Arnaud Beauvais
Arnaud Beauvais (also known as Armand Beauvais or Arnaud Jules Beauvais) was the seventh Governor of Louisiana. He served from October 6, 1829, to January 14, 1830. Before and after his brief governorship, he held other important roles: Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives (1821–1823), President of the Louisiana State Senate (1827–1830), and a member of both the House (1814–1822) and the Senate (1823–1830).
Beauvais was born on September 6, 1783, in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana, then part of New Spain. He came from a wealthy, slaveholding family and was the youngest of eight children who received private tutoring. In 1806 he bought a plantation on the Mississippi River. In 1810 he married Louise Delphine Labatut. He was Catholic.
His political career began in 1810 when William C. C. Claiborne named him Justice of the Peace for Pointe Coupee, and he later helped administer the Pointe Coupee school district. He served in the Louisiana House of Representatives in 1814, 1816, and 1818, and then as Speaker from 1821 to 1823. He was elected to the State Senate in 1822 and served as its President from 1827 to 1830.
Beauvais became acting Governor when Governor Pierre Derbigny died from injuries after a carriage accident. During his short term, Louisiana’s capital was moved from New Orleans to Donaldsonville. He sought reelection in the 1830 special election but lost, receiving about 18% of the vote. His campaign was financed with a loan, which led to financial troubles and the sale of his estate in 1839.
He died on November 18, 1843, in New Orleans at age 60 and is buried in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 2.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 13:24 (CET).