James E. Fitzmorris, Jr.,
Fitzmorris & Associates

For so many years this true son of New Orleans, has represented the highest achievements in public service.  He has touched the lives of literally hundreds of thousands of citizens through his dedication to making his community a better place to live.  This man is without peer, and continues to exemplify for all to emulate the forceful energy and enthusiasm that can be the instigator of so much positive change for Louisiana.

            A native of New Orleans, James E. Fitzmorris, Jr. was born on November 15, 1921, the son of James and Romolia Fitzmorris.  “Jimmy Fitz”, as he became known, grew up in the City’s Irish Channel and Broadmoor neighborhoods.  He attended Jesuit High School where his interests included public speaking, debating, acting, and general interest in athletics, and graduated in 1939.  His next stop was Loyola University, where he began his studies in business administration.  However, World War II pre-empted his college career like so many other young men throughout the nation, and he was drafted.  Eager to serve the democratic ideals that he so loved, Jimmy Fitz served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1946, rising from private to Major.  Upon discharge, he continued his duty by serving in the Army Ready Reserves, and did so for almost 20 years.   

            Jimmy’s first priority in life has always been family, and in 1945 he married his first and only love, Gloria.  For fifty years, they were inseparable, until her passing in 1995. Lisa, her husband Bruce, and two beautiful granddaughters, Madeline Gloria and Meredith Rose, make Jimmy’s life as complete as it can be.

            Jimmy has been one of the dominant figures in New Orleans and Louisiana politics since the 1950's, and continues to provide strategic counsel to many of today’s rising government leaders.  His counsel is sought on any number of issues, as he strongly believes in a healthy democracy that is only achieved by men and women of sterling character and staunch uprightness.

            He himself served for twelve years on the New Orleans City Council as District C Councilman and as Councilman-at-Large.  Actively engaged in his district and then citywide issues, Jimmy was one of the original pioneer thinkers behind the development of the Louisiana Superdome.  Along with then-Governor McKeithen, he saw the potential for such a multi-use stadium facility to propel the city, the region and the state into the latter part of the 20th century and beyond.

            In 1972, Jimmy left local government when he ran successfully for Louisiana’s first “full-time” Lieutenant Governor, and he was overwhelmingly re-elected in 1976, receiving nearly one million votes, an historic victory.  Jimmy was the last  Lieutenant Governor to preside over the Louisiana State Senate.  While serving as the state’s second in command,  he became the recognized national spokesperson and authority on Louisiana economic development serving as Coordinator of International Trade and Development and as Chairman of the Board of Commerce and Industry.  It was during the stewardship as Lieutenant Governor that the state’s economic development activities were rated # 1 in the nation.  Under Governor David C. Treen he served as Executive Assistant for Economic  Development and International Affairs and was re-elected Chairman of the Commerce and Industry Board.  He receive national exposure as Chairman of the National Conference  of Lieutenant Governors’ Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

            Jimmy, however, came to government service armed with real-world experience.  There are more stories than time allows that describe his highly successful thirty-two year career with the Kansas City Southern Railway Company.  Jimmy rose from his first position  as messenger boy to Vice-President of the company.  In fact, in 1946 he was recognized as one of the youngest railroad executives in America.  Jimmy hosted many of the era’s celebrities and officials on behalf of the railroad company, including then-President Harry Truman.  He only retired from the Railroad Vice-Presidency in 1972 when he became full-time Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana.  To this day, Jimmy remains one of the company’s most valuable advisors.   In 2007 the KCS dedicated a new 9,000 foot siding west of Monroe as the  “Fitzmorris Siding” in honor of 69 years of service to the Railroad. 

            In 1984, upon retirement as the two-term Lieutenant Governor and a total of 30 years in public life, he formed Fitzmorris and Associates, Inc., where he currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer, representing a wide spectrum of national and international clients in the areas of real estate, corporate and governmental relations.

            Additionally, he is a founding member of the Board of First Bank & Trust and also serves on the Board of Directors of the First Trust Corporation.

            In January 2003 the “Jimmy Fitzmorris Annual Award” was established by First Bank and Trust which honors a local businessman or woman who embodies the ideals and moral ethics of this award’s namesake - an individual who also embraces the spirit of excellence in his or her profession and in his/her community involvement, improving the quality of life for all. 

            Jimmy remains an active member of several local, state and national organizations, and is the recipient of hundreds of honors and awards for service.

            A Louisiana statesman, a successful railroad executive, a consummate civic leader, a devoted family man,  a man who is affectionately referred to as “Governor”, and a faithful friend to the end - this is Jimmy Fitzmorris.