James C. Thibodeaux was born July 1911 in the parish of St. Martinville, Louisiana. He moved with his family to Dallas, Texas after his mother died. Thibodeaux’s father, a graduate of Strait University (later known as Dillard University) in New Orleans, worked as head custodian and translator of French at the Federal Reserve Bank in Dallas. Thibodeaux graduated from the Sisters’ Institute (later known as St. Peter’s Academy) in 1928. During high school, Thibodeaux was encouraged by his art teacher, Sister Michael, to develop his artistic talent. Because of racial discrimination, no schools in the Dallas area would accept him so his father contacted schools in New York City. In 1929 Thibodeaux’s father sent him to New York City to study at Cooper Union, which had offered him a scholarship. Also in 1929, Thibodeaux began work with WOR radio as a studio page; he retired in 1977 as television operations supervisor.
During his career at WOR, he continued to pursue his artistic endeavors in art, photography, history, and acting. Thibodeaux’s work has been shown at the Countee Cullen Library, Eva Jessye's studio, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He was active in the Dallas Negro Players, the first black little theater group in Dallas, and the Harlem Experimental Players. In addition to his own career as an artist, he served as a mentor to many younger artists, particularly through his involvement with the Police Athletic League and the YMCA in New York City. Thibodeaux has also mentored older, lesser-known African-American artists by organizing exhibitions and documenting their work in text and photographs. In 1992 Thibodeaux was recognized as a “Dallas Living Legend” by the Junior Black Academy of Arts and Letters. As of 1999, Thibodeaux was living in the family home in Dallas.
From the guide to the Thibodeaux, James C. Photograph Collection AR 97-372; 2000-50; 2000-104., 1883-2000, (Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin)
