Telesphore LeBoeuf (1881-1946)

 From "The Souvenir of the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention".

  Hailing from the city of Webster in Massachusetts, Telesphore LeBoeuf's political claim to fame rests on his service as a delegate to the Massachusetts State Constitutional Convention of 1917-19. A lifelong resident of Massachusetts, LeBoeuf was born in Webster on August 18, 1881 (or 1880, according to some sources), a son of Melchoir (1854-1942) and Noemi Cabana LeBoeuf (1854-1946), who were both natives of Canada. He attended schools local to the Webster area and as a young adult enrolled at the Boston University Law School, where he earned his bachelor of laws degree in 1907.

   Establishing a law practice in Worcester County, LeBoeuf later married Demerise Dufour (1879-1921) and had the following children: Norman T. (1910-1984), Joseph (died in infancy in 1911), Lucille (born 1912) and Jeannette (born 1914). Laboeuf would continue to practice law in Webster for many decades and in 1917 was elected to represent Webster at the Massachusetts State Constitutional Convention, being held at Boston. During his time at the convention, Leboeuf took an active part in debate proceedings and served on the committee on Military Affairs.

   Following his service as a delegate, LeBoeuf continued to serve his community of Webster in a number of different areas, holding the offices of town counsel, water commissioner and Secretary of the Webster-Dudley, Massachusetts chapter of the Red Cross. He maintained memberships in the Worcester County Bar Association and the Massachusetts Republican Club and served as the Vice President of the South Worcester County Bar Association for a time. As a man of French Canadian descent, LeBoeuf was active in groups devoted to French-American heritage, including serving as the vice president of the Franco-American Club and the Franco-American Foresters.

   In 1923 Telesphore LeBoeuf became a special assistant U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts, serving under Emerson W. Baker, who had recently been elected as U.S. District Attorney for Massachusetts. After many years of plying his trade in the field of law, Leboeuf made the jump into national politics, announcing his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts' 3rd district in mid-1938. In a Fitchburg Sentinel article on his candidacy, Leboeuf noted that he would dedicate himself "to legislation that will contribute to the greater welfare of our workers, to the acceleration of our industries, and to the progress of our farmers."

   Running against two other Republicans in that year's primary, Leboeuf and fellow candidate William P. Constantino were defeated by one J. Walton Tuttle, who went on to become the Republican congressional nominee that November. Tuttle was later defeated for Congress by incumbent Democrat Joseph E. Casey (1898-1980), who served in the U.S. House until 1942

From the Acton Concord Enterprise, September 7, 1938.

  Eight years following his defeat for a seat in Congress, Telesphore Lebeouf died at age 65 on April 18, 1946, while attending a meeting of the directors of the Webster National Bank. Notice is given as to his being nominated for bank president at the meeting, but due to his death never was able to serve in that post. Following his death, he was interred at the Sacred Heart Cemetery in Webster.