Alvin Boutte, Sr. (Finding Aid)

Alvin Boutte, Sr.

1929 -

Favorite Color: Dark Blue

Favorite Food: Shrimp

Favorite Time of Year: Fall and Spring

Favorite Vacation Spot: Jamaica and Italy

Interview Length: 88 minutes

Interview Date(s): March 6, 2003

Interview Location(s): Chicago, Illinois

Abstract

Alvin Boutte describes his family's Creole heritage and details his father's and mother's backgrounds and personalities. He describes his childhood neighborhood in Lake Charles, Louisiana, focusing on his schooling. Boutte says he attended a private Catholic school, which he says gave him a much better education than he would have received in a public school. He outlines some of the hobbies he enjoyed as a child, saying he enjoyed reading and basketball. Boutte recalls cultivating his love for reading despite the segregated conditions at the local library. He says he played basketball up through his college days, at Xavier University of Louisiana. Boutte explains the origins of the school, why he chose to attend there, and discusses his time on the school's basketball team. Alvin Boutte describes his education at Xavier University of Louisiana, saying that while he majored in pharmacy, the field of economics interested him more. He then describes his experience in the U.S. Army, which had just been desegregated. Though Boutte faced prejudice at first, by the end of his service, he had become a beloved officer to his men, and he recalls his service fondly. He then describes his first business venture after leaving the Army, when he ran a very successful drugstore in Chicago. Boutte explains the business principles he used to help his pharmacy succeed, and how he applied these principles to the banking industry. Boutte details his success in the banking industry, explaining how success in business and political progress are both crucial to the black community. Alvin Boutte details the business strategies he used to succeed in the banking world. He also explains how these strategies helped to create wealth in the black community. Boutte describes how his banks helped to improve the technology in the banking world, such as introducing automated teller machines. Boutte then moves into a discussion of his civil activities, describing his involvement in numerous community service organizations, and explaining how black businesses helped to fund political causes. Boutte cites the success of activists like Rev. Jesse Jackson as an example of how business and activism work well together. Boutte then reflects on the future of the black community, and says he is concerned that the black lower class does not value education, and consequently, will struggle to succeed. Boutte says that while he never thought of himself as one who would leave a legacy, he hopes that people will remember him as honest and successful. He explains how he received inspiration to succeed in business Alvin Boutte describes the photographs he has provided, which detail his career.

41 Stories (See Ordered Story Set)