Alvin J. Boutte Sr., co-founder and past chairman and CEO of Independence Bank (at one time America’s largest Black-owned bank), was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, on October 10, 1929.  He was the youngest of 10 children.  His mother, Adorea Darensbourg Boutte, was a seamstress, and his father, Arthur Boutte, was a gardener. A child of the Great Depression, Boutte and his older siblings attended Sacred Heart elementary, junior, and high schools.  He later attended Xavier University in New Orleans on a basketball scholarship. While at Xavier, he met his future wife, Barbara Gonzaque, who was a music major. Boutte created a number of businesses while at Xavier that served the needs of his fellow students.  Two notable endeavors were a laundry pickup business and a payment collection business for male students.  He earned an undergraduate degree in Pharmacy in 1951. During his tenure at Xavier, Boutte met several other ambitious and motivated young men who became friends; during one intense conversation, several of them decided to move to Chicago. Boutte entered the US Army, however, before moving to the city.  He successfully completed Officer Candidate School, where he attained the rank of Captain and was stationed in Germany. He … Continue reading Alvin J. Boutte Sr. (1929-2012)