John F. Goodrich

John Fox Goodrich was born in Waterproof, Louisiana on August 27, 1885. Goodrich enrolled at LSU in the fall of 1904. For his first four years at LSU, he was involved in the military curriculum at the university, but records show he did not participate his senior year. In his fourth year (1907-1908), he served as the captain of LSU’s Company B. Goodrich was a member of the German club, Sigma Nu and Theta Omega Phi fraternities. He was named the ’08-’09 senior class poet and was involved in the Dramatic Club.

In LSU’s 1909 edition of the Gumbo yearbook he selected the following as his senior quote: “Here’s to humor, fair damsels, and sweet music.” Along with his agricultural education, he seemed to be interested in the arts, as he was the in his fourth year. In his senior yearbook, his image is accompanied by this short description of him:

He is a little good-looking, with ways so captivating that all the girls seem to fall in love with him. He loves to relate little incidents of his past life, experienced in Monte Carlo, New York, etc., while in the company of his friend and partner, “Couvy.”

Goodrich was involved in humorous clubs, like “The Hobo Gang.” He and his friend, Henry Francis Couvillion, were known around campus as “Couvillion & Goodrich, Humorists and Night-Riders.”

After graduating, Goodrich moved back home and worked at a sugar refinery. Goodrich then moved to Riverside, California, sometime after 1910 and became a farmer. There, he met Helen Dunlap who was from Oxnard, California, and the two were married. Goodrich registered for the draft on September 18, 1918, when he was 33 years old. Ironically, the war ended the following month. Though there is no record of cause of death, it is likely that he was a victim of the influenza epidemic.

Written by Melanie Frederic