Cooley family. | Tulane University Special Collections

Captain Le Vere Cooley was a famous early 20th century Mississippi riverman--a "household word." He operated the steamer America from Greenville to New Orleans and also the Ouachita. In addition to the Mississippi, he sailed on the Ouachita and Black Rivers.

Esther Cooley, Le Vere's daughter, was a home economics teacher at the Natchitoches State Normal College. In 1948 she became head of the department at this school, which later became Northwestern State College.