Shushan, Abraham Lazar, 1894-1966

Born 12 Jan. 1894 in Bougere, now part of Reserve, La.; d. 3 Nov. 1966 in New Orleans, La. First employed during his early teens by Shushan Brothers, a New Orleans wholesale dry goods business established by his father and uncle, Shushan became a partner in the firm in 1916 and president of the firm in 1931. Appointed to the New Orleans Levee Board in 1920 by Governor John M. Parker, he was reappointed by successive administrations and became president of the Board in 1929. It was under his direction that the lakefront sea wall and the New Orleans Lakefront Airport were constructed. A friend and political associate of Huey P. Long, Shushan was an important political figure in Louisiana during the 1920s and 1930s.