ANNIE LAURIE MOODY Mrs. Thomas Franklin Moody of Baton Rouge served as State Regent of the Louisiana Society in the years 1942-1945. Officially and personally she made distinctive contributions to the interests and ideals of the DAR on both the state and national level.
Mrs. Moody was a graduate of the National Park Seminary, Washington, D.C., and Sophie Newcomb College, New Orleans. Her affiliations included: the Colonial Dames of America, several fraternal orders, the Louisiana State Federation of Music Clubs, the Philharmonic Club of Baton Rouge.
During her term as Regent of the Baton Rouge Chapter, LSDAR, it became the largest chapter in the State Society. She was Organizing President and Senior President of the C.A.R. as well as State Chairman of Juniors.
In the period she served as State Regent, many types of collections were made for overseas Armed Forces. She gave an entire mobile unit for area collection of blood plasma.
On the Good Will Tour of the DAR pilgrimage to France, commemorating the Battle of Yorktown, Mrs. Moody was the southern representative. On another National project, that of the Valley Forge Chapel Tower she served as a Vice-Chairman. And the Louisiana Bell at Valley Forge was donated in memory of her mother, Mrs. Georgianna Underwood Roumain.
Annie Laurie Moody's "meticulous care" in promoting the concerns of the DAR extended to research and earned for her a certificate of merit in genealogy. In her honor the Louisiana Society's genealogy collection was named the
ANNIE LAURIE MOODY CIRCULATING LIBRARY.
The library began with a donation by Mrs. Thomas Franklin Moody, State Regent, 1942-1945, of the Louisiana Society, Daughters of the American Revolution.
For nine years the small group of books was kept in the homes of those members who took care of them. They were borrowed by others over the state mainly as aids to establish family lines as required for DAR membership. The first Librarian was Mrs. Crawford Rose of Lake Providence.
Additions to the collection have been provided by contributions of individual members and Chapters of the LSDAR and from the budget of the Louisiana Society.
Since its beginning, the Library has grown to approximately 2,600 books. They are for the direct use of DAR members and reference use of persons interested in genealogical research.
After being moved about over the state, the Moody collection was place in Alexandria in 1971 in the Main Library of the Rapides Parish Library. It was again moved to East Baton Rouge Parish Library System in 1978.
Its materials are available to serious researchers and hobbyists during the regular Parish Library hours. This collection, the genealogy collections of the East Baton Rouge Parish Library, the Louisiana State Archives, the Louisiana State Library, and the Louisiana State University Library form a substantial nucleus for genealogical research in this area.
Annie Laurie Moody Library For Information Call Genealogy Department 225-763-2283
Located: Bluebonnet Branch
East Baton Rouge Parish Library
9200 Blubonnet Blvd.
Baton Rouge, La 70810Recent Development: LSDAR Librarian Rene' Nevils and Gwen Sealy, Chairman of the LSDAR "Friends" Committee, have reported the placement of two single purpose computers and a printer for use in the Library. Books on CD Rom are being purchased to supplement the collection.
Back to Louisiana DAR Home Page