Obituary Record

Caroline Ballard Argus, 81, a native and long-time resident of Bay St. Louis and New Orleans, died Sunday, Oct 24, 1999, in Bay St. Louis.

Mrs. Argus was one of the first women to attend Tulane University in chemical engineering. However, she changed her major to mathematics for which she was awarded membership in Phi Beta Kappa honorary frarnity and the Glendy Burke Medal Of Honor in mathematics, graduating in 1939.

An active member of the Opera Guild of New Orleans for many years, Mrs. Argus was former treasurer of the guild. She was also active as a teacher of mahematics at St. Joseph Academy in Bay St. Louis, a coordinator of the American Red Cross Blood Drive in Hancock County, and psychodrama groups at veterans hospitals in the area. As a civic activist, she coordinated and directed the efforts to obtain a hosopital in Hancock County, now known as Hancock Medical Center. She was a member of the Orleans Club of New Orleans and Bay-Waveland Yacht Club.

Mrs. Argus was a graduate of Bay High School, the Class of 1935. She was the first girl to receive instructions at St. Stanislaus, being accepted by the Brothers for the Summer session of 1935 to study solid geometry, preparatory to her entering Tulane University in the Fall of that year.

During the years of World War II, she taught mathematics at Tulane University in the Navy V12 program, which was for young men aspiring to be naval officers. At the same time, she worked at one f the war plants in New Orleans a quality control supervisor. After the war, when living in Bay St. Louis, she was called on by the Brothers at St. Stanislaus to fill in for one of the Brothers who had broken his leg in a Sunday afternoon baseball game, by assuming his classroom duties the following morning. In that manner, she became the first woman to ever teach at St. Stanislaus, which she did for a year or so before leaving to teach at St. Joseph's Academy.

She was preceded in death by her mother,Dr. Leober Ballard, and her father, Marshall Ballard. She was the sister of the late Marshall Ballard, Jr., Edith Ballard Watts, Ruth Ballard Semann and Samuel Handy Ballard.

Survivors include her husband, Wilbert Lang Argus, Sr. of Bay St. Louis; two sons, Wilbert Lang Argus , Jr, of New Orleans and Ballard Loeber Argus of Plantation, Fla; seven grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and numberous nieces and nephews.

A Memorial Mass was celebrated Wednesday at Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church in Bay St. Louis.

Edmond Fahey Funeral Home in Bay St. Louis was in charge of arrangements.

Source: Sea Coast Echo 10-28-1999