fontenot still lives in the Clearwater, Fla. area.

Brown began building a corporate empire in Opelousas during the 1950’s when he started Brown’s Furniture. Later Brown founded Brown’s Thrift City and Discount, which eventually merged with Eckerd Drugs.

Later during his business career, Brown, a former Rotary International president, started the Checkers fast food chain.