Educator, musician, liturgist left legacy of discipline

By Christine Bordelon, Clarion Herald
Photos | COURTESY BOUCREE FAMILY

John “Harold” Boucree is credited with having influenced many a New Orleanian through his devotion to faith, education and music.

Father Victor Cohea, now chaplain for the Sisters of the Holy Family, first met Boucree while he was a transitional deacon at the multiracial Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Uptown New Orleans. Boucree, who died Oct. 28 at age 96, was the director of liturgy.

“Mr. Boucree was one of my teachers,” Father Cohea said. “He was a brilliant man. He had a background in education. He was ecumenical, community-oriented and musically-oriented. … I learned a lot from him about the proper ways to celebrate the Eucharist and … the importance of using the different cultural music – Italian, French, Polish (and African-American). … He helped me become aware of that and what each meant to expressing the Catholicity of the faith. The music was always appropriate and congregationally friendly.”

Educator in classroom, church

Michael Boucree said his parents believed strongly in education as a way to improve oneself. John “Harold” Boucree attended Xavier Preparatory High School and Xavier University of Louisiana, where he met his wife Olympia.

Boucree earned a bachelor of arts in education, concentrating in mathematics, Latin, English and social studies, in 1944. He received  a master’s degree in education from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1950 and did post-graduate studies in education administration at Xavier University of Louisiana and at Tulane University.

In 1972, he completed doctoral coursework in educational administration, earning an MA+30 degree.

Michael Boucree said his father’s reputation was as a tough teacher at Xavier Prep, Carter G. Woodson and Booker T. Washington schools. He was principal at Rosenwald Elementary (1960), Carter G. Woodson Junior High School (1961) and Booker T. Washington Senior High (1966-74).

“All of his students would tell you he was a hard teacher; the same thing they would say for my mother, particularly in math,” Michael said.

After his many years as a principal, he advanced to acting supervisor for guidance and counseling and staff development for the Orleans Parish School Board and held other positions before retiring in 1986. He taught part-time at Southern University until 1994.

“He wanted to make sure everyone understood (the subject matter),” Michael added. “He wanted to advance the individual, make sure they had good life skills in math and English.”

Michael said his father was particularly aware of the value of math and English skills at Xavier Prep, because “it was an African-American school handed down by Mother Katharine Drexel. … That was probably his motivation. Up to his death, both my parents shared a passion for the integrity of education and using that as a platform for your life.”

Dr. Norman Francis, the longtime president of Xavier University, once substituted for Boucree at one of his classes at Xavier Prep when John was sick and was aware of his reputation.

“I had to go to your dad’s class and keep up his reputation,” Francis said.

Lover of music

John “Harold” Boucree grew up in a house where faith was strong and lived out at St. Monica Parish. His parents were involved with the Knights of Peter Claver, and his mother was also in the Ladies Sodality. Boucree loved music and played on their home piano. John became the organist at St. Monica, where he attended grammar school. His sister Helen also was an organist.

They grew up having admired St. Katharine Drexel, founder of the Blessed Sacrament Sisters and Xavier University. Michael Boucree said his great grandfather, a carpenter like John’s father, helped build Xavier University of Louisiana and is mentioned in a book on St. Katharine Drexel’s life.

In 1964, the Boucree family traveled to New York for the World’s Fair and stopped at the Blessed Sacrament Sisters’ headquarters in Bensalem, Pennsylvania.

“We just sort of knew growing up that mom and daddy were educators and had a family history of carpentry,” Michael said. “The fact that grandfather’s name was in the book on Katharine Drexel, and that book was on our bookshelf” was important.

Legend has it that Divine Word Father Harold Perry – who became the first African-American bishop in the United States in modern times – courted Boucree to lead the music at Our Lady of Lourdes, so they began attending Lourdes when Michael was at St. Monica School.

Boucree used his Latin background to teach choirs Latin to sing Latin songs from the hymnal. Michael said Boucree, believing in respecting church traditions, fought to keep traditional music in the church at a time when more contemporary hymns were becoming popular.

“He was one of the ones who made sure we didn’t leave the traditions of the Catholic Church, but he held a happy middle ground,” Michael Boucree said.

He played piano until 2005, when he suffered a stroke and Katrina destroyed his piano. But he enjoyed music when others played it for him.

Community leaders

Boucree was in many professional educational organizations including National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Alliance of Black School Educators, New Orleans Alliance of Black School Educators and Xavier University Alumni Association. In addition, he was a New Orleans Black Chorale member and also a member of community organizations such as Associated Catholic Charities, the Original Illinois Club and Friends of Amistad Research Center. In 1994, he was invited to participate in the “Behind the Veil” oral history project of the Duke University Center for Documentary Studies that  chronicled “African American life in the South.”

“We know he made an impact on the community, on the church and on many individuals,” Michael Boucree said.

“If he or my mother had an impact on you, don’t let the legacy die,” Michael added, urging individuals to consider the “Mr. John Harold and Dr. Olympia Eaglin Boucree Endowed Scholarship for Secondary Education” established at Xavier University to further increase the number of teachers in the city.

“It completes a cycle,” Michael said. “My grandfather helped build Xavier, my parents went to Xavier, I went to Xavier – and, now, the scholarship,” he said.

Christine Bordelon can be reached at cbordelon@clarionherald.org.